Financial Analyst

**Position Summary**

The Financial Analyst develops and implements analytical techniques to accurately forecast monthly, quarterly, and annual unit sales, gauge effectiveness of Marketing/Sales programs, and provides key deliverables of the Financial Planning cycle.

**Essential Tasks, Duties, & Responsibilities**
- Reports financial status by preparing, consolidating, and analyzing financial plans, forecasts, reports, and month-end closing
- Participates in the development of regional/or functional budgets
- Tracks financial status by monitoring variances from business plan
- Determines financial status by comparing and analyzing plans and forecasts with actual results
- Perform analysis of new product launches and other key business initiatives for the Finance, Sales, Marketing, and Operations functions
- Recommends actions to improve financial status by analyzing results and variances and identifying trends
- Consults with business leaders to guide and influence strategic decision-making within a broad scope
- Provides information to management by assembling and summarizing data, preparing reports, and making presentations of findings, analyses, and recommendations
- Represents the business unit during cross-regional or cross-functional planning processes
- Prepares month-end closing and variance analysis to management in a timely manner
- Construct financial models to assess the impact of promotional activity on sales forecasts
- Closely monitors returns & allowance chargebacks and coordinates with sales and relevant departments to dispute any illegitimate deductions
- Assist in preparing key deliverables of financial planning cycle, including long-term plan, annual operating and capital budgets, and special projects as directed
- Analyze monthly operating variances, actual results vs. budget, and forecast
- Perform other duties as needed and directed by management

**Minimum Qualifications**

**Education & Experience**
- Combination of Bachelors degree in Accounting/Finance with 5+ years of professional experience within Accounting/Finance
- 2-3 years' experience with financial analysis
- Experience in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry preferred

**Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities**
- Highly motivated and goal oriented individual
- Proficiency in Excel required, advanced Excel skills a plus
- Experience with Crystal Reports is a plus
- Reporting skills, forecasting, Corporate Finance, Financial Diagnosis, Financial Budgeting, Planning and Strategy
- Strong organizational skills, project/task management experience, communication, and cross-functional coordination skills
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, adapt to changes and focus redirection, and properly manage deadlines