# Associate Manager, Operations Finance

> Cesna Recruitment · Reston, United States · Full-time · Posted 2026-08-18

**Workplace:** on_site

## Description

**Description**

-   Support Operations Finance Manager with design standardized & improved plant accounting operations in support of general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, capital assets, raw materials, and finished goods accounting.
-   Support Operations Finance Manager with development of consistent and improved activity- based costing metrics and cost allocations for insightful plant performance analysis.
-   Support and create streamlined plant financial accounting processes, reporting, and analysis.

**Job Responsibilities**

-   Partner with Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Procurement to analyze COGS drivers, including raw materials, packaging, ingredients, conversion, labor, overhead, logistics and co-packing costs, and identify impacts to profitability.
-   Own monthly COGS and manufacturing variance analysis, including volume, yield, usage, mix, rate and conversion cost variances, explaining deviations vs AOP and forecast.
-   Support cost optimization initiatives across internal manufacturing and co-packing operations, including plant efficiency, yield improvement, sourcing decisions and margin improvement opportunities.
-   Lead the annual operating plan and forecasting for Operations, COGS and related manufacturing cost drivers, highlighting key risks and opportunities while driving potential mitigating actions.
-   Develop driver-based models linking volume, yield, COGS components, co-packing assumptions and operational KPIs to financial outcomes.
-   Participate in the month-end close to ensure accuracy of Operations and COGS results, timely understanding of variance drivers and appropriate follow-up with Accounting and Operations teams.
-   Lead monthly COGS and plant performance reviews with stakeholders to ensure accountability, alignment on cost targets and timely action plans for performance gaps.
-   Support financial evaluation of operational initiatives and manufacturing-related investments, ensuring assumptions, benefits and cost impacts are appropriately reviewed.
-   Support capital planning and post-implementation reviews for manufacturing and operations initiatives, with focus on COGS impact, productivity benefits and execution against approved assumptions.
-   Partner with operations to evaluate capacity, automation, co-packing and cost reduction initiatives, including make-versus-buy considerations and financial impact on COGS.
-   Conduct ad hoc analyses and projects to support Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement and business management decisions related to COGS, plant performance and co-packing economics.

## Requirements

**Qualifications**

-   5-7+ years of experience in operations finance, or cost accounting, plant finance or a similar COGS-focused role
-   Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Finance, or related field is required
-   Strong understanding of cost drivers (materials, labor, overhead, logistics, etc.)
-   Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel required - SAP HANA and Power BI a plus
-   Prior work experience in Manufacturing, Food Manufacturing, Consumer Packaged Goods or co-packing environments is preferred
-   Analytical, ability to multi-task, attention to detail and self-motivated
-   Excellent written and oral communication skills
-   Ability to travel domestically and internationally (15 – 20%) to support plant visits, operational reviews and cross-functional collaboration

## Apply

[Apply at Cesna Recruitment](https://apply.workable.com/cesna-group-2/j/824CD7A672/apply)

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