Job Title:  Financial Analyst

Do you want to make a difference in the lives of people and their pets? What about having the opportunity to connect with others across the world, full of stimulating discussions, and making impactful contributions? If this is how you see your career, Hill’s is the place to be!

Hill’s Pet Nutrition is a $2.3 Billion, global division of Colgate-Palmolive Company and the maker of Prescription Diet, Science Diet, and Healthy Advantage brand pet food. Our mission is to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets by providing the best leading-edge pet nutrition technology, products, and expertise to pet owners, veterinary professionals and other key pet professionals worldwide. Our company is a globally recognized Best Place to Work.

We invite applicants for the position of Financial Analyst at Bowling Green, Kentucky, a global strategic pet food manufacturing site.  The Financial Analyst is responsible for providing value added reporting and analysis to achieve budget goals and supporting continuous improvement activities relating to Finance.  This position focuses on Material Variances, Inventory, Fixed Assets, and Accounts Payable. The position reports to the Plant Controller.  

Core Responsibilities:

• Assist Plant Controller in the coordination of the Budget, LE, and MRE process by ensuring adherence to timelines and data submission requests.  Analyze and verify budget cost changes vs. prior periods.
• Provide support in driving FTG discipline; validate potential savings, track results, and ensure implementation of savings projects
•  Analyze and support continuous improvement projects including but not limited to Absolute Material Loss and Production Yield Reporting.  Engage with the Operations Team to understand and explain material variances. 
•  Collaborate with the Plant Controller and Engineering Team on the Capital Management program:
  • Engage with the Engineering Team for monthly spend discussions, project status, and asset updates 
  • Review capital spend for appropriateness and reconcile cost tracking worksheets to the general ledger monthly
  • Prepare capitalization files for monthly review and submission
  • Coordinate, perform, and document Fixed Asset physical count, and validation of results (e.g. potential write-offs, idles)
  • Assist with the development and validation of Financials supporting the Capital Program

• Assist in month-end close activities: preparing and booking journal entries; working with budget owners to develop accruals; preparing expense and balance sheet account reconciliations; and preparing detailed spending reports and variance analysis (overtime, temps, etc). 

• Drive improvement activities in Accounts Payable to reduce transaction costs and increase value added reporting capabilities to the Plant:
  • Engage with Plant personnel to ensure timely resolution of invoices in MRBR/GRIR query resolution
  • Monitor purchase order reports in SAP to ensure timely and accurate goods receipts and PO closure
  • Create purchase requisitions and convert them to purchase orders after approval as requested

• Maintain and reconcile petty cash  
•  Work with the Finance Team Leader to make deposits and complete reconciliations as needed 
•  Participate in full physical inventories and assist in researching inventory variances
•  Sarbanes-Oxley audit testing, as it pertains to all internal control SOPs
•  Understand and comply with Hill’s policies, safety standards, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and Food Safety. Identify and report Food Safety issues to management
•  Participation on cross-functional teams and special projects, as needed

Basic Qualifications:

• Associates degree in Accounting / Finance required
• 5+  years of experience in an accounting or financial role   
• Very strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Google Suite

 
Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting or Finance
• Experience with ERP (SAP, Oracle)
• Experience in cost accounting, preferably in the manufacturing industry
• Ability to multi-task and work efficiently to meet deadlines
• Ability to research and resolve invoice issues, while working with different parties (vendors, budget owners and Corporate Accounting)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work with cross-functional areas in a team work environment
• Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility, and customer service orientation