Senior Financial Analyst

Arigo HR Solutions; Little Rock (AR); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Arigo HR Solutions in Little Rock, Arkansas, is seeking a Senior Financial Analyst – Manufacturing Finance to focus on cost accounting and plant-level financial analysis. The role collaborates with the CFO and operations teams to improve cost visibility, controls, and decision-making.

The position is 60–70% cost accounting and manufacturing finance and 30–40% FP&A, with FP&A support provided by the head office in India.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of direct manufacturing finance experience.
• Hands-on ownership and maintenance of a standard costing system.
• Experience analyzing variances: PPV, labor, material usage, overhead.
• Inventory valuation and COGS reconciliation experience.
• Plant-level cost accounting with cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Own, maintain, and improve the standard costing system for manufacturing operations.
• Conduct BOM reviews, cost rollups, and overhead rate analysis.
• Analyze and explain manufacturing variances and root causes.
• Partner with plant leadership to strengthen cost controls and support operational performance.
• Support FP&A, budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning; assist with month-end closing.

Skills

Cost accounting

Variance analysis

Financial analysis

Manufacturing finance

Education

CPA

MBA

Tools

SAP FI/CO

Power BI

Excel

Job description

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Model: On-site

Department: Finance & Accounting

Reports To: Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Experience Required: 5+ years of direct manufacturing finance experience

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Financial Analyst – Manufacturing Finance to join a manufacturing operation in Little Rock, Arkansas.

This role will focus primarily on cost accounting and plant-level financial analysis, with additional responsibilities in financial planning and analysis (FP&A). The successful candidate will work closely with the CFO, plant leadership, facilities, manufacturing, operations, and supply chain teams to improve cost visibility, strengthen financial controls, and support operational decision-making.

This is a newly established position offering the opportunity to help shape processes, reporting practices, and cost management initiatives. The role is approximately 60–70% cost accounting and manufacturing finance and 30–40% FP&A, with some FP&A activities supported by the head office in India.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience owning standard costing systems, analyzing manufacturing variances, managing inventory accounting, and partnering directly with plant operations.

1. Cost Accounting & Standard Costing

• Own, maintain, and improve the standard costing system for manufacturing operations.
• Conduct bill of materials (BOM) reviews, cost rollups, and overhead rate analysis.
• Review and validate standard costs to ensure accuracy and alignment with manufacturing processes.
• Identify cost drivers, evaluate manufacturing costs, and recommend opportunities to improve cost efficiency and profitability.
• Partner with plant leadership to strengthen cost controls and support operational performance.

2. Manufacturing Variance Analysis

• Analyze and explain manufacturing variances, including:
• Purchase Price Variance (PPV).
• Labor efficiency and labor rate variances.
• Material usage and consumption variances.
• Investigate root causes of cost variances and collaborate with operational teams to implement corrective actions.
• Monitor cost trends and communicate financial implications to plant and finance leadership.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on cost reduction, margin improvement, and operational efficiency.
• Manage and analyze inventory valuation across raw materials (RM), work-in-progress (WIP), and finished goods (FG).
• Support month-end closing activities, including cost of goods sold (COGS) reconciliation and inventory accounting.
• Understand how manufacturing variances flow through inventory, COGS, and gross margins.
• Investigate inventory discrepancies and work with operations and supply chain teams to resolve issues.
• Support accurate financial reporting and adherence to applicable accounting policies.

4. Plant-Level Financial Business Partnering

• Work closely with plant leadership, facilities, manufacturing managers, operations, and supply chain teams.
• Provide financial insights to support production planning, cost optimization, and operational decisions.
• Translate complex financial information into clear, actionable recommendations for non-finance stakeholders.
• Help establish and improve plant-level financial reporting, cost tracking, and performance monitoring processes.

5. Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

• Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities.
• Conduct actual-versus-budget and prior-period variance analysis.
• Develop financial models, management reports, and performance dashboards.
• Support capital expenditure analysis, investment evaluation, and ROI calculations.
• Collaborate with the broader finance team and India-based head office on FP&A and reporting activities.
• Utilize ERP systems and financial reporting tools to analyze and interpret manufacturing financial data.
• Improve reporting accuracy, data integrity, and the efficiency of financial analysis processes.
• Support month-end reporting, audit requirements, and internal financial controls.
• Identify opportunities to streamline reporting through automation and improved analytical tools.

Required Qualifications – Mandatory

Candidates must meet all of the following requirements:

• Minimum 5 years of direct manufacturing finance experience. Only relevant manufacturing finance experience will be considered; total finance experience alone does not meet this requirement.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment, preferably within steel, metals, pipe and tubular products, oil and gas manufacturing, or heavy industrial manufacturing.
• Hands-on ownership and maintenance of a standard costing system, including BOM reviews, cost rollups, and overhead rate analysis.
• Strong experience analyzing manufacturing variances, including purchase price, labor, material usage, and overhead absorption variances.
• Practical knowledge of inventory valuation across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods, along with COGS reconciliation and month-end closing.
• Understanding of how manufacturing costs and variances impact inventory valuation, COGS, and gross margins.
• Demonstrated plant-level cost accounting experience, including direct interaction with plant leadership, operations, supply chain, and manufacturing teams.
• Ability to investigate cost variances, identify root causes, and work with stakeholders to implement corrective actions.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Important: Candidates with only corporate FP&A, financial reporting, or general accounting experience without hands-on plant-level manufacturing cost accounting experience will not be suitable for this position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in steel, metals, pipe and tubular products, OCTG, line pipe, or oil and gas manufacturing.
• Experience with SAP FI/CO or a comparable ERP system.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including financial modeling, pivot tables, and data analysis.
• Experience with Power BI or other business intelligence and reporting tools.
• CPA, CMA, MBA, or other relevant professional qualifications.
• Experience supporting multi-site manufacturing operations.
• Experience partnering with senior finance leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and operational performance improvement.

Target Industry Background

Candidates will be prioritized in the following order:

• Steel, metals, pipe and tubular products, OCTG, line pipe, and oil and gas manufacturing.
• Heavy industrial manufacturing.
• Other manufacturing industries, provided the candidate has strong, hands-on plant-level cost accounting and standard costing experience.

Experience in oil and gas alone is not sufficient. Candidates whose backgrounds are limited to upstream exploration and production (E&P), Joint Interest Billing (JIB), or Lease Operating Expenses (LOE), without direct plant manufacturing cost accounting experience, will not be considered a match.

Work Location & Schedule

• Location: Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
• Employment Type: Full-time.
• Work Arrangement: On-site.
• Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the CFO.

Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or veteran status.