What are the responsibilities and job description for the Financial Analyst position at Farmer Focus?
Who We Are and What We Do
Farmer Focus’s mission is to promote and protect generational family farms by shifting farm-level decision-making and chicken ownership back to farmers and empowering them to farm the way they know is best. We are committed to consistently producing 100% organic and humanely raised chicken that is better for people, the planet, and animals. Our culture is rooted in servant leadership, and we live by our Farmer Focus CARES values: Community, Accountability, Respect, Excellence, and Stewardship.
Key to the Farmer Focus growth strategy is the ability to understand and utilize financial data available to us about our internal operations, our industry, and the external factors that could impact our commercial success.
The Financial Analyst will collaborate with the Director of FP&A to provide support to the Finance Team with analysis on our financial activities including support for the monthly business review cycle, Financial Statement preparation, KPI reporting and analysis, ERP data analysis, sales analytics, operations analysis, collaborating with other Farmer Focus departments on projects and assignments, and meeting various deadlines. This key role will assist the Director of FP&A in using data analytics to coordinate and expand the budget and forecasting processes, monitor ERP workflow, monthly closing, benchmarking, sales and operations analysis, and reporting key financial data in an on-going effort to improve efficiencies, ensure the accuracy of the data, and turn data into useful information. The position is expected to perform these duties efficiently, with a high degree of accuracy, and with an eagerness to be an asset to the Farmer Focus team.
Essential Functions
- Support FP&A responsibilities with annual budget process, strategic planning, and other financial forecasting, including developing models, collaborating with operational managers, and tracking all aspects of the planning processes.
- Be an integral part of the monthly closing process including preparing Profit & Loss statement, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cash Flows along with identifying and explaining variances and other trends. This would also include assisting with the development of the Monthly Management Performance Review (MPR) report including graphs, commentary, and additional analysis as needed.
- Create and maintain actionable KPI reports, and dynamic dashboards designed to monitor and evaluate finance performance, operating expenses, forecasting, HR indicators, and other indicators to help monitor the health and efficiency of the operational areas and the company.
- Assist operational managers in capital expenditure (CAPEX) request and approval process including financial modeling, ROI analysis, new initiatives feasibility, business plans, and tracking these requests through the approval process. This would also include evaluating completed CAPEX projects to confirm desired savings/efficiencies were achieved.
- Work closely with the Sales team on customer performance tracking, inventory tracking, sales mix analysis, as well as Sales Dollar, Sales mix, pricing fluctuations, and new customer feasibility.
- Become fluent in the ERP platform and understand the flow of data through the system and reporting. Able to reconcile ERP reports for data integrity and convert the data into meaningful reports and dashboards.
- Provide advanced data collection utilizing Business Intelligence (BI) platforms and pivot tables to collect, analyze, reconcile, evaluate, and report data to increase productivity, financial analysis, dashboards, and special projects.
- Assist Cost Accountant in working with Sales & Marketing on modeling new product cost estimates as well as analyzing and reviewing product costing data for accuracy and reasonableness across product categories
- Work with Operations on Capital Spending tracking, purchasing analysis, and logistics analysis.
- Assist the FP&A team and Controller’s Office on annual financial auditing tasks, financial reporting for lenders and investors, and tracking debt position.
- Be an active member and contributor of the Finance team by educating users on financial models and concepts and articulating feedback to users of financial information in an easy-to-understand manner.
- Willingness and eagerness to learn about the poultry industry and apply financial analytics to achieve the Farmer Focus strategic goals and work to cultivate the Farmer Focus Culture.
- All other related duties as assigned by Management.
Qualifications & Requirements:
- Bachelors’ Degree in Finance, Business Analytics, Accounting, or related field required.
- Minimum 3 - 5 years’ experience in financial analytics or accounting
- Advanced knowledge of MS Excel skills including data modeling, pivot tables, dashboards, Lookups, charts, and graphing required for analysis, reporting, and presentation purposes.
- Solid understanding of business support systems like ERP, CRM, Business Analytics/OLAP platforms, accounting principles, and cost accounting principles to maximize analytical performance.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills with the ability to correspond verbally and in writing in a manner that results in mutual understanding.
- Self-directed with attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple tasks, changing priorities, and being assigned a variety of financial tasks.
- Self-starter to work independently and with a team.
- Effective reporting and presentation skills.
- Positive attitude, good judgment, and excellent time management skills.
Preferred
- MBA preferred
- Experience in financial analytics or accounting in the food industry.
Work Requirements and Environment & Reasonable Accommodations Statement
Work conducted primarily in an office environment as a hybrid role. Work is in-person, on-site at our Harrisonburg, VA facilities at least 2 days per week. The position may require occasional access to areas of the plant production environment.
May occasionally be required to enter our plants - must be able to tolerate the varying heat, wet, and chill of the plant. Hearing and eye-protective equipment required in the production area. Required to wear hair and beard nets in the production area. Must be able to traverse a two-story staircase.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Farmer Focus is committed to the principles of equal employment and to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities, and all other employment laws and regulations. It is our intent to maintain a work environment that is inclusive and equitable, free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation based upon an individual's age, race (including traits historically associated with race, which includes hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation (including transgender status, gender identity, or expression), pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), military status (including status as a uniformed servicemember, a veteran, or dependent of a servicemember), or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. Farmer Focus is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy regarding all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay and other compensation, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.
