Senior Financial Analyst, Cost & Operations

URUS Group; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

URUS is seeking a Senior Financial Analyst in Cost & Operations to shape how we analyze costs, performance, and data into actionable insights. You’ll work across finance, production, R&D, product, and innovation to improve financial visibility and decision‑making.

You will dig into production costs, COGS, margins, and cost per unit, building models for CAPEX and business cases while advancing reporting and automation. This role offers growth within URUS’ expanding matrixed environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field.
• Experience in manufacturing finance or FP&A.
• Proficient in Excel and data analysis with large data sets.

Responsibilities

• Analyze production costs, COGS, inventory, margins, and unit cost drivers.
• Identify cost drivers across labor, materials, yield, overhead, and product mix.
• Perform variance analysis and translate findings into actionable insights.
• Support costing processes: standard costing, allocations, BOM analysis, inventory valuation.
• Collaborate with finance, production, R&D, product, and innovation teams.
• Assist budgeting, forecasting, and scenario planning for production and innovation.
• Build financial models for business cases, CAPEX, product economics, and make-versus-buy.
• Improve reporting, dashboards, and recurring financial processes.
• Leverage technology and AI-enabled tools to enhance analysis and reporting.

Skills

Excel

Financial modeling

Data analysis

ERP systems

Power BI

Cost accounting

Variance analysis

Manufacturing finance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field

Tools

JD Edwards

HFM

Job description

URUS is looking for a Senior Financial Analyst. Cost & Operations to join our Finance, Product & Innovation team. This is a newly created role with an opportunity to help shape how we analyze costs, understand operational performance, and turn financial and production data into actionable insights.

You’ll join a small, collaborative team and work across finance, production, R&D, product, and innovation. We’re looking for someone who brings hands‑on experience in manufacturing or operational finance, enjoys digging into complex data, and is curious enough to ask why — and then help shape what comes next.

What You’ll Do

• Analyze production costs, COGS, inventory, margins, cost per unit, and key operational drivers.
• Identify and explain cost drivers across areas such as labor, materials, yield, overhead, efficiency, inventory movement, and product mix.
• Perform variance analysis and translate findings into practical insights and recommendations for business leaders.
• Support and improve costing processes, including areas such as standard costing, cost allocations, BOM analysis, inventory valuation, and overhead.
• Partner with finance, controllership, production, product, R&D, and innovation teams to improve financial visibility and decision‑making.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and scenario planning across production and innovation activities.
• Build financial models for business cases, CAPEX, product economics, make‑versus‑buy decisions, and other strategic initiatives.
• Improve reporting, dashboards, analytical tools, and recurring financial processes.
• Use technology, automation, and AI‑enabled tools to make analysis and reporting more efficient and actionable.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field.
• Several years of progressive experience in manufacturing finance, operations finance, cost accounting, FP&A, or a related financial analysis role.
• Hands‑on experience with multiple areas of operational costing, such as cost accounting, standard costing, inventory, BOMs, COGS, overhead, variance analysis, or cost‑per‑unit analysis.
• Experience working with manufacturing, production, or another operations‑intensive business environment.
• Strong Excel, financial modeling, and data analysis skills with the ability to work across large or complex data sets.
• Experience working with ERP and financial reporting systems; experience with JD Edwards, HFM, Power BI, or similar tools is a plus.
• Ability to independently investigate financial and operational data, identify meaningful insights, and communicate recommendations clearly.
• A hands‑on, curious, and proactive approach. You’re comfortable asking questions, challenging assumptions constructively, and looking for opportunities.

Why This Role?

This is an opportunity to join a growing capability rather than simply step into an established process. You’ll have room to bring ideas from your previous experience, improve how financial and operational information is used, and help shape the tools and analysis that support better decisions across the organization.

You’ll work closely with leaders across finance, production, R&D, and innovation and gain broad exposure across URUS’ matrixed organization. For someone who enjoys learning, building, and taking ownership, this role offers significant opportunity to grow your impact and your career.

About URUS

At URUS, our work contributes to better cows for a better world. Through genetics, technology, innovation, and data, our businesses help producers improve productivity and efficiency while supporting a more sustainable future.

We’re a global organization with an innovative, evolving environment where new challenges create opportunities to learn, improve, and make an impact.