Operations Finance Business Partner

Job Title: Operations Finance Business Partner
Function: Finance
Reports to: VP Finance, Ornua Ingredients North America

Location: Hilbert, Wisconsin

Schedule: M - F 9am - 5pm

Position Type: Full-time

WHY THIS ROLE IS VALUABLE

Reporting to the VP Finance, the Operations Finance Business Partner plays a critical role in driving financial performance, operational efficiency, and strategic decision-making within Ornua Ingredients North America.

This role partners closely with the VP Operations, VP Finance, site leadership, and the wider Leadership Team, providing insightful financial analysis, constructive challenge, and support to optimize business performance, improve cost control, and enable sustainable growth.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Business Partnering

• Act as a trusted finance advisor to the VP Operations, VP Finance, and site leadership, influencing key operational and strategic decisions.
• Serve as a principal finance partner to the VP Operations in decision-making and strategic execution.
• Provide robust financial challenge and support to drive accountability across Operations.
• Translate financial data into clear, actionable insights for non-finance stakeholders.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships across Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, and the wider group Operations structure.
• Support the development of financial awareness among non-finance colleagues.

Manufacturing Cost Management

• Partner with Operations leaders to understand, monitor, and improve manufacturing cost performance.
• Analyze labor, material, overhead, and conversion costs, identifying risks and opportunities.
• Lead monthly cost reviews and provide clear explanations of performance against budget, forecast, and prior year.
• Support product standard-setting and ensure costing standards remain accurate and relevant.
• Drive actions to improve manufacturing efficiency, yield, and overall plant performance.

Supply Chain Finance

• Provide financial support and challenge to Supply Chain teams across logistics and warehousing activities.
• Monitor supply chain cost drivers and identify opportunities to reduce costs while maintaining service levels.
• Support strategic sourcing initiatives through robust financial analysis and business-case development.

Continuous Improvement & Efficiency Initiatives

• Partner with Operations teams to identify, evaluate, and track productivity and efficiency initiatives.
• Develop financial models and benefit-tracking mechanisms to ensure initiatives deliver expected results.
• Challenge assumptions and support data-driven decision-making across improvement programs.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Capital Expenditure

• Lead the financial evaluation of capital investment proposals.
• Develop business cases, including return on investment, payback, and risk assessments.
• Monitor approved projects to ensure delivery against budget and expected financial benefits.
• Maintain financial governance and reporting of capital expenditures in accordance with Ornua standards.

Inventory & Working Capital Management

• Partner with Operations and Supply Chain teams to optimize inventory levels while maintaining customer service requirements.
• Monitor inventory performance, slow-moving and obsolete stock, and inventory accuracy.
• Drive initiatives to improve working capital and cash flow performance.
• Support inventory forecasting and stock-management processes.

Planning, Forecasting & Reporting

• Lead budgeting and forecasting processes for Manufacturing and Supply Chain functions.
• Provide insightful financial analysis and recommendations to support decision-making.
• Develop and maintain relevant KPIs, dashboards, and performance reporting.
• Ensure the financial implications of operational decisions are clearly understood by stakeholders.

Additional Responsibilities

• Support the wider Finance team during peak periods, contributing to the delivery of key deadlines and outputs.
• Contribute to cross-functional and strategic projects, providing financial insight and analytical support as needed.

EXPERIENCE AND REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with at least five years of post-qualification experience.
• Strong experience in a finance business partnering role.
• Proven ability to influence and constructively challenge senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex financial and operational data.
• Ability to translate financial information into clear, actionable insights for non-finance stakeholders.
• Resilient and comfortable working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Results-focused with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and drive change.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Finance business partnering experience within a manufacturing or FMCG environment.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Experience with ERP systems and business intelligence tools.

ORNUA COMPETENCIES

Expertise

For projects involving others, applies effective professional skills, analysis, problem-solving, decision-making, prioritization, planning, and review.

Working Together

Encourages cooperation within the team and ensures effective cross-functional working.

Ownership

Clarifies accountabilities, overlaps, and gaps, and helps others remain motivated through challenging situations.

Communicative

Communicates with impact, adapting style for different situations and audiences to ensure all are heard and valued.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE AN IMPACT?

Would you like to make an impact? Apply today!

Ornua is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be provided with equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, disability status, or genetic information. Ornua is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you require an accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact Ornua People Services at 833-450-2385 or peopleservicesus@ornua.com.

This employer participates in E-Verify, a federal program that verifies the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.