Financial Planning and Costing Analyst

Position Summary

The Financial Planning and Costing Analyst plays a critical role in driving APN’s financial performance through accurate product costing, margin management, and operational insight. This position bridges Finance, Operations, and IT to ensure data integrity, cost transparency, and alignment across all manufacturing and business systems. The ideal candidate combines analytical expertise with hands-on cost accounting experience and a passion for process improvement, contributing to the accuracy of ERP data, supporting financial planning cycles, and leading initiatives that enhance costing, reporting, and decision-making as APN transitions from Sage 500 to Sage X3.

Key Responsibilities

Standard Costing and Cost Accounting
• Establish and maintain accurate standard costs for materials, labor, and overhead across all manufacturing operations.
• Perform cost roll-ups and validations to ensure consistent and reliable product costing.
• Review and analyze Bills of Material (BOMs) and routings to ensure production data reflects true resource usage.
• Reconcile raw materials, WIP, and finished goods inventory balances to the general ledger.
• Prepare and post cost accounting journal entries, including material issues, WIP clearings, and variance adjustments.
• Support monthly and annual closing processes by reconciling COGS and inventory accounts.

Financial Planning and Performance Reporting
• Support annual budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning through detailed cost and margin analysis.
• Develop and maintain reports that deliver meaningful insights to Finance, Operations, and leadership.
• Identify trends, cost drivers, and operational inefficiencies impacting profitability, and provide actionable recommendations.
• Partner with Sales and Finance to evaluate product and customer profitability, pricing models, and margin sensitivity.

ERP and Data Integrity
• Maintain and update cost and pricing data within Sage 500, ensuring data alignment across Purchasing, Inventory, and Financial modules.
• Support the transition to Sage X3, assisting with data migration, validation, testing, and documentation of new cost structures.
• Collaborate with IT and Finance to troubleshoot ERP issues, improve reporting logic, and enhance system reliability.
• Leverage ERP data to create automation opportunities that reduce manual effort and improve accuracy.

Variance and Profitability Analysis
• Extract, analyze, and interpret ERP-generated variance reports for materials, labor, and overhead.
• Investigate and explain cost variances, production inefficiencies, or pricing discrepancies.
• Partner with Operations to identify root causes and drive cost improvement initiatives.
• Present summarized variance and profitability analyses to management with clear, data-driven insights.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with Procurement to assess supplier cost changes, tariffs, and freight impacts on standard cost and margins.
• Support Sales and Business Development teams in pricing strategy and quoting accuracy.
• Collaborate with Operations and Engineering on process or material changes impacting cost structure.
• Serve as a financial liaison between departments to promote transparency and informed decision-making.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration.
• 3–5 years of progressive experience in cost accounting, financial analysis, or manufacturing finance.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookups, advanced formulas, and data validation).
• ERP system experience in a manufacturing environment (Sage 500 preferred).
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills and ability to convey technical information effectively.

Preferred:

• Experience with Insight Spreadsheet Server, Power BI, or similar reporting and business intelligence tools.
• Hands-on experience with cost accounting journal entries, variance reconciliations, and BOM analysis.
• Prior involvement in ERP implementation or system upgrades (Sage X3 experience a plus).
• Working knowledge of manufacturing cost structures, production routing, and margin analysis.