The Opportunity
- $1.4B reportable segment of global Fortune manufacturer
- Newly created role, high visibility, high impact business partner, reporting directly to segment CFO
- Play a leading role in optimizing/harmonizing manufacturing cost accounting across multiple BU’s and sites to drive consistency in costing methodology and reporting
This is a unique opportunity to apply your business insight to a global company in the midst of an ongoing major change initiative. The top-level goal is to establish a flexible organizational framework that encourages the use of standardized, automated procedures and data for costing and performance measurements. This will enable stakeholders to analyze actionable insights and concentrate on effectively managing the business and maximizing profitability. Your contribution will make a real difference to the businesses.
What You’ll Do
- First 90-120 days will be spent learning the existing systems and methods across major North American manufacturing sites. You’ll use these visits to listen and build relationships at all levels within the BU’s, and partner with Accounting and Operations at each business to understand their present operational processes and basis for cost accounting.
- Gain full understanding of the objectives of each BU and how those relate to the higher level corporate goals.
- Become the subject matter expert in the current cost accounting practices at each manufacturing location.
- You’ll take these learnings and contribute as a member of the steering committee comprised of colleagues across the larger global organization.
- Be the connector between multiple stakeholders at BU’s and Group/corporate, in terms of both relationship building and technical information.
- Transition from “absorbing” to “contributing” within and become a business partner to drive value in production and costing processes.
- Work closely with VP Operations and cost accounting counterparts in BU’s to develop effective and comprehensive modeling to support budgeting, forecasting and identification of efficiencies (e.g. understanding how batch sizes or changeovers affect productivity & profitability). Clear mapping of operational activities to financial impact will support strong data-driven decision making.
- Provide guidance and recommendations to BU’s on optimizing their manufacturing costing methodologies and implementing best practices, with the goal of harmonizing processes across multiple businesses, systems and manufacturing processes. Create transparency into cost, margin and capacity by plant and product.
- Most plans will ultimately be driven by the larger domestic locations, and then harmonize globally. A holistic and integrated understanding will be essential to the success of the harmonization.
- Occasional international travel is anticipated.
The Profile
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or similar relevant foundation is required. Advanced degree helpful.
- Advanced knowledge of GAAP and cost accounting principles.
- CCP (Certified Cost Professional), CPA, CMA or other relevant certification preferred.
- 10+ years of work experience, of which 7+ years direct experience in manufacturing cost accounting
- Meaningful direct experience in batch process manufacturing of formulated or blended products – this is REQUIRED. Direct experience at a manufacturing site strongly preferred.
- Paint / coatings industry experience is preferred but not essential.
- Meaningful experience with multiple ERP systems (LN from Infor is primary system).
- Demonstrated experience of being a practical change leader e.g. experience modeling manufacturing operations processes from a cost accounting perspective. You can point to how your understanding and modeling led to real-world improvements.
- Proven success leading cost accounting integration for multiple businesses (e.g. private equity, M&A, post acquisition integrations, consulting).
- Proven relationship builder and effective connector: you effectively develop trust with stakeholders at all levels in a complex global organization and bring people along by influence without direct reporting relationships: you provide value and are perceived as a resource not a corporate overseer.
- Office is south NJ based (outside Philadelphia, PA) and travel as needed including occasional international travel. This is NOT a remote job and the culture is very much an in-person, collaborative team environment.
