Gaia Herbs Inc. 

Connecting People, Plants & Planet to Create Healing

Tucked into the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, Gaia Herbs offers a unique opportunity to join an industry-leading company that produces the highest quality herbal supplements in the world.
 

About Us:

Since Gaia Herbs was just a seedling in 1987, we have remained true to our purpose: connecting people, plants, and planet to create healing. We knew then what many are coming to realize now—plants and people evolved together, that we are inextricably linked, and that plants hold the wisdom we need to heal.

As a Certified B Corporation, Gaia Herbs believes in the healing power of nature, and we make it our business to build exceptional teams of responsible environmental stewards who produce outstanding products.
 

Our Culture:

Gaia Herbs cares deeply about our people, so the well-being of our employees and communities is always a top priority. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive and supportive workplace where communication and mutual respect are the norm. We strive for excellence by taking initiative, leaning into collaboration, and delivering results in all that we do.
 

At Gaia Herbs, you can make a meaningful difference while working in an inspiring, supportive, and collaborative environment. Come join the crew and help as we create healing and promote wellness at work, in our communities, and around the world.
 

We would love to be your next GREAT employer! 

Position Summary:  

The Finance Director - Operations will serve as the primary financial business partner and liaison to the operations leadership, including the Operations Head, Director Supply Chain, and all other operational leadership inclusive of the quality, fulfillment, farm, procurement and maintenance functions. The Operations Finance Director will partner in driving operations, supply chain, fulfillment and procurement strategy development and execution through the modeling of financial scenarios/impacts, working proactively with the business to develop and communicate business cases, KPI’s, and ad hoc analyses to allow for review, analysis and management of financial drivers and performance. This role will support the operations leads and functional team through the direction and coordination of financial planning and budgetary management for the operations organization, inclusive of costing activities, inventory tracking, annual operational and long- range planning, and budget and forecast development. The role shall also ensure adherence to all Company principles, policies and procedures in relation to manufacturing, cost of goods sold, transfer pricing, inventory management, distribution and capital expenditures.      

Key Responsibilities:  

Operations Controlling:

• Support operations strategy and decision support through analysis of key business risks and opportunities, demonstrating solid skills in complex financial modeling and analysis of business scenarios, developing options and enabling appropriate decision making based on strategic business need
• Develop and maintain an accurate operational reporting system in order to evaluate operating results, performance against budget and/or forecast, plant optimization and efficiency and other matters bearing on the fiscal soundness and operating effectiveness of the factory. 
• Drive financial performance and business activity, to deliver and communicate performance and business planning submissions and to advise senior management on key drivers
• Develop and maintain the company’s cost accounting system to support cost analysis and financial modeling for production output. Analyze actual labor, material and overhead costs against standard/budget. Research and explain variances. Update standard labor and overhead rates on a periodic basis.
• Partner in developing reliable operational and financial forecasts, ensuring resources are allocated to maximize value creation for the business. Partner with operational leadership in supporting ES&OP outputs.
• Partner in the review & development of short & long-term strategy and maintain accountability to understand all developments which may affect the organization’s operations and policies, advising stakeholders of all relevant financial matters to achieve business requirements and objectives
• Negotiate and communicate effectively across teams and external parties to achieve a positive outcome, encouraging others to demonstrate flexibility when considering options and assessing business impact  
• Promote the implementation and best usage of technology, tools and applications to drive accuracy and efficiency in managing operational data and outputs.                                
• Effectively assess the relevant input required to support the operations teams in evaluating business decisions 
• Maintain joint accountability with the business for the accuracy of forecasts, using a good understanding of the business model and financial drivers, to challenge and influence the key cost drivers. Continually work with the business to identify and drive through opportunities for efficiencies
• Highlight sensitivities and risks in delivering timely, accurate and granular reporting, linking business drivers to actual spend and forecast
• Provide leadership in identifying and driving process improvement and productivity while maintaining compliance and adherence to company policies.
• Develop, control and ensure robust evaluations of capital investment plans and requests. Oversee reporting of capital expenditure requests and tracking in compliance with company requirements.
• Prepare monthly/quarterly close journal entries and general ledger reconciliations.
• Assist in the preparation, analysis and dissemination of internal and external reports (managerial and board P&L reporting, inventory details by product).
• Effectively liaison with key external partners (audit, tax, consulting) to deliver agreed up results timely and in accordance with corporate standards.

