Senior Sales Analyst presso Pacific Southwest Container

Position Summary

The Senior Sales Analyst will be the company’s subject-matter expert on margin and pricing performance. This highly analytical role will dig deep into complex factors influencing contribution margin, conduct post-mortem analyses when margins underperform, and provide actionable insights to strengthen customer and product profitability. Working closely with Sales, Finance, and Operations, this role will ensure leadership has a clear understanding of why margins deviate from expectations—and where opportunities exist to improve.

This position is ideal for someone with a strong accounting or financial analytics background (Big 4 experience preferred) who thrives on investigative analysis, problem-solving, communication, and influencing commercial strategy through data.

Key Responsibilities

• Margin & Pricing Analysis
• Monitor customer and product contribution margins, analyzing gaps against forecasts and targets.
• Conduct variance analyses to determine root causes of margin erosion, including materials, production, freight, and pricing decisions.
• Post-Mortem Reviews
• Perform in-depth investigations when margins underperform expectations.
• Research all contributing factors—customer pricing agreements, manufacturing processes, order patterns, and raw material usage.
• Deliver insights to leadership explaining what happened and why.
• Strategic Recommendations
• Partner with Sales to recommend margin improvement strategies at the customer and product level.
• Support price increase strategies, contract renewals, and customer negotiations with data-driven insights.
• Identify trends and systemic issues impacting overall profitability.
• Sales Forecasting and Demand Planning Projects
  • Develop, update, and maintain short- and long-term sales forecasts using historical data, statistical models, and market intelligence.
  • Collaborate with Sales teams to incorporate business intelligence into forecasts.
  • Regularly review forecasts and adjust based on actuals and changing customer demands
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with Finance, Operations, and Sales to align on key assumptions and ensure accurate data capture.
  • Build models that quantify the financial impact of pricing and margin improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Education:
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or related field required.
• Master’s degree, CPA, CFA, or MBA preferred.
• Experience:
• 5–8+ years of experience in financial analysis, pricing analytics, or accounting.
• Big 4 or top-tier accounting/consulting firm background strongly preferred.
• At least 1 year of experience in manufacturing.
• Skills & Competencies:
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Strong background in contribution margin analysis, variance analysis, and pricing strategy.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Excellent financial modeling and Excel/BI tool skills.
• Ability to communicate complex findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• High business acumen with a detail-oriented and investigative mindset.
• Collaborates with stakeholders cross-functionally on analysis and initiatives.