Director, Operations Finance

Suja Life is building a high-impact Operations Finance function, and this hybrid role helps shape how the business plans, prices, and performs across a vertically integrated supply chain. You will serve as a senior finance business partner to operations and supply chain leadership, owning financial performance from product costing and COGS through inventory, cost productivity, investment decisions, and executive and Board-level reporting.

What you’ll do

• Partner with operations and supply chain leadership as the senior finance business partner, using financial insight to influence strategy across cost, capacity, and investment decisions
• Lead the annual operations and supply chain operating plan, including the COGS build, conversion cost, freight and logistics, and inventory plans; own the annual standard cost roll and costing methodology
• Run variance analysis using cost per unit and whole dollar price, volume, and mix drivers to explain performance versus expectations
• Set raw material input standard costs using last price paid and gross and net yield methodology, helping forecast PPV and explain actuals versus expectations
• Establish standards for Direct and Indirect Labor, Variable and Fixed Overhead, and Depreciation by department/master router using Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) and related throughput KPIs
• Own the monthly rolling COGS standards and variance forecast, translating production plans and S&OP outputs into materials, packaging, labor, overhead, yield, and freight projections; reconcile forecast to actuals and communicate margin impacts
• Own end-to-end product costing, including bill of materials and routing accuracy, standard versus actual cost analysis, and purchase price, material usage, yield, and labor and overhead variances; translate variances into root causes and corrective actions
• Drive gross margin expansion by building and governing a cost savings and productivity pipeline (procurement, manufacturing efficiency, yield and waste reduction, network optimization), validating realized savings against targets
• Collaborate with Procurement on raw material, ingredient, and packaging cost strategy, including commodity outlooks, supplier negotiations, contracting approaches, and should-cost analysis
• Identify, quantify, and mitigate supply chain financial risks, including commodity and packaging price volatility, supplier and co-manufacturer concentration, tariffs, and supply disruptions; develop contingency and scenario plans with operations leadership
• Provide finance leadership over inventory performance, including inventory levels, days on hand, excess and obsolete (E&O) and shrink reserves, write-offs, and working capital optimization with Planning and Accounting
• Lead financial evaluation and governance of capital expenditures and supply chain investments, including ROI/NPV/payback analysis, capex tracking, and post-investment reviews
• Own freight, warehousing, and distribution cost analytics, including cost-to-serve analysis by channel, customer, and SKU, and support SKU rationalization and new product costing
• Present operations financial performance, risks, and opportunities to the CFO, CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors with clear recommendations and action plans
• Partner with Accounting to support a timely and accurate monthly close for inventory, COGS, and operations-related accounts, strengthening internal controls over costing and inventory
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing Operations Finance team through coaching, clear goals, and a culture of accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement
• Champion continuous improvement, automation, and scalability of operations finance systems, tools, and processes, including ERP costing modules, BI reporting, and data integrity
• Lead strategic and cross-functional supply chain initiatives as needed, including network expansion, new facility or line start-ups, and integration of acquired operations

What you’ll bring

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Supply Chain Management
• MBA, graduate finance degree, or CPA preferred
• 10+ years of progressive finance experience, including 5+ years in operations, supply chain, or manufacturing finance
• 5+ years in a manufacturing environment required; food and beverage or CPG experience strongly preferred
• 3+ years of people leadership experience, with a track record of building and developing high-performing finance teams
• Deep experience with standard costing, COGS builds, inventory accounting, and manufacturing variance analysis
• Proven record of driving measurable cost savings, margin improvement, and working capital gains with operations leaders
• ERP experience including costing, MRP, and inventory modules; NetSuite preferred
• Expert knowledge of cost accounting, product costing methodologies, and inventory valuation under U.S. GAAP
• Strong understanding of the end-to-end supply chain (procurement, manufacturing, planning, logistics, distribution) and its key financial drivers
• Experience with capital budgeting and investment analysis (ROI, NPV, IRR), including make vs. buy and network decision frameworks
• Demonstrated success in financial modeling, insight generation, and executive and Board-level communication
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies and operational KPIs
• Ability to communicate technical details with cross-functional teams and externally
• Unquestioned ethics and integrity; strong organizational, analytical, and project management skills
• Expert in Excel, PowerPoint, industry-standard ERP systems, and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau)

Salary and benefits

• Salary: $180,000 - $220,000 per year
• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and more
• Paid Parental Leave: 12 weeks at 100% pay
• 401(k) match to help you plan for the future
• Paid time off: vacation, sick days, and holidays
• Juice benefits: yes, we keep you fueled and refreshed

Hybrid role details and environment

• Hybrid schedule with two days in the office each week in Oceanside, CA
• Computer, keyboard, and telephone required
• Occasional work in manufacturing environments where temperatures are around 35 degrees
• Travel by car or airplane up to 10% of the time, or as needed
• Occasional work on nights and weekends
• Physical demands include sitting for extended periods and time in front of a computer screen; occasional lifting of equipment up to 20 lbs

Tools you’ll use

• Excel, PowerPoint, ERP systems, NetSuite, MRP, Power BI, Tableau

Who you’ll work with

• Regular contact with the CFO, CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors; operations, supply chain, procurement, planning, quality, and logistics leaders; manufacturing team members; and Accounting
• External contact with suppliers, co-manufacturers, 3PL partners, and auditors