Senior Plant Cost Analyst

$98,600.00-$135,500.00 Annual

This is the base salary pay range that an applicant can expect to make upon hire.   Pay within this range will vary based upon relevant experience, skills, and education among other factors. In addition, this position is eligible for an incentive bonus. 

The Senior Plant Cost Analyst is a highly visible business partner who helps drive financial performance and operational excellence across our manufacturing operation. This individual works side-by-side with plant leadership, operations teams, and corporate finance to identify opportunities, solve problems, and improve profitability.

Success in this role requires more than strong accounting and analytical skills. The ideal candidate is an effective communicator who can build credibility at all levels of the organization, from production associates on the manufacturing floor to senior corporate leaders. They are curious, proactive, comfortable challenging assumptions, and willing to spend time in the plant understanding how operations truly work.

This role serves as a financial advisor to the business, translating operational performance into actionable insights that drive better decision-making, cost control, productivity improvements, and long-term growth.

What Success Looks Like

• Become a trusted financial partner to plant leadership and operational teams.
• Develop a deep understanding of manufacturing processes, cost drivers, and operational performance metrics.
• Identify and drive meaningful cost reduction and productivity improvement opportunities.
• Deliver timely, accurate, and actionable financial analysis that improves business decision-making.
• Improve the quality and efficiency of forecasting, budgeting, reporting, and financial controls.
• Partner effectively with both plant and corporate teams to ensure alignment between operational execution and financial objectives.
• Demonstrate a visible presence on the manufacturing floor, building relationships and understanding performance at the source.

Key Responsibilities

Drive Financial Performance

• Partner with plant leadership to identify, quantify, and execute cost savings and productivity initiatives.
• Analyze financial and operational results to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Provide recommendations that improve profitability, operational efficiency, and resource utilization.
• Support strategic business decisions through financial modeling, scenario analysis, and investment evaluations.

Serve as a Trusted Business Partner

• Collaborate with leaders across Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Corporate Finance.
• Communicate complex financial information in a way that is meaningful and actionable for non-financial stakeholders.
• Influence decision-making through data-driven insights and strong business acumen.
• Build strong working relationships across all levels of the organization.

Lead Planning, Forecasting, and Reporting

• Support development of annual operating plans, budgets, and monthly forecasts.
• Monitor and communicate operational and financial performance against established targets.
• Analyze and explain manufacturing variances, inventory movements, labor performance, and overhead spending.
• Assist with month-end and year-end close processes, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

Maintain Strong Cost Accounting Processes

• Develop and maintain product BOMs, routings, and standard costs.
• Ensure the integrity of manufacturing cost data and inventory valuation.
• Reconcile assigned general ledger accounts and support financial compliance activities.
• Evaluate capital project spending and provide financial analysis on investment opportunities.

Support Continuous Improvement

• Create and improve financial processes, reporting tools, and business procedures.
• Participate in procurement and spending reviews, including invoice resolution, general ledger coding, and related controls.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to Associate Plant Cost Analysts and other developing finance team members.

Stay Connected to Operations

• Regularly engage with manufacturing teams on the production floor to understand processes, challenges, and opportunities firsthand.
• Participate in physical inventories, audits, and operational reviews.
• Translate operational realities into financial insights and recommendations.

Preferred Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is:

• A strong communicator who can effectively engage with both hourly operations personnel and senior leadership.
• Comfortable working in a manufacturing environment and eager to spend time on the plant floor.
• Confident presenting financial information to diverse audiences.
• Skilled at influencing without direct authority.
• Curious, hands-on, and proactive in identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Equally capable of working independently and collaboratively.
• Detail-oriented while maintaining a strong business perspective.
• Energized by solving problems and driving measurable results.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field.
• 8+ years of finance or accounting experience, including manufacturing cost accounting experience.
• Strong knowledge of cost accounting, inventory management, standard costing, forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and experience with financial modeling.
• Experience supporting annual operating plans, financial forecasts, and strategic analysis.
• Working knowledge of SAP and/or ERP systems.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and partner with stakeholders across multiple levels of an organization.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Preferred

• Experience supporting complex manufacturing operations.
• Continuous improvement mindset with a track record of driving process enhancements.

Associate Plant Cost Analyst Consideration

Candidates with a bachelor’s degree and approximately 2+ years of relevant finance, accounting, or manufacturing cost accounting experience may be considered for an Associate Plant Cost Analyst opportunity, with responsibilities and scope aligned to experience level.

Why This Role Matters

This position is a key link between operations and finance. The successful candidate will not simply report results; they will help shape them by partnering with leaders, influencing decisions, and driving performance improvements throughout the manufacturing operation.

#LI-MA1 #LI-ONSITE #P #D

Please Keep in Mind

If you do not meet 100% of these requirements, we at JM still want to hear from you. So, if you are interested in the role, we encourage you to apply so we can learn how your skills and talents can contribute to our team.

Benefits

Johns Manville (JM) offers a wide range of benefits to employees. Some are subsidized by the company and others are fully employee-paid. Health benefits include a choice of comprehensive medical plans, a dental plan, vision plan, wellness program and critical illness insurance. JM sponsors a 401(k) plan which includes a sizeable company match. JM offers paid vacation and also provides paid sick and parental leave for eligible employees.

Additionally, Johns Manville provides basic life Insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, an employee assistance program, and business travel accident coverage. Supplemental life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance are available as well. The company also offers a variety of tax saving accounts; health spending account, traditional flexible spending account, and a dependent care spending account. JM also offers a tuition reimbursement program for undergraduate and certain graduate programs.

Johns Manville supports employee growth with vast educational opportunities and a company-wide mentoring program. This program pairs employees and leaders to grow skills, build stronger internal networks and strengthen the company’s succession planning process. Johns Manville also offers soft and hard skills training facilitated by internal and external presenters. Our talent management team prioritizes the holistic growth of our workforce.

Diversity & Inclusion

Johns Manville believes diversity and inclusion in our workplace is critical for the long-term success of our company. We are committed to retaining, developing and attracting a diverse workforce that fosters an inclusive work environment in which all employees are treated with dignity and respect. This is the right thing to do for our employees, our company and our communities.

Incumbent must be physically able to perform essential job functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.