Head of Operations Finance & Margin Growth

Ultipro; Oceanside (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Parental leave 12 weeks

401(k) match

Paid time off

Job summary

Suja Life is seeking a Director of Operations Finance to lead the financial planning and analysis for supply chain from procurement to distribution. You will partner with operations leadership, own COGS and inventory costing, and drive margin expansion.

The role requires a strong track record in manufacturing finance, ERP experience, and leadership of finance teams, with hybrid work and a focus on cost optimization. Compensation reflects a $180k–$220k range and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive finance experience, including 5+ years in operations, supply chain, or manufacturing finance
• 5+ years in a manufacturing environment is required; food and beverage or CPG experience strongly preferred
• 3+ years of people leadership experience, with a track record of building and developing high-performing finance teams
• Deep experience with standard costing, COGS builds, inventory accounting, and manufacturing variance analysis
• Proven record of driving measurable cost savings, margin improvement, and working capital gains in partnership with operations leaders
• Prior experience with ERP systems, including costing, MRP, and inventory modules; NetSuite preferred

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior finance business partner to the operations and supply chain leadership team, shaping supply chain strategy through financial insight and acting as a trusted advisor on cost, capacity, and investment decisions
• Lead the annual operations and supply chain annual operating plan, including the COGS build, conversion cost, freight and logistics, and inventory plans; own the annual standard cost roll and costing methodology
• Leverage cost per unit and whole dollar price/volume/mix key drivers variance analysis methodology to explain business performance vs expectations
• Establish raw materials input standard costs using last price paid, gross and net yield methodology, help forecast Purchase Price Variance (PPV) and explain actuals vs expectations
• Establish Direct and Indirect Labor, Variable and Fixed Overhead, and Depreciation standards by department/master router by utilizing Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) and similar throughput KPIs
• Leverage these standards to help Operations forecast future cost and regularly review performance vs expectations
• Establish freight standards by SKU and customer utilizing mode, base lane rate/surcharge, and utilization methodology and explain actuals vs expectations
• Own the monthly rolling COGS Standards and Variance forecast, translating production plans and S&OP outputs into volume, mix, and cost projections (materials, packaging, labor, overhead, yield, and freight); reconcile forecast to actuals, identify risks and opportunities, and communicate margin impacts
• Own end-to-end product costing, including bill of materials and routing accuracy, standard vs. actual cost analysis, and purchase price, material usage, yield, and labor and overhead variances; translate variances into root causes and corrective actions
• Drive gross margin expansion by building and governing a structured cost savings and productivity pipeline (procurement, manufacturing efficiency, yield and waste reduction, network optimization), and validate realized savings against targets
• Partner with Procurement on raw material, ingredient, and packaging cost strategy, including commodity outlooks, supplier negotiations, contracting approaches, and should-cost analysis
• Identify, quantify, and mitigate supply chain financial risks, including commodity and packaging price volatility, supplier and co-manufacturer concentration, tariffs, and supply disruptions, and develop contingency and scenario plans with operations leadership
• Provide financial leadership over inventory, including inventory levels, days on hand, excess and obsolete (E&O) and shrink reserves, write-offs, and working capital optimization in partnership with Planning and Accounting
• Lead financial evaluation and governance of capital expenditures and supply chain investments, including ROI/NPV/payback analysis, capex tracking, and post-investment reviews
• Own freight, warehousing, and distribution cost analytics, including cost-to-serve analysis by channel, customer, and SKU, and support SKU rationalization and new product costing
• Present operations financial performance, risks, and opportunities to the CFO, CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors, with clear recommendations and action plans
• Partner with Accounting to ensure a timely and accurate monthly close for inventory, COGS, and operations-related accounts, and strengthen internal controls over costing and inventory
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing Operations Finance team, providing coaching, setting clear goals, and fostering a culture of accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement
• Champion the continuous improvement, automation, and scalability of operations finance systems, tools, and processes, including ERP costing modules, BI reporting, and data integrity
• Lead strategic and cross-functional supply chain initiatives as required, such as network expansion, new facility or line start-ups, and integration of acquired operations
• Relentlessly focus on helping the business operate as the low-cost producer in its line of business
• May from time to time need to attend store schematic tests or resets, club roadshows/demos, or other channel-specific retail events.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Supply Chain Management

Job description

Suja Life is seeking a Director of Operations Finance to lead the financial planning and analysis for supply chain from procurement to distribution. You will partner with operations leadership, own COGS and inventory costing, and drive margin expansion.

The role requires a strong track record in manufacturing finance, ERP experience, and leadership of finance teams, with hybrid work and a focus on cost optimization. Compensation reflects a $180k–$220k range and comprehensive benefits.