Position: Finance Manager Location: Raleigh, NC (3 days) and Wilson, NC (2 days)
About the Role A growing global manufacturer is seeking a Manufacturing Finance Manager to serve as a key finance business partner to plant and operations leadership. This role owns production controlling, product costing, forecasting, operational analytics, and capital investment analysis, with a clear focus on driving financial performance and cost transparency across manufacturing operations.
This is not a close-heavy or transactional accounting role. It is a true manufacturing FP&A seat that requires someone sharp, analytical, and confident enough to sit with plant managers, decipher the numbers, and drive action. The right candidate blends strong product costing knowledge with the communication skills and business instincts to influence operational decisions.
The role reports to a highly supportive and development-focused finance leader who prioritizes coaching, autonomy, and career growth.
Key Responsibilities - Production Controlling and Performance Management
- Analyze manufacturing performance and develop action plans to close gaps against budget and forecast
- Control headcount, labor efficiency, overhead absorption, cost centers, and site spending
- Partner with plant managers and operations leadership to improve cost, productivity, margins, and service levels
- Develop, maintain, and optimize KPIs and dashboards for operational reviews
- Identify and drive cost reduction opportunities across maintenance, consumables, labor, materials, and overhead
Key Responsibilities - Financial Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting
- Lead annual operating budgets, rolling forecasts, and long-range plans for manufacturing operations
- Provide structured variance analysis with root-cause insights and corrective actions
- Monitor actual performance versus budget and forecast and prepare financial commentary for leadership reviews
- Support business case evaluations, scenario analysis, and financial modeling for operational decisions
Key Responsibilities - Cost Accounting and Product Costing
- Own and optimize standard costing systems including BOMs, routings, labor rates, overhead rates, and revaluations
- Perform purchase price, labor, overhead, and material variance analysis and drive corrective actions
- Estimate product costs and support quoting, pricing, and offer development in partnership with sales and operations
- Analyze unit cost development, cost trends, and profitability drivers
Key Responsibilities - Inventory and Working Capital
- Monitor material price developments and supplier impacts on the P&L
- Oversee cycle counts and physical inventories and review and approve adjustments
- Analyze slow-moving, obsolete, and excess inventory and drive reduction plans
- Lead monthly inventory and working capital reviews with plant leadership
Key Responsibilities - Capital Expenditure and Investment Controlling
- Support Capex planning, ROI analysis, capitalization, depreciation, and post-investment reviews
- Track Capex spend versus budget and ensure governance and adherence to approval processes
- Provide financial evaluation and recommendations on proposed investments
Key Responsibilities - Business Partnering and Special Projects
- Serve as a trusted finance partner to plant and operations leadership
- Act as finance subject matter expert in continuous improvement initiatives including OEE, scrap reduction, yield, and inventory turns
- Lead or support cross-functional cost improvement, pricing, and strategic initiatives
- Conduct ad hoc financial analysis and special projects as required
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field
- 5 to 10 years of experience in manufacturing or industrial finance
- Strong background in cost accounting, product costing, and manufacturing FP&A
- Experience with standard costing, variance analysis, budgeting, and capital investment analysis
- Advanced Excel skills and experience working in ERP systems in a manufacturing environment
- Comfortable working on the manufacturing floor and engaging directly with operations daily
- Strong communication skills with the ability to translate financial data into operational action
- Ability to work independently with sound judgment and minimal supervision
- Sharp, high-energy, and confident enough to challenge assumptions and drive accountability
Qualifications - Preferred
- MBA, CPA, or CMA
- SAP experience or exposure to an ERP transition
- Openness to future relocation within the Carolinas as the organization continues to grow
Work Environment
- Split schedule: 3 days per week in Raleigh, 2 days per week in Wilson
- Regular plant-floor engagement and collaboration with operations teams
- Some domestic travel to other manufacturing sites, approximately quarterly
- Standard 40-hour weeks with occasional stretches to 45 to 50 during peak periods
Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual’s skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company’s 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.