Senior Financial Analyst

Aston Carter; Michigan; On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Aston Carter is seeking an Operational Finance / Cost Accounting Analyst for a fast-paced manufacturing setting in Macomb, MI. The role emphasizes standard cost creation, variance analysis, inventory reconciliation, and plant-level financial support.

Strong ERP experience and reporting to operations are essential for improving cost visibility and business performance. The position is full-time, onsite, with a typical 8am–5pm schedule, and offers a pathway to influence cost efficiency across

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field.
• 5+ years of manufacturing finance or cost accounting experience.
• Experience creating and maintaining standard costs in manufacturing.
• Advanced Excel skills including modeling, variance analysis, scenario analysis, and sensitivity testing.
• Hands-on ERP experience; SAP, Oracle, JDE, Plex, or similar systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and update standard manufacturing costs (materials, labor, overhead).
• Analyze operational variances (material, labor, overhead, scrap, downtime).
• Partner with plant operations and cross-functional teams to identify cost drivers and actions.
• Support inventory valuation, cycle counts, and reconciliations to GL.
• Assist budgeting, forecasting, and plant-level financial planning.

Skills

Manufacturing finance

Variance analysis

Cross-functional partnering

Advanced Excel

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance/Accounting

Tools

SAP

Oracle

JDE

PLEX

Job description

Seeking an Operational Finance / Cost Accounting Analyst to support a fast-paced manufacturing environment. This role will focus on standard cost creation and maintenance, operational variance analysis, inventory reconciliation, forecasting, and financial support for plant leadership. The ideal candidate has a strong manufacturing finance experience, hands-on ERP experience, and the ability to partner closely with operations to improve cost visibility and business performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and update standard manufacturing costs, including materials, labor, machine utilization, overhead rates, BOMs, and production routings.
• Analyze operational and manufacturing variances, including material usage, labor efficiency, overhead absorption, scrap, downtime, and rework.
• Partner with plant operations, engineering, procurement, and supply chain teams to identify cost drivers and support corrective action.
• Support inventory valuation, cycle counts, obsolescence reviews, and reconciliations to the general ledger.
• Assist with budgeting, forecasting, and plant-level financial planning, including rolling forecasts and cost updates.
• Evaluate CapEx projects and operational improvement initiatives through ROI, payback, and cost-savings analysis.
• Prepare financial models, monthly/quarterly close support, and management-level reporting or presentation materials.

Onsite 8am - 5pm

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
• 5+ years of manufacturing finance, cost accounting, or operational finance experience.
• Strong experience creating and maintaining standard costs within a manufacturing environment.
• Advanced Excel skills, including financial modeling, variance analysis, scenario analysis, and sensitivity testing.
• Hands‑on ERP experience; SAP, Oracle, JDE, Plex, or similar systems preferred.
• Strong analytical, communication, and cross‑functional partnering skills.
• High‑volume manufacturing or automotive experience preferred.

Breakdown

Operational Variance & Cost Analysis

• Perform in-depth variance analysis on operational metrics, such as material variances, labor efficiency gaps, and overhead absorption discrepancies against standards.
• Identify root causes of cost overruns (e.g., scrap rates, downtime, rework) and partner with operations to implement corrective actions for real-time cost control.
• Support daily operational reviews by providing cost impact assessments for production scheduling, shift adjustments, and resource allocation.

Operational Finance Business Partnering

• Serve as the primary finance liaison to manufacturing operations, offering proactive insights on cost drivers during production meetings and shift handovers.
• Analyze operational KPIs (e.g., cost per unit, throughput rates, OEE) and recommend strategies to optimize working capital, such as inventory reduction and cycle time improvements.
• Assist in make‑or‑buy decisions, outsourcing evaluations, and capacity planning with detailed cost simulations.

Standard Cost Creation & Updates

• Develop and maintain standard manufacturing costs from scratch, including detailed breakdowns of direct materials, labor standards, machine utilization, and overhead rates based on engineering data and production routings.
• Conduct annual and ad‑hoc cost updates in response to material price changes, process optimizations, inflation adjustments, or supplier negotiations; ensure ERP system (e.g., PLEX, SAP, Oracle) reflects accurate standard costs for all product lines.
• Collaborate with engineering and procurement to incorporate design changes, BOM revisions, and efficiency gains into cost models.

Inventory Management & Reconciliation

• Oversee standard cost-based inventory valuation, including cycle counts, obsolescence reviews, and variance reconciliations to the general ledger.
• Drive initiatives to minimize excess inventory and improve turnover through accurate costing and forecasting.

Budgeting, Forecasting, & Capital Projects

• Lead operational budgeting and forecasting at the plant level, integrating updated standard costs into monthly rolling forecasts.
• Evaluate CapEx investments (e.g., new machinery, process automation) using standard cost models to project ROI, payback periods, and operational savings.
• Track and report on post-project performance against budgeted costs.

Monthly & Quarterly Financial Support

• Provide monthly and quarterly close support
• Prepare and update financial models for scenario planning, sensitivity analysis, and what‑if simulations related to production volumes, cost changes, and market impacts.
• Develop management and board presentation decks, synthesizing operational data, financial trends, and key insights into clear, executive-level visuals (e.g., using PowerPoint).

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Macomb, MI.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $80000.00 - $100000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Macomb,MI.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 25, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.