Senior Manager Financial Operations

The Cheesecake Factory; Agoura Hills (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Vacation and sick time

401K with company match

Dining discounts 25%-35% when dining

Discounted cheesecake purchases

Annual dining stipend

Job summary

The Cheesecake Factory Bakery is seeking a senior financial operations leader to oversee budgeting, cost accounting, and reporting for our plant. You will drive cost analyses, margin improvements, and inventory control while guiding a small team toward accuracy and process discipline.

You will collaborate with production and corporate accounting to support audits and forecasting, ensuring strong financial performance in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance; CPA or CMA preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of financial operations and cost accounting in manufacturing, preferably food industry.
• Minimum 4 years of managerial experience.
• Strong understanding of cost accounting, standard costing, and variance analysis.
• Proficient in ERP systems and advanced Excel; ability to communicate to non-financial stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Oversee financial operations for the plant, including budgeting, accounting, and financial reporting.
• Manage cost accounting, including product costing, variance and margin analysis.
• Oversee accounts payable with internal controls and timely payments.
• Lead month-end and quarter-end closings and prepare financial statements.
• Develop standard costing models for materials, labor, and overhead.
• Analyze production costs and implement cost-saving measures.
• Collaborate with production and operations on efficiency initiatives.
• Prepare and present monthly cost reports and KPI trends to senior management.
• Lead annual budgeting and quarterly forecasts for manufacturing costs.
• Manage inventory valuation, cycle counts, and reconciliations.
• Mentor a team of three to sustain accuracy and continuous improvement.
• Ensure GAAP compliance in cost accounting and liaise with external audits.

Skills

People leadership

Critical thinking

Communication

Problem solving

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance

Tools

ERP systems

Excel

Job description

You may know us for our delicious cheesecakes…and for being recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For®” since 2014! What you may not know is how our Finance Team provides analysis, insight and support for strategy development/deployment and key initiative oversight and skillfully prepares and examines the financial records for two bakeries producing 40,000 cheesecakes daily.

This role is critical in overseeing the financial aspects of production operations, including cost analysis, financial reporting, budgeting/forecasting, inventory management, asset management, and collaborating with other departments to optimize production efficiency and profitability, all while aligning with the company's strategic goals.

You’ll thrive in this position if you are:

• A Natural People Leader: you are adept at providing others with a clear direction, helping them see though the weeds. You naturally recruit, motivate, develop, and empower others while setting the gold standard yourself.
• An Adept Critical Thinker: you effortlessly and objectively use your analytical skills to evaluate facts to form a sound judgment.
• An Effective Communicator: whether it’s verbal or written, you present information in a clear and professional manner. You understand your audience and can easily shift your presentation style so it is understandable to all.
• A Gifted Problem Solver: you have an astounding ability to think outside the box, using the resources at hand to effortlessly get to the bottom of an issue: big or small.

Here’s more of what you’ll get to do:

• Oversee the financial operations, including budgeting, accounting, and financial reporting for the plant, as well as monitoring and analyzing financial performance.
• Manage the cost accounting function, ensuring accurate product costing, variance analysis, and margin analysis.
• Manage the accounts payable function to ensure compliance with internal controls and accounting policies. Ensure timely payments of vendor invoices and expense vouchers and maintain accurate financial records and control reports.
• Manage month-end and quarter-end closing processes, including the review of cost-related journal entries, reconciliation of general ledger accounts and preparation of financial statements.
• Develop and maintain standard costing models for raw materials, labor, and overhead.
• Analyze production costs and recommend cost-saving measures to improve profitability.
• Coordinate with the production and operations teams to support continuous improvement initiatives and efficiency projects.
• Prepare and present monthly cost reports to senior management, highlighting key variances and trends with commentary and action plans.
• Prepare and present daily KPI metrics and trends and present performance analysis of labor and material usage variances.
• Lead the annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting processes for manufacturing costs.
• Manage inventory valuation processes, including cycle counts, physical inventory, and reconciliation.
• Mentor and develop a team of three individuals, fostering a culture of accuracy and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with GAAP and company policies in all cost accounting practices.
• Collaborate with the corporate accounting team on financial close processes and external audits.

What we require:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field. CPA or CMA certification preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of financial operations and cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment, preferably in the food industry.
• Minimum of 4 years of managerial experience.
• Strong understanding of cost accounting principles, standard costing, and variance analysis.
• Proficient in ERP systems and advanced Excel skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities with a keen attention to detail.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders.
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to manage and develop a team.
• High level of integrity and professionalism, with a commitment to ethical standards and compliance.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities.

What we prefer:

• Food manufacturing industry experience

What we offer:

• Eligible for annual bonus
• Vacation and sick time
• 401K with company match
• 25%-35% discount when dining as a guest
• Discounted cheesecake purchase program
• Annual stipend for dining in our restaurants

About the Company:

The Cheesecake Factory Bakery creates over 35,000 delicious cheesecakes per day across our two facilities in Calabasas, CA and Rocky Mount, NC plus other baked products for our restaurants, international licensees, and third-party bakery customers.

The Cheesecake Factory Bakery is a subsidiary of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated. Recognized as a Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® since 2014, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is a global $3.8 billion public company with more than 370 casual dining restaurants and over 48,000 staff members.

We are an E-Verify and equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming workplace for all. We welcome applicants from a wide variety of identities, ideas, perspectives, backgrounds and experiences to apply. The Cheesecake Factory offers reasonable accommodation to job applicants with disabilities.

#SoCheesecake #LifeAtCheesecake

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