Plant Controller

Job Description

Plant Controller

Location: Durham, NC Area

About the Role

A private equity-backed specialty manufacturing organization is seeking a Plant Controller to serve as the key finance leader for a manufacturing facility. This is a highly visible position that partners directly with plant leadership, operations, supply chain, and executive leadership to drive financial performance, operational efficiency, and decision-making.

The Plant Controller will own financial reporting, forecasting, budgeting, inventory accounting, standard costing, and operational finance while helping build scalable processes following a recent acquisition.

This role is ideal for a hands-on manufacturing finance professional who enjoys being embedded in plant operations and influencing business decisions through financial leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Reporting & Close

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• Lead monthly and annual close processes
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• Prepare and review journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and supporting schedules
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• Review general ledger activity for accuracy and completeness
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• Prepare monthly financial statements, management reporting, and operational reporting packages
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• Support external audit and tax activities
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• Ensure compliance with GAAP and company accounting policies
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Budgeting, Forecasting & Analysis

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• Lead annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting processes
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• Analyze financial performance against budget, forecast, and prior periods
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• Provide meaningful commentary on gross margin, EBITDA, and other key performance indicators
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• Support working capital analysis and improvement initiatives
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• Partner with sales and operations leadership to support planning and decision-making
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Inventory & Cost Accounting

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• Own inventory accounting and financial oversight of inventory balances
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• Manage standard costing processes and annual cost rolls
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• Review purchase price variances and operational cost drivers
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• Partner with supply chain and operations to improve inventory accuracy and controls
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• Oversee physical inventory processes and related reconciliations
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• Support capital expenditure, fixed asset, and lease accounting activities
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• Maintain product costing and burden rate methodologies
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Operational Finance Leadership

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• Serve as the primary finance business partner to plant leadership
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• Support operational KPIs including labor efficiency, inventory turns, productivity, and working capital
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• Translate financial data into actionable business recommendations
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• Drive cross-functional collaboration across operations, supply chain, and sales teams
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• Help establish financial discipline throughout the organization
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Process Improvement

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• Help build and improve finance processes within a growing organization
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• Strengthen reporting, controls, and operational finance workflows
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• Support continuous improvement initiatives throughout the facility
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Qualifications

Required

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• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
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• Prior manufacturing finance experience
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• Strong knowledge of financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and analysis
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• Deep understanding of inventory accounting, standard costing, and operational finance
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• Experience with ERP systems and manufacturing accounting environments
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• Advanced Excel skills
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• Strong communication and business partnering abilities
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• Ability to work effectively with operational and executive leadership
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Strongly Preferred

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• Prior Plant Controller experience
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• Experience maintaining standard cost systems
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• BOM and product costing experience
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• Experience supporting manufacturing operations directly
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• Working capital and inventory optimization experience
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• Experience within private equity-backed organizations
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Preferred Systems Experience

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• ERP experience in manufacturing environments
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• Experience with financial reporting and business intelligence tools
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Role Highlights

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• Newly created finance leadership position
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• Direct partnership with plant leadership and executive leadership
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• Significant exposure to operations, supply chain, and manufacturing strategy
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• Opportunity to build processes within a growing organization
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• Strong focus on operational finance and business partnership
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• High visibility with leadership and meaningful business impact
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• Long-term growth opportunity within an acquisition-focused organization
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By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions.

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact View email address on ziprecruiter.com .

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal .

Representation Notice

By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.

For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client.

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

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• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here .
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• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here .
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• Residents of all other states may access our policies here .
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• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here .
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• Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here .
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Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

· the individual's skill sets, experience and training;

· licensure and certification requirements;

· office location and other geographic considerations; and

· other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).