Product Costing & Operations Analyst - Apparel

Description
The Junior Financial Operations Analyst supports product costing, cost control, and operational decision-making for Garan’s apparel business. This is a hands-on, cross-functional role that follows product costs from early development through production and final cost approval. The analyst works closely with sales/account management, design, planning, sourcing, production, technical design, manufacturing partners, and corporate accounting.

The role is well suited to someone who enjoys detailed analysis, takes ownership of follow-ups, and can manage several overlapping seasonal calendars. While Excel remains central to the day-to-day work, the team is also beginning to modernize costing processes and explore new systems, automation, and responsible uses of AI.

Key Responsibilities
Product Costing & Seasonal Execution
Build, review, compile, and reconcile detailed product cost sheets for apparel programs, including multiple styles, colors, sizes, packs, factories, and customer requirements.
Collect and validate cost inputs such as fabric and trim prices, consumption estimates, labor/CM, duty, freight, packaging, testing, and other product-specific expenses.
Support costing for multiple overlapping seasons and product lines, from preliminary estimates through negotiated costs, production execution, and final cost-accounting standard approval.
Compare proposed costs with historical results, budgets, targets, and prior assumptions; clearly document the reason for changes and recommend next steps.
Participate in sourcing meetings and price negotiations, including follow-up with factories and sourcing teams to resolve open cost questions and meet deadlines.
Financial Analysis, Reporting & Controls
Maintain accurate financial matrices and reference data, including raw-material pricing, purchasing records, cost assumptions, factory quotes, and related expenses.
Prepare recurring and ad hoc reporting, including sales and shipping forecasts, inventory analysis, production allocation, margin and cost-change analysis, and management summaries.
Review invoices, expenses, and supporting documentation for accuracy; investigate discrepancies and coordinate corrections with the appropriate teams.
Assist senior management with pricing, margin, sourcing, and other strategic business decisions by translating detailed data into clear, practical recommendations.
Support travel and expense audit and approval and other divisional-control activities as assigned.
Cross-Functional Operations & Follow-Through
Coordinate with design, planning, sourcing, production, technical design, account management, manufacturing partners, and corporate accounting to keep costing and production milestones on track.
Proactively chase missing information, identify deadline risks, escalate issues early, and communicate status and assumptions clearly to stakeholders.
Help resolve pricing, production, and vendor discrepancies while balancing customer expectations, factory capabilities, timing, and financial objectives.
Take ownership of assigned product lines and maintain organized records across multiple simultaneous priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Systems, Data & Process Improvement
Use advanced Excel tools to organize, reconcile, analyze, and explain large costing datasets; improve templates and controls where practical.
Help identify repetitive or manual steps that can be standardized, automated, or moved into improved costing, PLM, ERP, reporting, or workflow systems.
Participate in the evaluation and adoption of new systems and responsible AI-enabled tools for costing, data validation, forecasting, document review, and workflow efficiency.
Partner with business and technology stakeholders to translate costing requirements into clear process, data, and system needs while maintaining accuracy, confidentiality, and appropriate human review.

Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, supply chain management, business analytics, economics, operations, information systems, data science, financial technology, or a related field.
Entry level to three years of relevant experience in finance, accounting, costing, operations, supply chain, sourcing, manufacturing, or data analysis.
Highly proficient in Microsoft Excel, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, SUMIF/SUMIFS, logical formulas, data validation, filtering, and reconciliation; able to explain assumptions and audit results.
Strong analytical, conceptual, and problem-solving skills with excellent attention to detail and a commitment to data accuracy.
Strong organization, prioritization, and follow-through; able to manage overlapping deadlines, shifting priorities, and high volumes of detailed work.
Clear verbal and written communication skills, including professional interaction with executive leadership, cross-functional partners, and overseas manufacturing/sourcing teams.
Proactive and resourceful working style: comfortable asking questions, pursuing missing inputs, escalating risks, and operating both independently and as part of a team.
Ability to protect confidential and proprietary information and use sound judgment when working with financial data and AI-enabled tools.

Preferred Qualifications
Academic background combining business and technology—for example, a major/minor pairing in finance, accounting, supply chain, business analytics, information systems, data science, computer science, or financial technology.
Experience with AI tools, automation, SQL, Python, Power Query, Power BI, Tableau, or similar data and workflow technologies.
Experience using AI responsibly for business analysis, data quality checks, research, documentation, or process improvement, with an understanding that outputs require validation and human oversight.
Knowledge of apparel costing, garment manufacturing, high-volume consumer products, retail programs, or global sourcing is a large plus.
Experience with Simparel, PLM, ERP, costing, purchasing, or product-development systems is considered a plus, but not required.

What Success Looks Like
Cost sheets and supporting records are accurate, complete, traceable, and delivered on time.
Cost changes, assumptions, and risks are identified early and communicated clearly.
Cross-functional partners receive proactive follow-up and dependable support across overlapping seasonal timelines.
The analyst develops a strong understanding of the business before helping improve or automate its processes.
New tools and systems are adopted thoughtfully to improve efficiency without compromising accuracy, controls, or confidentiality.