Role and industry
FP&A Manager Recruiters for Manufacturing and distribution
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
Financial Headhunters: Improve plant production margins by hiring an FP&A manager who knows how to translate standard costing variances into operational changes on the floor.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
Who reviews standard costs to identify margin errors on the floor? How do you build driver-based models tied to production volume? Who approves the adjustment for purchase price variances in the P&L?
Your new manager must partner with plant managers who do not care about finance. They need to translate variance analysis into operational changes on the floor. The core work is running budget and forecast cycles while handling complex ERP data extraction and reporting in tools like SAP, Oracle, Epicor, Plex, or Infor.
Ask candidates how they isolate labor versus material variances in a standard costing environment. Ask them to describe a specific time they changed a production process based on financial findings. If they only discuss high-level corporate consolidation and have never reconciled actual manufacturing inventory, they are not the right fit for this plant-based requirement.
When evaluating scope, ignore the resume and ask the candidate to walk you through a specific month-end variance report they wrote. Ask where the data originated in the ERP and how they checked production counts before closing the ledger. Observe if they understand the link between raw material fluctuations and margin outcomes. See if they can explain volume versus price variance without notes. If a candidate cannot explain how they investigated a usage discrepancy during a cycle count, they lack the needed competence for this plant. Ask them to describe a time they had to convince a floor supervisor to change a batch process because the data showed margin loss. A strong candidate offers a specific scenario involving labor or machine downtime and explains the outcome in saved dollars. If they cannot name the ERP modules they used for costing, they likely relied on others for reports, which is a red flag. Look for evidence they engaged with the shop floor to check that physical processes match system inputs. The goal is to identify a person who connects the numbers to the actual machines, materials, and people on the line.
02
What do we check before you see anyone?
We verify five years of manufacturing finance experience to confirm they apply standard costing logic. We confirm hands-on work with ERP systems like SAP, Oracle, or Infor. We check if they managed plant-level variance analysis to confirm they work directly with production teams. We ask for proof of three-statement modeling to track their method for forecasting cash flow from inventory changes. We confirm they are comfortable working on-site in a factory setting. We ask them to explain their process for finding costing errors during month-end close to test their depth.
We begin by conducting a direct discussion regarding the specific production volume your facility handles to determine if the candidate has worked with similar throughput levels. During this session, we ask the individual to walk through a recent instance where a standard cost fluctuated significantly due to scrap rates or machine efficiency issues. We prioritize candidates who can point to a specific ledger entry and explain exactly which production event caused the movement. A major hiring tradeoff we investigate is whether the person prefers building complex, disconnected offline models or working strictly within the ERP constraints to maintain data integrity. We reject those who prioritize model flexibility over direct alignment with physical production counts because this indicates a disconnect between financial reporting and shop floor reality.
03
Where do we find them?
We source from cost accounting and plant finance departments within heavy industry and industrial manufacturing firms. We look for analysts at larger companies who want ownership of a plant P&L or those at smaller sites looking for more complex modeling responsibilities. We target people moving because their current site is closing, their ERP is being centralized away from the plant, or they hit a ceiling in a non-manufacturing corporate function.
04
Which hiring mistakes should you watch for?
- 01Hiring a candidate whose experience is purely corporate FP&A without any exposure to physical inventory or standard cost systems.
- 02Overlooking the need for on-site presence by hiring someone who assumes they can manage plant operations remotely.
- 03Accepting a candidate who uses Excel for everything instead of proving mastery of ERP-driven data reporting.
05
The search in three steps
- 01We identify candidates with specific experience in plant-level variance analysis and industrial ERP environments.
- 02We vet their ability to explain complex costing issues to non-finance plant managers.
- 03We present qualified candidates for your review; we charge no upfront fee and you pay only if you hire the person introduced.
06
Which related hiring decisions are worth comparing?
How your FP&A Manager search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
One sequence, from a well-defined seat to a shortlist you can judge.
Search Calibration
We start with a call about the seat, the books, the owners and the people the hire will work with. We learn what the role must fix in the first year and what would make a candidate wrong even if the resume looks right.
You get: A written search brief: scope, must-haves, deal-breakers and the pay range, agreed with you.
Market Mapping
We map the companies and institutions where the right people already work: similar size, similar ownership, similar complexity, in your market and in others.
You get: The target list of companies and institutions we will search, reviewed with you before outreach.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We find direct ways to reach the people on the map. Most are employed and not reading job boards, so reaching them takes real research.
You get: Direct routes to people who are not on job boards, researched for your search.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We call and write to people individually and follow up. Interest varies, so we discuss the actual opportunity rather than promising a particular response.
You get: One-to-one conversations about your actual role, followed up, never a mass email blast.
Live Candidate Qualification
We speak with every candidate before you do. We check scope, systems, reporting lines, compensation expectations, location and why they would move.
You get: Only candidates we have spoken with, checked on scope, systems, pay, location and motive.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You receive a short written brief on each finalist covering what they have done, where they are thin and what they want. Then we help with interviews, references and the offer.
You get: A short written brief on each finalist, plus help with interviews, references, counteroffer risk and the offer.
Questions people ask
How do you define the decision rights of this role versus a Controller?
This manager owns the forward-looking budget and operational variance analysis. The Controller manages the historical ledger and audit compliance.
Does this role require a CPA?
A CPA is not required, though familiarity with GAAP inventory valuation is essential. We focus on costing expertise and modeling capabilities.
When must I pay for finding someone to evaluate our standard costs and production margin variances?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Can this role be performed off-site?
No, the role requires being physically present at the plant to conduct variance analysis and partner with operations teams.
How soon will I see a FP&A Manager shortlist?
It depends on the seat, the location and the pay. We give you an honest read after the calibration call and we do not promise dates we cannot control.
What about counteroffers on a FP&A Manager hire?
We ask every FP&A Manager candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.
What is your guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your FP&A Manager job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
Start a search
Tell us about the seat.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
Not ready to start a search?
Get a practical read on the talent market or the job description. No fee or obligation.