Senior Financial Planning Analyst

Katalyst Systems Impact; Cedar Rapids (IA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Katalyst Systems Impact in Cedar Rapids, IA is seeking a Senior Financial Planning & Analysis Manager to lead ERP implementations, drive operational improvements, and own multi‑company projects. You will work directly with senior leaders to align financial results with operational activity, including cost, margins, and profitability analysis.

The role focuses on systems implementation, workflow optimization, and robust financial reporting, with leadership responsibilities and occasional on‑site

Qualifications

• 5+ years of accounting or finance experience with operating responsibilities.
• Hands-on ERP implementation or conversion experience.
• Strong background in linking operational processes to financial results.

Responsibilities

• Lead ERP implementations, conversions, and integrations across multiple companies.
• Bridge purchasing, inventory, production, and costing to financial reporting.
• Collaborate with CFO, Director of Financial Reporting, and operations teams to drive improvements and data quality.
• Own projects delegated by senior leadership and drive them to completion.

Skills

ERP implementation

Operational finance

Project leadership

Data analysis

Communication

Travel 10-15%

Job description

Senior Financial Planning & Analysis Manager

Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 | Full-Time | On-site

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with flexibility for a 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. schedule.

A locally owned shared services company in Eastern Iowa supports a growing group of 30+ independently owned construction, manufacturing, and industrial companies with strategic and financial solutions. They are seeking a finance professional with operational experience and hands‑on ERP implementation expertise to join their growing finance team.

This newly created position will work directly with the CFO and Director of Financial Reporting to lead systems conversions, improve financial and operational processes, and take ownership of projects across the companies they support. The ideal candidate understands how work moves through a business—from purchasing, inventory, and production to project execution, costing, and financial reporting—and can help ensure the supporting systems and processes function effectively.

You’ll work alongside company leaders, accounting teams, and operational staff to understand business needs, investigate problems, and implement practical solutions. Some projects will involve transitioning to a new ERP system; others will focus on improving workflows, resolving data issues, or helping leadership better understand profitability and operational performance.

The primary focus of this position is systems implementation, operational improvement, and project execution, supported by financial analysis and reporting. This is initially an individual‑contributor leadership role with responsibility and influence across multiple companies.

What You’ll Own

• Lead and support ERP implementations, conversions, and integrations. Work with company teams and implementation partners to define requirements, map processes, validate and migrate data, test functionality, and support a successful transition.


• Connect operational processes with financial results. Understand how purchasing, inventory, production, labor, and project activity flow through systems into costing, accounting, and reporting.


• Work directly with operating companies to solve problems. Investigate financial and operational issues, identify root causes, and help implement improvements, including on‑site support when needed.


• Own projects delegated by the CFO and Director of Financial Reporting. Establish next steps, coordinate the people involved, communicate progress, and follow projects through completion.


• Improve workflows and system use. Identify gaps in processes, configuration, controls, and training that create manual work, unreliable information, or operational inefficiencies.


• Support financial and operational analysis. Evaluate job and product profitability, margins, WIP, inventory, cost variances, and other performance drivers relevant to each business.


• Strengthen reporting and data quality. Help teams develop reliable information and practical reporting tools that support business decisions.


• Help teams adopt changes. Document processes, support user training, and work with employees to ensure new systems and workflows function in day‑to‑day operations.


• Support acquisition‑related work as it develops. Assist with financial evaluation and the integration of systems and processes for companies joining the shared services model.

What We’re Looking For

Required Experience and Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant accounting or finance experience, including meaningful involvement in business operations and process improvement.


• Operational finance experience in construction, manufacturing, or a related industrial environment, with an understanding of how operational activity affects costs, margins, and financial results.


• Hands‑on involvement in an ERP implementation, conversion, or significant systems improvement project, with responsibility beyond routine system use. Relevant experience may include serving as a finance lead, functional expert, or core implementation team member.


• A strong accounting foundation and the ability to trace information from operational activity through system transactions and financial reporting.


• Demonstrated success identifying the cause of a problem and implementing a practical solution.


• The ability to take ownership of projects with incomplete information, establish a workable approach, and move the work forward with appropriate independence.


• Strong communication and relationship‑building skills, with the ability to work effectively with finance leadership, company leaders, accounting staff, operational teams, and external implementation partners.


• Sound judgment, discretion with sensitive information, and a willingness to work directly with teams to understand how their businesses operate.


• Ability to travel to supported companies as needed, approximately 10–15%.

Preferred Experience

• Manufacturing cost accounting, standard costing, inventory, bills of material, production variances, or purchasing and production workflows.


• Construction job costing, WIP, project profitability, or gain/fade analysis.


• Experience with ERP platforms such as Epicor, Acumatica, JD Edwards, Oracle, Fourth Shift, or comparable systems, including the ability to transfer knowledge between platforms.


• Advanced Excel skills and experience with Power BI or other reporting and data analysis tools.


• Experience collaborating with IT, procurement, production, project management, or other operational functions.


• Continuous improvement, workflow redesign, automation, or user training experience.


• Experience supporting multiple entities or independently operated businesses.


• Exposure to acquisition due diligence or post‑acquisition integration.


• $120,000–$150,000+, depending on experience.


• Annual performance bonus tied to systems execution and portfolio performance.


• Comprehensive benefits and 401(k) match.


• Direct partnership with and exposure to the executive leadership team.

Why This Role

You’ll join a company that is actively building a growing shared services platform, with direct exposure to how a multi‑entity operation runs. For a finance professional who enjoys working closely with operations, implementing systems, and seeing improvements through to completion, this is an opportunity to apply that experience across a broad group of companies—with exposure to acquisition and integration work as the platform grows.