Plant Controller

Job Description

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

Financial Strategy and Business Support

• Direct the site’s budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Partner with plant leadership to evaluate financial performance, identify emerging trends, and recommend appropriate courses of action.
• Assess financial risks and growth opportunities while developing strategies to improve margins, cash generation, and overall business results.
• Evaluate proposed capital projects through financial projections, investment appraisals, and ongoing performance assessments.
• Establish and track financial and operational indicators to measure progress against business goals.
• Provide decision support for operational planning, resource allocation, and strategic initiatives.

Manufacturing Finance and Cost Management

• Oversee site-level cost accounting, including product costing, inventory accounting, manufacturing variances, and production cost reporting.
• Evaluate cost drivers across raw materials, labor, production processes, overhead, and inventory to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with production, procurement, engineering, and maintenance teams to improve cost efficiency and operational productivity.
• Provide accurate cost and profitability analysis to support commercial strategy, pricing decisions, and product-level performance reviews.
• Review actual financial results against established plans and investigate significant variances.
• Support inventory management, cash flow optimization, and initiatives designed to improve working capital.

Financial Reporting and Governance

• Manage the preparation and delivery of financial reports, performance analyses, and management updates for site and senior leadership.
• Maintain effective accounting procedures and internal controls in accordance with applicable standards, company requirements, and regulatory obligations.
• Ensure financial records, supporting documentation, and reporting processes remain accurate, consistent, and audit-ready.
• Coordinate audit activities and oversee the timely implementation of corrective actions when needed.
• Promote data accuracy, reporting integrity, and consistency across financial and operational systems.

Leadership and Operational Excellence

• Establish strong working relationships with leaders across manufacturing, finance, supply chain, engineering, and commercial functions.
• Encourage a results-oriented culture built on financial accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Refine financial workflows, reporting practices, and management tools to support operational scale and business growth.
• Supervise and develop finance personnel, providing coaching, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth.
• Identify opportunities to improve financial systems, automate reporting, strengthen analytics, and enhance business decision-making.
• Contribute to broader site initiatives focused on operational effectiveness, process improvement, and long-term performance.

Keys

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business, or a related discipline.
• Advanced education or professional credentials, such as an MBA, CPA, or CMA, are desirable.
• At least seven years of progressive experience in finance or accounting, including a minimum of three years in a manufacturing environment.
• Background in plant finance, cost accounting, financial planning and analysis, or manufacturing controllership.
• Solid understanding of manufacturing cost structures, inventory valuation, standard costing, variance analysis, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Experience evaluating capital expenditures and assessing the financial impact of operational decisions.
• Familiarity with ERP platforms and financial reporting systems.
• Strong financial modeling, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to communicate financial concepts clearly and influence decisions across cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, sound business judgment, and a collaborative approach to problem-solving.
• Experience supporting new facility launches, significant capacity expansions, or complex operational improvement initiatives is a plus.
• Comfortable balancing strategic priorities with detailed, hands-on financial responsibilities in a fast-paced manufacturing setting.