Financial Analyst

Job Title: Principal Financial Analyst

Job Description

This Principal Financial Analyst role provides hands-on financial and analytical support across supply chain and manufacturing operations. The position focuses heavily on cost accounting, purchase price variance (PPV), inventory analysis, operational reporting, data analysis, and financial process support. You will work with large data sets, investigate discrepancies, and partner closely with Finance, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Commercial, and Operations teams. The role also includes cost modeling, cost of goods sold (COGS) impact analysis, volume variance analysis, financial reconciliation, and budgeting and forecasting in a dynamic manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive financial and analytical support for supply chain and manufacturing operations, with a strong focus on cost accounting and manufacturing finance.
• Analyze PPV, inventory flows, scrap, volume variances, and other manufacturing-related financial transactions to ensure accurate cost reporting and support operational decision-making.
• Perform detailed inventory analysis and operational reporting to identify trends, variances, and opportunities for cost optimization.
• Work extensively with large data sets to validate information, identify errors, reconcile discrepancies, and produce accurate recurring financial and operational reports.
• Investigate discrepancies between operational data and financial records, tracing issues through ERP systems and resolving them in collaboration with cross-functional partners.
• Develop and maintain cost models and perform COGS impact analysis to support pricing, margin, and manufacturing strategy decisions.
• Conduct volume variance analysis and other manufacturing variance analyses to explain performance and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support budgeting and forecasting processes for manufacturing and supply chain, including annual operating plan (AOP) activities and ongoing financial updates.
• Partner closely with Finance, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Commercial, and Operations teams to align financial results with operational performance and business objectives.
• Support purchasing and supply chain teams by analyzing contract manufacturing economics, volume and inventory management, and cost drivers.
• Assist with financial reconciliations and identification of financial gaps, ensuring accurate financial reporting and strong internal controls.
• Leverage advanced Excel and data analysis tools to build, automate, and improve financial reports and dashboards.
• Use ERP and financial systems to understand transactional data flows, research issues, and enhance the integrity of financial and operational information.
• Communicate clearly and effectively across functions, presenting findings, explaining variances, and recommending actions to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Contribute to process improvements and best practices in manufacturing finance, cost accounting, and operational reporting.
• Demonstrate strong accounting aptitude, attention to detail, problem-solving ability, and a positive attitude toward hands-on transactional work.
• Collaborate within a lean and growing team, supporting peers and leadership in a fast-paced and evolving corporate environment.

Essential Skills

• 57+ years of relevant finance or manufacturing finance experience, with flexibility for candidates who demonstrate strong cost accounting, Excel, ERP, and analytical capabilities.
• Strong understanding of cost accounting and manufacturing finance, including PPV, inventory flows, scrap, volume variances, and manufacturing-related financial transactions.
• Proven experience analyzing operational costs, identifying discrepancies, supporting purchasing and supply chain, and ensuring accurate financial reporting.
• Advanced Excel skills, including PivotTables, VLOOKUPs or XLOOKUPs, and Power Query, with comfort manipulating large data sets and producing accurate recurring reports.
• Demonstrated ability to perform detailed data analysis, validate information, identify errors, and investigate discrepancies.
• Solid knowledge of ERP and financial systems, with an understanding of how financial transactions flow through an ERP and how to research differences between operational and financial data.
• Experience with SAP or Oracle ERP systems preferred; comparable ERP experience is acceptable when you understand transactional and financial data flows.
• Strong accounting aptitude with familiarity in GAAP or IFRS principles sufficient to support accurate financial reporting and data validation.
• Highly analytical and detail-oriented mindset, with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently on hands-on transactional tasks.
• Effective communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across Finance, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Commercial, and Operations.
• Demonstrated adaptability, teamwork, and a positive attitude toward learning and working in a fast-paced environment.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field preferred.
• Manufacturing finance or supply chain experience strongly preferred, particularly exposure to PPV, inventory, scrap, COGS, volume variances, purchasing, or contract manufacturing.
• Experience using reporting and visualization tools such as Power BI or Tableau is a plus and can support enhanced reporting and visualization.
• Medical-device industry experience is helpful but not required; strong manufacturing and accounting experience is considered transferable.
• Key success attributes include being driven, adaptable, collaborative, highly analytical, detail-oriented, and comfortable investigating discrepancies and performing hands-on transactional work.

Work Environment

This role operates in a corporate, collaborative, and fast-paced finance and supply chain environment supporting a lean team that is expected to grow. The position can be fully remote for the right candidate, or structured as hybrid or onsite, with a typical hybrid arrangement involving approximately two to three days onsite in the Northridge area. Standard corporate business hours are anticipated. The team culture emphasizes teamwork, adaptability, a strong and positive attitude, continuous learning, and hands-on problem solving in support of global supply chain and manufacturing operations.

This is a Contract position based out of Los Angeles, CA.

The pay range for this position is $67.00 - $73.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a Contract position based out of Los Angeles, CA.

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 28, 2026.

This is a fully remote position.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.