Manager Oversight, Continuous Improvement, Coaching & Governance:

• Directly manage cost accountant resource, ensuring working practices and processes are accurate, effectively support operations activities and appropriately capture financial results across the organization
• Identify opportunities to improve working practices and processes in Finance and support their implementation across the Finance organization
• Communicate governance and compliance standards and statutory regulations to non-specialists in a way that is understandable and relevant and relays the risk of commercial decisions effectively
• Lead the development and management of insightful and proactive risk management processes to ensure that the organization’s regulations, rules and processes are adhered to effectively. Promote continuous improvement in the robustness of processes, sharing best practice across the business.

Key Internal Relationships:

Head of Operations, Director of Supply Chain, all Operational Leadership inclusive of Procurement, Fulfillment, Quality and Regulatory functions, Finance organization

Key External Relationships:

Supply partner relationships, Co-manufacturing relationships, Licensing relationships, Customer interactions, audit & tax relationships

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Manage Cost Accountant, providing oversight, coaching, and development as required

Experience & Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or Economics required; Master’s degree and/or CPA certification preferred
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in senior level finance or operations controlling position
• Prior experience in finance partnering role or equivalent, preferably from a business in the nutritional supplement manufacturing industry

Skills & Knowledge Requirements:

• Super User knowledge in use of financial applications, including Excel, Power Point and Business Intelligence Tools including Power BI and Adaptive
• Knowledge of finance, accounting, budgeting and cost control principles
• Knowledge of automated financial solutions and accounting reporting systems
• Direct knowledge of applicable accounting principles (GAAP, other applicable)
• Knowledge of nutritional supplement industry:
• Commercial, manufacturing and operations processes
• Regulatory understanding, including planning and implementation
• Understanding of cGMP requirements a plus
• Solid knowledge of Compliance, Quality, Costing, Supply Chain
• Internal and external best practices in same and other industries, knowledge of R&D pipeline, knowledge of Supply Chain and their initiatives
• Knowledge of HR policies, procedures and tools including succession planning and employment law.
• Specific elements to understand: all relevant company principles; Finance & Cost Management; Regulatory Affairs; Demand and Supply Planning processes
• Team player with professional written and verbal communication and strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to motivate teams to produce quality materials within tight timeframes and simultaneously manage multiple projects
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills
• Able to lead or implement change effectively
• Ability to participate in and lead group meetings
• Service minded and capable of working in a high pace environment 
• Capable of translating business ideas and thoughts to clear and value-added overviews
• Possess a practical approach to understanding figures and can quickly get an overview without losing attention to detail
• Display a strong work ethic and core values
• Work proactively in a structured and systematic way; meeting deadlines comes naturally
• A self-starter who demonstrates total quality in their approach
• Ability to lead, contribute, and influence others in a team-based organization  
• Capable of conveying information clearly and concisely to groups or individuals either verbally or in writing to ensure that they understand the information and the message  
• Aptitude to explore alternatives and positions to reach outcomes that gain the support and acceptance of all parties  
• Strong leadership skills including the ability to implement change, influence business strategies, and resolve conflicts  
• Can lead teams through ambiguous situations  
• Sound analytical and business judgment including demonstrated problem-solving and trouble-shooting skills.  
• Good financial analysis and resource allocation skills  
• Ability to develop and coach others

Pay & Benefits:

We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including:

401k Retirement Savings Plan with company match program
Wellness Program including quarterly on-site wellness clinics
Medical Insurance coverage starting first full month of employment
Dental & Vision Insurance coverage options available
Life & AD&D coverage with option to purchase additional coverage
Short-term Disability coverage after 6 months of employment
Long-term Disability coverage options available
Generous Paid Time Off and company holidays from Day 1

 

Employee Perks:

Lunch Program featuring Gaia-grown & locally sourced ingredients
Veggie Program free farmers market of seasonal Gaia-grown produce
Product Discounts on all Gaia Herbs brand products
Partner Discounts on products from companies like Dr. Bronner’s, Prana, PACT & more

Physical Demands:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for extended periods of time, stand and walk, talk and hear. The employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the ability to be able to view a computer screen for extended periods of time.

Work Environment:

The primary work environment of this position is a standard office environment. While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally passes through a manufacturing warehouse, where they may be exposed to moving mechanical parts. The noise level in the work environment is usually low.

Equal Employment Opportunity has been, and will continue to be, a fundamental principle at Gaia Herbs, Inc., where employment is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender or gender identity, age, national origin, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. All employees and applicants will be treated fairly, with dignity and respect, in accordance with, and as defined by federal, state and local non-discrimination laws.