D365 F&O Finance/Accounting Specialist

About Us:

Carl Buddig and Company, a respected name in the meat manufacturing industry, boasts a legacy of over 80 years. Founded as a family-owned company, we have evolved into a leading producer of premium meat products, including renowned lunchmeats, ready-to-eat cooked meats under our Kingsford, LLC division, and savory snack meats from Old Wisconsin.

As a third-generation family business, our success is anchored in our commitment to quality, innovation, and community. With a workforce of 2,500 dedicated team members spread across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, we continue to expand, driven by a vision for excellence and a responsiveness to evolving consumer preferences.

At Carl Buddig and Company, we foster a culture centered around teamwork and innovation. We strive to create an environment that values creativity and collaboration, ensuring every team member is empowered to contribute to our collective goals.

Our dedication extends beyond our business operations. We actively support charitable initiatives and community organizations through direct contributions, volunteer work, and partnerships. We aim to make a positive impact and give back to the communities that have supported us over the years.

Join us at Carl Buddig and Company, where tradition meets innovation, and where our passion for quality meat products is matched by our commitment to our people and communities.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a skilled and proactive D365 Finance / Accounting Specialist to oversee the financial systems and workflow management and system configuration processes within the Microsoft D365 Finance & Operations (F&O) platform, with a strong focus on manufacturing costing, budgeting, and forecasting. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in the manufacturing industry, strong analytical abilities, and excellent communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams. This role also involves ensuring accurate financial reporting and supporting the development of financial models and forecasts.

As a core function, this role will ensure that all financial applications in D365 are operating effectively, and applications are configured optimally according to business operations criteria They will play a leading role in optimizing financial workflows within D365 F&O, ensuring accurate data management, and driving process improvements across the finance and accounting functions.

As an adjunct function, they will support month-end and year-end closing processes, assist in financial audits, and provide insights into improving financial applications efficiency. The ideal candidate should be comfortable working with complex system integration scenarios in a Consumer Product Goods business and ERP systems and possess a strong understanding of both manufacturing operations and accounting principles.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manufacturing Costing:
  
  
  
  • Manage and oversee all aspects of manufacturing costing within D365 F&O.
  • Ensure system applications are accurately calculating product costs, including raw materials, labor, overhead, and production-related costs.
  • Validation of variance analysis on actual vs. standard costs, providing insights and recommendations to optimize cost and supply chain application in a D365 environment.
  
  
  
  
• General Accounting:
  
  
  
  • Support the general accounting functions, including financial reporting, accounts payable, and accounts receivable processes within D365 F&O.
  • Assist in month-end and year-end closing activities, ensuring systems provide timely and accurate financial reporting.
  • Ensure Systems provide accurate tracking and reconciliation of transactions related to inventory, production, and costing.
  
  
  
  
• Budgeting & Forecasting:
  
  
  
  • Collaborate with operations and finance teams to develop system applications including configuration support related to building comprehensive budgets and financial forecasts.
  
  
  
  
• Financial Reporting & Analysis:
  
  
  
  • Assist in developing and configuring financial reports, including profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports related to manufacturing operations.
  • Develop reports such on key financial metrics, such as gross margin, cost of goods sold (COGS), and production efficiency dash boards and or reporting KPI's using tools within D365, power BI and or other data warehousing applications for Companywide reporting
  • Support management in making informed decisions by data-driven solutions and or Data mining and or AI applications.
  
  
  
  
• ERP System Support:
  
  
  
  • Serve as the subject matter expert for finance and accounting modules within D365 F&O, ensuring accurate system configuration and data integrity.
  • Collaborate with IT and cross-functional teams to optimize D365 F&O for financial processes, ensuring alignment with operational and business goals.
  
  
  
  
• Compliance & Controls:
  
  
  
  • Ensure compliance with financial reporting standards, internal controls, and company policies.
  • Provide support during audits by preparing and supplying relevant financial data from D365 F&O.
  
  
  
  

Knowledge and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in finance or accounting roles, with a strong emphasis on manufacturing costing.
• General accounting knowledge, including experience with financial statements, budgeting, and forecasting.
• 5+ years of experience in Microsoft D365 F&O, with a deep understanding of its finance and accounting modules.
• Experience working in the manufacturing industry, with a focus on cost management.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret financial data and provide actionable insights.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally.
• CPA or CMA certification is preferred.
• Experience in ERP implementations or optimizations.
• Knowledge of financial reporting tools like Power BI.
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles is a plus.