FP&A (Financial Planning and Analysis) Analyst

FP&A (Financial Planning and Analysis) Analyst

Department: Office CT

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Chester, CT

Description

Summary: The Financial Analyst will support the Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) Manager in executing core corporate FP&A activities and will partner closely with cross-functional teams including Accounting, Treasury, Sales, Operations, and Supply Chain. This role will focus on analyzing business drivers, identifying trends, and delivering actionable insights that support financial performance and decision-making across the organization. The ideal candidate is analytically strong, curious about the business, and comfortable working cross-functionally in a manufacturing environment.

Duties and Responsibilities Budgeting & Forecasting

• Support the annual budgeting and financial planning process, including consolidation of departmental and operational budgets.
• Assist with monthly forecast updates and budget vs. actual analysis, identifying key variances and underlying drivers.
• Support deployment of the annual budget through reporting, monitoring, and ongoing refinement throughout the year.

Financial Reporting & Performance Analysis

• Support the FP&A Manager in the preparation of monthly and quarterly leadership and board reporting, including flash reporting, KPI tracking, and ad-hoc analyses.
• Develop standardized performance analysis comparing actual results to budget and forecast, highlighting risks, opportunities, and actionable recommendations.

Revenue, Margin & Pricing Analysis

• Analyze revenue, gross margin, and inventory trends, including product mix, SKU profitability, and margin drivers.
• Partner with Sales to understand customer demand, order patterns, and market dynamics to inform forecasting and commercial decision-making.

Operational & Cross-Functional Support

• Partner with Operations and Supply Chain teams to analyze cost structures, production drivers, and operational efficiencies.
• Support analysis of product lines and manufacturing economics to improve understanding of bottom-line performance drivers.

FP&A Tools & Process Enhancement

• Leverage financial systems and analytical tools (e.g., Tableau, OneStream) to enhance reporting, forecasting, and insight generation.
• Support continuous improvement of FP&A processes, templates, and analytical capabilities.
• Collaborate with IT and data teams to improve data quality, integration, and accessibility across ERP and data warehouse platforms.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
• 2+ years of experience in FP&A, financial analysis, accounting, or a related finance role.
• Experience in a manufacturing, industrial, or operations-focused environment is preferred but not required.
• Public accounting or corporate accounting experience with exposure to budgeting, forecasting, or management reporting is a plus.

Accounting & Financial Acumen

• Solid understanding of core accounting concepts, including the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
• Ability to work closely with Accounting to understand monthly close processes, financial results, and key accounting drivers impacting forecasts and performance.

Technical & Analytical Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work with detailed financial and operational data.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel; experience building structured analysis, reconciliations, and repeatable reporting.
• Experience with ERP systems and financial planning or BI tools (e.g., OneStream, Tableau, Power BI, or similar) is a plus.

Business & Communication Skills

• Ability to translate financial and accounting data into clear, actionable insights for both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across functions.
• Comfortable supporting leadership-facing materials and working in a lean, hands-on finance environment.

Personal Attributes

• Detail-oriented, intellectually curious, and motivated to understand how the business operates end-to-end.
• Adaptable and willing to support both FP&A and accounting-related needs as part of a collaborative finance team.
• Team-oriented mindset with interest in growing within a developing FP&A function.

All Employees Shall

• Comply with the EH&S Policy and applicable regulatory and company EH&S rules and requirements
• Report to supervision conditions or practices that are either unsafe or that may adversely impact the environment, to ensure prompt resolution of potential hazards
• Attend scheduled EH&S training program
• Actively support the organization's efforts to meet or exceed EH&S goals and plans
• Recommend improved EH&S practices

Must be able to communicate effectively with co-workers, supervisors, and third parties. This ability to communicate requires the employee to be conversant in English as the majority of our workforce and the third parties that we encounter only speak English.

The incumbent is responsible for complying with the policies in Whelen's "Employee Handbook."

This Job Description is to serve as a guide. It is intended to be flexible and will continue to evolve over time with business needs and demands and may be updated periodically and at the Company's discretion. Nothing in this position description changes or is intended to change the employment at-will relationship with the Company. Employment at-will means that an employee or the Company may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason or no reason at all, with or without notice.