commercial finance analyst

about this role

the commercial finance analyst - operations is a key partner to finance and operations, providing the analysis and insight needed to understand what is driving restaurant performance and turn financial and operational data into action.

the role’s primary focus is cost control and sales analysis. it will own and support analysis across cogs, food cost, inventory, sales performance and other key cost drivers, while building a broader financial picture that connects costs, sales, labor and operational performance.

beyond core cost and sales analysis, the role will support menu analysis, labor productivity, turnover and peak-hour analysis, forecasting, process improvement and performance reporting. this is a hands-on role for someone who understands restaurant or hospitality operations, can move comfortably between priorities, and can translate the numbers into practical recommendations.

what you’ll do:

cost control + restaurant performance

• own analysis of cogs, food costs, inventory, waste, purchasing and other key cost drivers across the restaurant portfolio
• identify trends, variances, risks and opportunities and translate findings into clear actions to improve margins and restaurant profitability
• monitor restaurant performance against budget, forecast, prior year and operating targets
• partner with operations to understand root causes behind cost variances and support corrective action

sales + commercial analysis

• analyze restaurant sales performance and identify the drivers behind changes in revenue and profitability
• evaluate sales trends, traffic, peak trading hours, seasonality, promotions and other operating factors that influence performance
• support restaurant-level sales forecasting, budgeting and performance reviews
• connect sales, cost and operational data to create a clear financial picture beyond individual cost metrics

menu + profitability analysis

• conduct menu analysis across item performance, sales mix, cost and profitability
• identify opportunities within menu performance and product mix that can support stronger sales and margins
• partner with finance and operations to turn menu insights into practical business recommendations

labor + operational performance

• analyze labor cost, productivity, scheduling, turnover and peak-hour performance
• identify patterns and opportunities that can improve labor deployment, productivity and restaurant profitability
• help connect labor performance with sales and other operating data to support better decision-making

cogswell + inventory management

• serve as a cogswell subject matter expert and use the platform to analyze inventory, food costs, purchasing and cost variances
• support inventory accuracy, theoretical food cost analysis and purchasing compliance
• use cogswell data to identify root causes, improve controls and reduce avoidable cost and inventory loss

business partnering + process improvement

• build strong working relationships with finance, operations and restaurant leadership teams
• translate complex financial and operational data into clear, practical recommendations for business partners
• identify opportunities to improve processes, controls, reporting, systems and ways of working
• develop and improve dashboards, kpis and reporting tools that give leaders actionable visibility into performance
• take ownership of projects and priorities as business needs evolve, working across multiple areas when needed

what success looks like

• improved visibility and control of restaurant costs, with clear understanding of the drivers behind cogs and food cost performance
• stronger sales analysis and forecasting that helps leaders understand performance and make better commercial decisions
• actionable menu, labor, turnover and peak-hour insights that lead to measurable operational improvements
• more consistent, accurate and useful reporting across finance and operations
• meaningful process improvements that simplify work, strengthen controls and improve decision-making
• a trusted finance partner who can connect the numbers to how our restaurants actually operate

about you

you are commercially minded, naturally curious and detail-oriented. you enjoy digging beneath the numbers, understanding how a restaurant operates and figuring out what is really driving performance. you are comfortable taking ownership, working independently and wearing multiple hats in a growing business, while communicating clearly with both financial and operational partners.

Skills + strengths

• 3+ years experience in finance, fp&a, commercial analysis, cost analysis or a related analytical role.
• hands-on cogswell experience and strong working knowledge of the platform is required
• restaurant or hospitality experience with a strong understanding of restaurant operations
• demonstrated experience analyzing costs, sales performance and operational results.
• strong excel skills and confidence working with large data sets; advanced excel capabilities are a plus.
• experience with inventory management, food cost, forecasting and operational performance reporting
• strong attention to detail and the ability to identify trends, inconsistencies and opportunities within the numbers
• ability to connect financial and operational data to create a broader picture of business performance
• strong communication skills with the ability to translate analysis into clear, practical recommendations
• proactive and self-motivated, with the ability to take ownership, identify what needs attention and move work forward independently
• comfortable wearing multiple hats, shifting priorities and supporting different areas of the business as needs evolve

physical requirements + work environment

• ability to work from our tampa, fl office five days per week, partnering closely with the senior director of finance and operations teams
• ability to sit, stand and work at a computer for extended periods
• frequent use of phone, video calls and computer-based business systems
• flexibility to occasionally work evenings or weekends based on business needs