About the Company:

JOST International began as a small business in the early 1980s, where we submitted the patent application for the very first steel cast fifth wheel coupling. Since our start in Grand Haven, Michigan, JOST International has grown to become a world market leader for fifth wheels and landing gear and an international supplier for the commercial trucking industry.

Though we’ve grown through the years, JOST International is proud to retain the same values and principles that launched our business decades ago — a dedication to safety and continuous innovation, and above all, a close relationship with our customers and our employees.

Jost International is a leading Tier 1 supplier in the automotive industry, specializing in innovative solutions for the commercial truck, trailer, and agriculture markets. Our commitment to quality, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement has established us as a trusted partner to OEMs and major industry players.

Position Overview:

The Financial Analyst plays a critical role in supporting strategic and operational decision-making within the business. This position is responsible for conducting in-depth financial analysis, forecasting, and reporting to drive performance, cost control, and profitability across manufacturing, sales, and supply chain operations. The role requires close collaboration with cross-functional teams including operations, engineering, procurement, and sales to interpret data, identify trends, and provide actionable insights. A strong understanding of capital-intensive industries, market cycles, and complex cost structures (including materials, labor, and logistics) is essential.

This role requires proficiency in financial modeling, budgeting, variance analysis, and KPI reporting, as well as the ability to communicate complex financial concepts to both financial and non-financial stakeholders.

This position can be located in Tennessee or Michigan

Key Responsibilities:

Costing and Variance:

• Build/ maintain standards; partner with Engineering/Supply Chain on BOMs, routings, labor/overhead rates.
• Analyze PPV; labor/overhead absorption, scrap, rework, inventory adjustments; drive root-cause fixes.

Month Close (ERP-Driven):

• Run ERP month-end routines; material re-costing, cost center expense reviews, margin analysis, inventory reconciliations.
• Validate moving-average and standard costs, catch price/receiving unit errors before they post.
• Own accruals for freight, duties, rebates, and inventory adjustments; reconcile CapEx, prepaids, open POs to the trial balance.
• Deliver manufacturing P&L packs and margin bridges that break down vol/mix/price/PPV/absorption/FX with zero hand-waving.

Plant/ Operations Support:

• Model run rates, yields, and capacity; tie KPIs to floor reality (OEE, scrap, throughput, on-time).
• Partner with production leaders to execute actions from your analysis and close the loop.

Forecasting, Budget, & CI:

• Rolling forecast and annual plan; scenario modeling on volume/mix, price, surcharges, FX, tariffs.
• Cost-down and CI initiatives, make-vs-buy, product launches/ECNs, footprint and CapEx business cases.

Commercial Analytics & Inventory Control:

• Monitor cycle counts and valuation; investigate WIP aging, backflush errors, cut-off, reserves.
• Enforce material master discipline (prices, units, sourcing) and ECN impacts on cost.
• SKU/ customer profitability; price/mix and rebate tracking; margin improvement actions with Sales.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s in Finance/Accounting/Econ/Industrial Engineering (or equivalent). MBA/MS a plus, not mandatory.
• Experience: Large-company or multi-plant manufacturing (automotive, heavy truck, off-highway, hydraulics, metal fab, tier-1/2).
• Controlling toolkit: standard costing, BOM/routing fluency, variance analysis, inventory accounting, margin walks.
• ERP chops: you’ve run close cycles (material costing, variance analysis, inventory reconciliations, margin bridges) in a tier-1 system (SAP, Oracle, Infor, JDE, etc.).
• Analytics that change behavior—you’ve presented to Ops and driven action with measurable impact.
• Tools: Excel power user + Power BI (DAX a plus).

Skills and Competencies:

• SQL/Python for data wrangling; EDI/surcharge logic; FX and transfer-price basics.
• MES/shop-floor data exposure; Lean/CI experience.
• CPA/CMA (or in progress)
• Detail-accurate, deadline-reliable.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Professional development and career advancement opportunities.

Physical Requirements:

• This is primarily a sedentary role within an office setting. While performing duties of this job, the employee will regularly; sit, stand, walk, reach, bend, twist and rarely will be required to stoop, kneel, lift or move objects of less than fifty pounds.

I will be given written work instructions on how I am to perform this job and I will be fully trained in this position according to those work instructions. I understand that if I fail to perform, I will be disciplined, leading up to and/or including termination of my employment.