Operations Finance Manager

Job Title: Operations Finance Manager

Department: Finance

Reports To: Chief Financial Officer

Direct Reports: None

Work Location: NJ or FL Plant

Travel: Up to 10%,

FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Summary

We are seeking for an analytical and commercially minded Operations Finance Manager to partner closely with our manufacturing operations and leadership teams. This role will provide financial insight into plant performance, cost structure, inventory, productivity, and operational efficiency, helping drive improved profitability and cash flow across the business.

The ideal candidate must understand manufacturing operations and cost accounting, excellent analytical capabilities, and the ability to translate financial and operational data into clear insights and actionable recommendations.

This position is highly hands-on suited to an individual who enjoys working directly with plant teams, challenging assumptions, identifying performance drivers, and helping operations make better business decisions.

Key Responsibilities

Operations Finance & Performance

• • Partner with plant managers and operations leadership to understand and improve financial and operational performance.
• • Analyze plant-level P&L results, including revenue, material costs, labour, manufacturing overhead, absorption, and operating expenses.
• • Develop and maintain key operational and financial performance metrics, including volume, pricing, material margins, labour efficiency, overhead absorption, productivity, scrap, and conversion costs.
• • Analyze actual results versus budget, forecast, and prior year, identifying key drivers and opportunities for improvement.
• • Provide clear and actionable financial insights to plant and senior leadership teams.
• • Support monthly operating reviews and provide financial analysis for key operational decisions.
• • Develop financial models and business cases for productivity initiatives, capital investments, plant rationalization, capacity decisions, and other operational initiatives.

Cost Accounting & Manufacturing Finance

• • Oversee and analyze manufacturing costs, including direct labour, materials, manufacturing overhead and other conversion costs.
• • Analyze manufacturing variances and identify root causes and operational actions required to improve performance.
• • Understand standard costing methodologies and evaluate the financial impact of changes in production volumes, product mix, pricing, labour, overhead absorption, and manufacturing efficiency
• • Identify cost trends and investigate significant variances with operations.
• • Partner with accounting to ensure manufacturing results are accurately reflected in the financial statements.

Inventory & Working Capital

• • Analyze inventory levels, turns, aging, excess and obsolete inventory, and inventory accuracy.
• • Partner with operations and supply chain to identify opportunities to improve inventory productivity and working capital.
• • Analyze inventory movements and understand the financial impact of production, purchasing, sales, and demand changes.
• • Support cycle count and physical inventory processes and investigate significant variances.
• • Monitor working capital performance and identify opportunities to improve cash conversion.

Planning, Budgeting, Forecasting & Reporting

• • Lead or support annual operating budgets and periodic forecasts for manufacturing operations.
• • Develop detailed plant-level financial models incorporating production volumes, labour, overhead, material costs, inventory and other operational drivers.
• • Evaluate forecast assumptions and challenge operational inputs where appropriate.
• • Provide ongoing analysis of forecast-to-actual performance and update financial outlooks based on changing business conditions
• • Prepare management reporting and dashboards that clearly communicate operational and financial performance.

Continuous Improvement, Analytics & Business Partnership

• • Establish strong relationships with plant managers, operations, supply chain, sales, and corporate finance teams.
• • Act as a finance business partner who can challenge operational assumptions while maintaining a collaborative approach.
• • Use data to identify trends, root causes, risks, and opportunities that may not be immediately apparent from financial statements.
• • Help operations understand the financial consequences of operational decisions and translate financial objectives into operational actions.
• • Drive a culture of accountability around plant performance and financial results.
• • Improve financial processes, reporting and controls through automation and standardization.
• • Support special projects, acquisitions, integration activities and other strategic initiatives as required.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education

• • Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Engineering or a related discipline.
• • CPA designation or equivalent accounting qualification is an asset.

Experience

• • 5+ years of progressive finance experience, preferably within a manufacturing environment.

Skills

• • Strong understanding of manufacturing operations and cost accounting.
• • Demonstrated experience with inventory accounting and inventory management.
• • Experience with standard costing, variance analysis, absorption, labour and overhead costing.
• • Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify the underlying drivers of financial performance.
• • Strong understanding of manufacturing P&Ls and the relationship between operational metrics and financial results.
• • Experience with budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, financial modeling, and financial reporting
• • Advanced Excel skills and the ability to work effectively with large and complex data sets.
• • Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders.
• • Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, changing environment.
• • Demonstrated ability to work independently while also partnering effectively with operations and senior leadership.

Other

• • Hands-on and comfortable working on the plant floor as well as in financial systems and spreadsheets.
• • Ability to work collaboratively with Plant Management, Operations leadership, and corporate Finance.

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Infra Pipes has over 60 years of experience specializing in the design, manufacture, and custom fabrication of engineered polyethylene systems for water, wastewater, and stormwater management applications. We provide full-service engineering support and custom solutions to meet project-specific requirements across North America.

BENEFITS

Infra Pipes offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health and dental coverage, retirement savings, paid time off, tuition and professional development assistance, and eligibility for incentive compensation.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Infra Pipes is an equal-opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, provincial, or local law.

ASSISTANCE

Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. If you require an accommodation, please submit a request through the application system.

RIGHT TO WORK

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the country where the position is located. For U.S.-based roles, Infra Pipes participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility.