Contractor Sales Representative - Remote + Travel at Cherry Bekaert in Kansas City, Missouri

Job description

• A growing multi-site manufacturing organization is seeking a Contractor Sales Representative to join its finance team. This newly created role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact by driving cost visibility, inventory accuracy, operational performance, and profitability across multiple production facilities nationwide.
• Reporting directly to senior finance leadership, this position will serve as a key business partner to Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance teams, providing critical analysis and insights that support strategic decision-making.
• This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced manufacturing finance professional who enjoys working independently, traveling to operations, and partnering with plant leadership to improve financial performance.
• The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in cost accounting, inventory management, variance analysis, and manufacturing operations, along with the ability to translate complex data into actionable business recommendations.
• Candidates located in centrally positioned U.S. markets are preferred to support travel requirements, though the role is primarily home-based when not visiting manufacturing facilities.

Responsibilities

• Driving Financial Performance
• You'll be the go-to resource for understanding what drives manufacturing costs and profitability across multiple production sites. From evaluating spending trends to identifying sources of margin improvement, your analysis will help guide key business decisions.
• Improving Inventory Accuracy & Controls
• A major focus of this position is strengthening inventory management practices. You'll evaluate inventory performance, review existing procedures, identify control gaps, and partner with operational teams to improve overall accuracy and efficiency.
• Partnering with Manufacturing Operations
• You'll spend time in the plants building relationships with site leadership, understanding production processes firsthand, validating financial assumptions, and uncovering opportunities for operational improvement.
• Providing Decision Support
• Leadership will rely on your insights to support initiatives involving pricing, profitability, product mix, process improvements, and long-term planning. You'll turn complex data into meaningful recommendations that drive results.

Requirements

• We're looking for someone who can operate independently and confidently in a manufacturing environment.
• 7+ years of experience in cost accounting, cost analysis, or manufacturing finance
• Experience supporting multi-site manufacturing operations
• Strong understanding of inventory accounting and cost drivers
• Proven ability to analyze variances and identify performance improvement opportunities
• Advanced Excel and ERP system experience
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively with both finance and operations teams
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related field
• Enjoys solving operational and financial problems
• Can work independently with minimal oversight
• Likes spending time in manufacturing environments
• Is comfortable challenging the status quo and improving existing processes
• Wants to have a visible impact on business performance

Skills

Required

• Cost accounting
• Inventory accounting
• Variance analysis
• Advanced Excel
• ERP systems
• Financial analysis
• Manufacturing finance