What are the responsibilities and job description for the Financial Planning And Analysis Manager position at Finkl Steel?
Company Description Finkl Steel is a premier provider of forged die steels, plastic mold steels, die cast tool steels, and custom open-die forgings, built on three strong legacies of quality and service. Formed through the unification of A. Finkl & Sons, Composite Forgings, and Sorel Forge, the company combines deep technical expertise with innovative problem-solving for customers worldwide. With facilities in Chicago, Detroit, and Sorel, Canada, Finkl Steel brings together nearly three centuries of collective experience, more than 100 patents, and a team of specialized metallurgists. Its broad manufacturing footprint and diverse inventory support reliable lead times and consistent delivery performance. Team members join a stable, technically advanced organization that values continuous improvement and long-term customer relationships.
Role Description:
Position Summary
The Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Manager is responsible for leading the company’s financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and analytical activities to support strategic and operational decision-making. This role partners closely with operations, sales, supply chain, manufacturing leadership, and executive management to provide financial insights that drive profitability, cost control, and business performance.
In a manufacturing environment, the FP&A Manager plays a critical role in analyzing production costs, operational efficiency, inventory performance, capital expenditures, and financial trends while supporting long-term business planning initiatives.
Finkl has a unique manufacturing environment with a wide breadth of product lines, including tool steel and custom forgings. Learning and understanding the operation is integral to the success of this position.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Financial Planning & Forecasting
- Lead the annual budgeting process and periodic forecasting activities across all departments and locations in the US.
- Develop monthly, quarterly, and annual financial forecasts, including revenue, labor, operating expenses, capital expenditures, and cash flow projections.
- Analyze variances between actual results, budget, and forecast and provide actionable recommendations to leadership.
- Construct monthly BU-level presentation explaining results and budget/forecast variance to corporate management and finance
- Support long-range strategic planning and financial modeling initiatives.
Financial Analysis & Reporting
- Coordinate with the IT team to build and interpret Power BI dashboards for operational improvement.
- Conduct profitability analysis by product line, customer, and industry.
- Participate in monthly financial statement review with Controller and CFO, providing insight into monthly and annual variances.
- Analyze manufacturing and operational performance metrics, including labor efficiency, raw material consumption, inventory turns, activity absorption, and overhead utilization.
- Develop ad hoc financial analyses to support strategic business decisions and operational improvements.
- Monitor and report on key trends affecting company performance and profitability.
Business Partnership & Operational Support
- Partner with operations, supply chain, sales, and production leadership to evaluate business performance and identify improvement opportunities.
- Support pricing analysis, cost reduction initiatives, and margin improvement strategies.
- Assist with capital investment analysis and return-on-investment (ROI) evaluations of strategic initiatives.
Systems & Process Improvement
- Enhance financial reporting tools, forecasting models, and analytical capabilities.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives within financial planning and reporting processes.
- Ensure data integrity and consistency across ERP and financial systems.
- Assist in implementing automation and reporting efficiencies where applicable.
Compliance & Internal Controls
- Support internal and external audit processes as needed.
- Ensure compliance with company policies, accounting standards, and internal financial controls.
- Maintain confidentiality of sensitive financial and business information.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field required.
- MBA and/or CPA/CMA designation preferred.
- 5–8 years of progressive experience in financial planning and analysis, corporate finance, or accounting.
- Manufacturing, industrial, or steel industry experience strongly preferred.
- Strong understanding of cost accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling.
- Experience working with ERP systems (SAP) and financial reporting tools (SAP Business Planning and Consolodation).
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to communicate financial information effectively to both financial and non-financial audiences.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Preferred Manufacturing Experience
Experience supporting:
- Manufacturing operations, ideally in heavy industry or metals
- Production cost analysis, ideally with an activity-based costing (ABC) system
- Inventory and supply chain finance
- Capital expenditure planning
- Labor and overhead analysis
- Operational KPI development
Working Conditions
- Primarily office-based within a manufacturing environment.
- Frequent interaction with plant operations and leadership teams.
- May require occasional travel between facilities or business locations.