Senior Financial Analyst-LOCAL CANDIDATES ONLY
6 - 10 years
Waukegan, IL
$94k - $141k/year
Full-time
Onsite
1 month ago
About the role
*ABSOLUTELY NO RELOCATES WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION. ONLY CANDIDATES LOCAL TO THE WAUKEGAN, IL AREA WILL BE CONSIDERED. ALL OTHERS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED*
Role Summary
The Senior Financial Analyst-Operations plays a key role in analyzing operational performance, focusing on material usage, labor efficiency, and cost variances. This position supports both Finance and Operations by translating production activity into financial insights and identifying opportunities for cost optimization. Responsibilities include leading site-level performance reviews, ensuring routing accuracy, evaluating capital investments, linking production metrics to financial outcomes, and maintaining standard cost updates.
Direct Reports
Knowledge-Skills-Abilities
Education:
Experience:
Technology/Software:
Communication:
Physical Capabilities
Strength (lifting, dexterity, repetitive motion):
Movement (standing, stopping, sitting, crouching, crawling):
Hearing (loud noise tolerance, quiet work area, public speaking, receive work direction):
Vision (judge distance, read signs, extended computer work, identify details):
Position Responsibilities-Tasks-Deliverables
An individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each essential duty listed below. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
All duties as assigned, in addition to the following specific activities:
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
On-going outcome that is measurable
MISCELLANEOUS
Visual Pak Companies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Visual Pak does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, gender (orientation or identification), sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other basis covered by federal, state, or local laws. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, skills, individual performance, and business needs.
Role Summary
The Senior Financial Analyst-Operations plays a key role in analyzing operational performance, focusing on material usage, labor efficiency, and cost variances. This position supports both Finance and Operations by translating production activity into financial insights and identifying opportunities for cost optimization. Responsibilities include leading site-level performance reviews, ensuring routing accuracy, evaluating capital investments, linking production metrics to financial outcomes, and maintaining standard cost updates.
Direct Reports
- None
Knowledge-Skills-Abilities
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Analytics, or a related field.
- CPA/CMA certificate or MBA a plus.
Experience:
- 4 years of experience in financial analysis, within an operations or manufacturing environment.
- Strong understanding of cost accounting, supply chain finance, and operational metrics.
- Strong understanding of cost accounting, standard costing, and operational finance principles.
- Proven ability to analyze large datasets and translate findings into actionable insights.
- Strong business acumen and ability to connect financial outcomes to operational drivers.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- High attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy and integrity.
- Self-starter with a continuous improvement mindset and a proactive approach to problem-solving.
- Experience supporting capital expenditure analysis and ROI modeling is a plus.
Technology/Software:
- ERP system experience (Microsoft Dynamics Navision preferred)
- Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, etc.)
- Experience with data visualization or dashboard tools preferred
Communication:
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to:
- Present complex financial data clearly and concisely to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
- Create executive-level presentations and reports that support strategic decision making.
- Collaborate effectively across departments, including Operations, Supply Chain, and Corporate Finance.
Physical Capabilities
Strength (lifting, dexterity, repetitive motion):
- Ability to occasionally lift and carry materials or equipment up to 15 lbs.
- Frequent use of hands and fingers for ftyping, data entry, and operating standard office equipment.
- Repetitive motion involved in computer work and report preparation.
Movement (standing, stopping, sitting, crouching, crawling):
- Primarily sedentary role with extended periods of sitting.
- Occasional standing or walking during meetings or site visits.
- Rarely requires crouching or crawling.
Hearing (loud noise tolerance, quiet work area, public speaking, receive work direction):
- Ability to work in a quiet office environment.
- Must be able to participate in meetings, video calls, and presentations.
- Capable of receiving verbal instructions and engaging in group discussions.
Vision (judge distance, read signs, extended computer work, identify details):
- Must be able to work at a computer for extended periods.
- Ability to read detailed financial reports, spreadsheets, and dashboards.
- Visual acuity required to identify data trends and discrepancies.
Position Responsibilities-Tasks-Deliverables
An individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each essential duty listed below. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
All duties as assigned, in addition to the following specific activities:
- Analyze production data- including machine speed, output, crew size, and downtime- to evaluate the financial impact of operational performance and support continuous improvement initiatives.
- Facilitate weekly performance review meetings with site-level operations leadership to assess prior week results and drive focus toward financially impactful opportunities.
- Identify underperforming jobs and partner with operations to proactively plan for improved execution in future production runs.
- Maintain and validate routing within the ERP system; review and assess routing change requests for accuracy and financial implications.
- Reconcile labor hours charged to production orders against employee payroll data to identify discrepancies or potential operations inefficiencies.
- Support capital investment initiatives by preparing return-on-investment (ROI) analyses and evaluating financial implications.
- Conduct margin analysis across divisions, plants, customers, product families, and production lines, uncover trends and key profitability drivers.
- Compare actual operational performance to quoted or expected conversion margins, providing insights into key variance drivers.
- Assist operations teams in collecting, validating, and presenting KPIs to ensure consistent and actionable performance tracking
- Translate customer sales forecasts (from SIOP) into full P&L forecasts, including cost and margin projections, to support financial planning.
- Contribute to quarterly operations reviews and other executive reporting initiatives by delivering relevant and insightful operational financial data.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
On-going outcome that is measurable
- Timely execution and accuracy of routing and labor reconciliations
- Active participation and leadership in weekly performance reviews
- ROI calculations completed and capital project support delivered
- Insightful margin and cost variance analysis with actionable recommendations
- Operational team adoption and application of financial KPIs
MISCELLANEOUS
- Travel: Local travel
- Vehicle (own): n/a
- Tools (own): n/a
- Technology (own): n/a
Visual Pak Companies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Visual Pak does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, gender (orientation or identification), sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other basis covered by federal, state, or local laws. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, skills, individual performance, and business needs.