Expert Connections ยท 2 days ago
Director of Finance, NA
Chattanooga, TN, United States
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
10+ years expExpert Connections is a boutique recruiting firm specializing in leadership and technical placements in manufacturing, automotive and automation industries. They are seeking an experienced Director of Finance for North America to provide strategic financial leadership across multiple production facilities, focusing on profitability, cost structures, and financial governance.
Staffing & Recruiting
Responsibilities
Serve as the regional financial authority for all North American manufacturing operations
Lead annual budgets, quarterly forecasts, and long-range financial planning aligned with production cycles and customer demand
Provide strategic financial insights to support commercial negotiations, pricing strategies, and program profitability
Partner with plant and operational teams to monitor margins, scrap/rework, production efficiencies, and key performance metrics
Assess the financial impacts of customer programs, engineering changes, tooling amortization, and volume fluctuations typical in automotive environments
Lead scenario modeling for new product launches, platform changes, and OEM forecast adjustments
Ensure accurate monthly financial statements, operational variance analysis, and inventory cost reporting across all sites
Oversee standard costing, BOM accuracy, labor and overhead rates, and COGS alignment with automotive cost frameworks
Maintain strong internal controls and audit readiness to meet industry, regulatory, and customer requirements
Lead and develop a high-performing regional finance team with strong automotive cost accounting expertise
Drive continuous improvement in financial systems, reporting processes, and KPIs
Collaborate with global finance and operations teams to share and implement best practices
Oversee CAPEX planning for tooling, automation, equipment, and customer program launches
Support ROI modeling for new programs, major equipment investments, and operational footprint improvements
Lead working capital optimization initiatives with a focus on inventory turns, raw material management, and customer payment practices
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field
10+ years of progressive financial leadership experience in automotive manufacturing (Tier-1 or Tier-2 preferred)
Expert knowledge of cost accounting, standard costing, BOM structures, and tooling amortization
Experience with customer quoting, program financials, and OEM/Tier-1 commercial models
Strong ERP proficiency (SAP, QAD, Oracle, Plex, etc.)
Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills
Preferred
MBA, CPA, or CMA credential
Experience overseeing financial operations across multiple manufacturing sites
Background in Lean, Six Sigma, or operational excellence programs
Familiarity with IATF 16949 environments
Company
Expert Connections
Expert Connections provides executive and professional recruiting solutions to global, industry-specific clients located in the U.S.
Founded in 2022Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, US
2-10 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase