Financial Analyst - Food Manufacturer - Elmhurst, IL

I'm partnered with a $500M+ Food Manufacturer located near Elmhurst, IL as they look to add on a Finance Analyst to their growing team. This role combines operational finance and accounting responsibilities, providing critical support across cost analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and inventory management. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced production environment and serve as a key business partner to both finance and operations teams.

Client Details

I'm partnered with a $500M+ Food Manufacturer located near Elmhurst, IL as they look to add on a Finance Analyst to their growing team. This role combines operational finance and accounting responsibilities, providing critical support across cost analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and inventory management. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced production environment and serve as a key business partner to both finance and operations teams.

Description

Financial Analyst Responsibilities:

• Monitor and analyze production variances, collaborating with manufacturing teams to investigate and resolve discrepancies.
• Track and evaluate production KPIs, reconciling daily production and shipping data using SAP.
• Ensure the accuracy of finished goods reporting and maintain accountability in production data capture.
• Calculate and communicate weekly plant performance metrics.
• Deliver in-depth labor cost analysis on a weekly basis.
• Manage close activities related to the general ledger and inventory, including journal entries for accruals and expense allocations.
• Perform comprehensive expense reviews and ensure costs are accurately reflected in the income statement.
• Prepare post-close financial reports for plant leadership and complete reconciliations in a timely manner.
• Lead reporting of production KPIs and support corporate requirements for environmental, safety, and compliance metrics.
• Partner with department leaders to analyze results and support action planning for future performance.
• Assist in the development of annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, including updates to standard costing models.
• Analyze trends in labor and material usage, validate planning assumptions, and participate in scenario planning and operational modeling.
• Coordinate information flow and data collection across teams to support an efficient planning process.
• Conduct internal control reviews and audits to ensure the accuracy of inventory and financial processes.
• Review and validate SAP system data, including production recipes and consumption rates.
• Support resolution of accounting and control issues across plant functions.
• Provide accounting guidance and onboarding support for new team members at the plant, ensuring continuity during periods of transition.
• Analyze inventory variances and support cycle counting processes, ensuring compliance with company policies on slow-moving and obsolete materials.
• Oversee transactional accuracy for product holds, disposals, and related activities.
• Act as a financial lead for plant-wide improvement initiatives, partnering with operations on lean manufacturing efforts and process optimization projects.
• Contribute to various strategic initiatives and special assignments, such as union negotiations, procurement support, and cross-functional task forces.

Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance
• 2+ years of Finance Experience
• Manufacturing industry required
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (especially Excel)
• Experience with SAP ERP System is strongly preferred for this role
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Job Offer

• Base salary of 90,000 - 120,000 based on experience
• 10% bonus potential
• Strong benefits
• Great company culture and positive work environment
• Ample room to progress your career
• Highly visible role, partnering with the VP and CFO
• Tons of mentorship and training from the team
• Awesome team culture

MPI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or based on an individual's status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local law. MPI encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants.