Sr. Manufacturing Financial Analyst

Keystone Distinction Group; Little Rock (AR); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Keystone Distinction Group is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Financial Analyst in Little Rock, AR to support plant operations, cost accounting, financial planning, and operational performance. This role is vital in driving profitability and strategic decision-making.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience in manufacturing finance, particularly in cost accounting and ERP systems. Responsibilities include managing standard costing, budgeting, and partnering with executive leadership on critical financial initiatives.

This position offers significant visibility and opportunity to influence operational performance in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of manufacturing finance, cost accounting, or operations finance experience.
• Strong standard costing and manufacturing cost accounting background.
• Experience supporting plant operations and manufacturing leadership.

Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain standard costing systems.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities.
• Serve as a finance business partner to manufacturing leadership.

Skills

Manufacturing finance experience

Standard costing

Advanced Excel skills

ERP experience

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field

Tools

SAP

Power BI

Job description

Senior Manufacturing Financial Analyst

Manufacturing Finance | Cost Accounting | Operations Finance

Location: Little Rock, AR

A leading heavy industrial manufacturer is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Financial Analyst to support plant operations, cost accounting, financial planning, and operational performance across a complex manufacturing environment.

This role serves as a key business partner to executive leadership, operations, supply chain, and manufacturing teams, helping drive profitability, cost control, inventory accuracy, and strategic decision-making. The ideal candidate will have strong manufacturing finance experience with deep exposure to standard costing, inventory accounting, ERP systems, and plant operations.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing Finance & Cost Accounting

• Manage and maintain standard costing systems, including BOM reviews, cost rollups, and overhead allocations
• Analyze manufacturing variances including labor efficiency, material usage, purchase price variance, and overhead absorption
• Support inventory valuation, WIP analysis, inventory controls, and COGS reconciliation
• Partner with operations leadership to identify cost reduction opportunities and improve plant profitability
• Monitor manufacturing KPIs and provide actionable recommendations to improve operational performance

Financial Planning & Analysis

• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities
• Develop financial models supporting revenue, cost, margin, and cash flow analysis
• Perform monthly variance analysis and communicate results to leadership
• Support executive reporting and business performance reviews

Operations Partnership

• Serve as a finance business partner to manufacturing, supply chain, procurement, and plant leadership teams
• Support capital project analysis, ROI evaluations, and investment decisions
• Assist with operational improvement initiatives and financial impact assessments

Systems & Reporting

• Utilize ERP systems to analyze operational and financial performance
• Develop reporting tools, dashboards, and financial models
• Support reporting automation, data integrity, and continuous improvement initiatives

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field
• 5+ years of manufacturing finance, cost accounting, or operations finance experience
• Strong standard costing and manufacturing cost accounting background
• Experience supporting plant operations and manufacturing leadership
• ERP experience (SAP strongly preferred)
• Advanced Excel skills including financial modeling and data analysis
• Ability to translate financial information into actionable operational recommendations

Preferred Background

• Steel, metals, pipe, tubular, oil & gas, forging, foundry, fabrication, industrial equipment, building products, chemical, paper, or other heavy manufacturing environments
• SAP FI/CO experience
• Power BI, Tableau, or advanced reporting tools
• Multi-site manufacturing support
• CPA, CMA, or MBA

This is a highly visible role offering direct interaction with executive leadership and significant opportunity to influence operational performance, manufacturing efficiency, profitability, and strategic growth initiatives.