Operations Finance Manager

Cpl Group; Connacht; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Cpl Group seeks an Operations Finance Manager in Loughrea, Galway. This newly created senior role will establish and lead the Operations Finance sub-function, delivering dedicated financial leadership, reporting and decision support to the manufacturing operations.

You will build a team, implement standard costing, inventory accounting and robust reporting, and act as a trusted partner to the Site General Manager on budgeting, capex, cost management and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with post-qualification experience in manufacturing.
• Experience as Operations Accountant in a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Deep knowledge of standard costing, inventory accounting and variance analysis.
• Proven business partner to senior operations leaders.
• Experience building or expanding a finance team and reporting suite.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the new Operations Finance function.
• Develop robust reporting packs covering cost, yields, labour and inventory.
• Partner with Site GM on budgeting, forecasts, cost management and capex.
• Own inventory controls, standard costing and period-end close.
• Drive continuous improvement and margin enhancement initiatives.

Skills

Business partnering

People management

Analytical thinking

Leadership

Education

Qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA)

Tools

SAP

Oracle

Microsoft Dynamics

Power BI

Job description

Operations Finance Manager

Loughrea, Galway

Onsite Initially, Hybrid option after 6 months

Role Purpose

This is a newly created senior role within the Finance function. The Operations Finance Manager will establish and lead a new Operations Finance sub-function, providing dedicated financial leadership, reporting and decision support to the operations side of the business. The role carries full responsibility for building the operations finance capability from the ground up — its people, processes, reporting suite and controls, and for acting as the trusted finance business partner to the Site General Manager.4

Key Responsibilities

Build the Operations Finance function

Design, establish and lead a new Operations Finance sub-function within the wider Finance department, defining its remit, structure, processes and ways of working.

Lead, manage and develop two Cost Accountants, setting objectives, reviewing performance and building team capability.

Embed robust standard costing, inventory accounting and variance analysis processes across the site.

Operations reporting

Create a new suite of operational finance reporting covering manufacturing performance, cost of goods, yields, scrap and waste, labour and overhead absorption, variances and inventory.

Deliver weekly and monthly reporting packs with clear, actionable insight for operations management and the wider finance leadership.

Develop and track site KPIs, dashboards and cost-per-unit metrics, driving standardisation and automation of reporting over time.

Business partnering

Act as dedicated finance business partner to the Site General Manager, providing financial insight and challenge to support operational decision-making.

Support the operations leadership team on budgeting, forecasting, headcount planning and cost management for the site.

Evaluate capital expenditure proposals, cost-reduction initiatives and make-vs-buy decisions, including post-investment reviews.

Partner with operations on efficiency, continuous improvement and margin-enhancement programmes, quantifying benefits and tracking delivery.

Financial control and planning

Own the annual standard cost-setting process and periodic cost roll-ups.

Lead the operations elements of the annual budget and rolling forecasts, including production volumes, conversion costs and inventory.

Ensure the integrity of inventory valuation and manufacturing accounting in the month-end close, working with the wider finance team.

Strengthen controls over inventory, cycle counts, BOMs and routings in conjunction with operations and supply chain.

Qualifications and Experience

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with strong post-qualification experience.
• Experience working as an Operations Accountant in a regulated manufacturing organization is essential.
• Significant experience in a manufacturing environment, ideally pharmaceutical or other regulated industry, with deep knowledge of standard costing, inventory accounting and variance analysis.
• Proven track record of business partnering with senior operational leaders, ideally at site GM / operations director level.
• Experience building or significantly developing a finance team, function or reporting suite is highly desirable.
• Strong people-management experience with the ability to coach and develop qualified and part-qualified staff.
• Advanced Excel and strong ERP experience (e.g. SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics); experience with BI/reporting tools (e.g. Power BI) an advantage.

Competencies

• Self-starter comfortable operating with ambiguity and building structures, processes and reporting where none currently exist.
• Strong commercial acumen and the ability to translate financial data into clear operational insight and action.
• Credible communicator and influencer, able to constructively challenge senior stakeholders.
• Hands-on and detail-oriented, while retaining a strategic view of the function's development.
• Collaborative team player who works effectively across finance, operations, supply chain and quality.