Finance Business Partner

Operational Finance Manager / Finance Business Partner

Location: Chicago, IL

Industry: Manufacturing | Retail Environments | Custom Fabrication

Employment: Full-Time

The Opportunity

We're partnering with a leading global business operating across custom manufacturing, retail environments and complex, project-based production to appoint an Operational Finance Manager / Finance Business Partner .

This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially minded finance professional who enjoys getting close to the operational side of a business, understanding how projects are delivered and helping teams make better financial decisions.

We're not looking for someone who simply reports the numbers. We need someone who can understand what's driving them, challenge performance and work alongside operational teams to improve project profitability.

Working closely with Project Management, Production, Procurement and Finance, you'll play an important role in protecting margins, improving financial visibility and supporting the successful delivery of complex manufacturing projects.

What You'll Be Doing

• Project Profitability: Monitor financial performance across individual projects and customers, tracking revenue, costs and margins against original estimates and forecasts.
• Operational Business Partnering: Work directly with Project Managers, Production and Procurement teams to identify financial risks, challenge costs and support commercial decision-making.
• Cost & Variance Analysis: Investigate discrepancies between estimated and actual costs, understand the underlying causes and recommend corrective actions.
• Forecasting & Reporting: Produce project-level financial reporting, profitability analysis and rolling forecasts to support operational and senior leadership teams.
• Project Execution: Monitor purchasing commitments, material costs and project progress to ensure delivery remains aligned with financial expectations.
• Continuous Improvement: Help strengthen financial processes, cost controls and accountability across a fast-moving, project-based manufacturing environment.

What We're Looking For

• 3–5+ years of experience across operational finance, FP&A, finance business partnering or project financial analysis.
• Experience within manufacturing, engineering, custom fabrication or another project-based production environment is essential.
• Strong understanding of project profitability, cost analysis, financial forecasting and margin management.
• Ability to interpret financial information and translate it into practical recommendations for non-finance stakeholders.
• Strong Excel skills and experience working with ERP systems.
• A proactive, commercially aware approach with the confidence to challenge, influence and support operational teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or a related discipline.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is a genuinely operational finance position within a global business delivering complex, custom-built projects for major brands and retailers.

You'll have the opportunity to work closely with the people responsible for delivering projects, influence commercial performance and make a measurable impact on how the business manages profitability.

It's particularly well suited to someone who enjoys the combination of financial analysis, commercial problem-solving and hands-on operational engagement , rather than a purely reporting-focused finance role.