Plant Controller

Location
Burlington,IA

Description

ESC has an exciting opportunity for a Plant Controller to support a manufacturing operation in Burlington, IA . This full-time, onsite opportunity is ideal for an accounting professional with who enjoys partnering with operations to drive financial accuracy, inventory integrity, cost control, and operational performance. The Plant Controller will serve as a key business partner to plant leadership, overseeing plant-level accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and internal controls while collaborating closely with corporate finance.


Responsibilities:

• Support plant-level accounting and financial operations within a manufacturing environment.
• Assist with inventory accuracy by coordinating quarterly physical inventories, investigating variances, and maintaining inventory controls.
• Manage monthly close activities, including preparation of plant financial statements and standardized financial reporting in accordance with corporate deadlines.
• Prepare budgeting, forecasting, and annual operating plan submissions.
• Maintain standard costs, cost accounting processes, and bills of materials to ensure accurate product costing.
• Support compliance with SOX internal controls and maintain audit-ready documentation.
• Participate in production meetings and conduct regular plant walkthroughs to identify operational and costing opportunities.
• Partner with plant leadership to analyze manufacturing costs, operational performance, and financial results.
• Provide day-to-day oversight and support to plant accounting and planning personnel.
• Collaborate with corporate finance to ensure reporting accuracy, compliance, and financial integrity.
• Identify opportunities to improve accounting processes, reporting accuracy, and operational efficiencies.
• Maintain strong relationships with plant operations, finance, and corporate stakeholders while supporting a collaborative team environment.

Must Have Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance.
• 3-5+ years of manufacturing accounting, cost accounting, or manufacturing finance experience.
• Strong knowledge of cost accounting, inventory controls, and month-end close processes.
• Working knowledge of GAAP principles.
• Experience working within SOX-compliant or strong internal control environments.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to partner across operations and finance.
• Ability to work independently while supporting a collaborative manufacturing team.

Nice to Have Qualifications:

• Prior people management or supervisory experience.
• Experience supporting plant-level manufacturing operations.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, and annual operating planning.
• Experience maintaining standard costs and bills of materials.
• Experience participating in inventory audits and physical inventory processes.
• Experience partnering with production teams and plant leadership on financial performance initiatives.
• Experience with JD Edwards or other ERP systems.