Plant Accounting Manager

Plant Accounting Manager - Manufacturing Location: Brunswick, OHSalary: 90k - 115k DOE This is a role for someone with 5+ years of experience and looking to grow more into a Plant Controller vs a senior-level role. Position OverviewThe Plant Controller is responsible for leading financial operations at a manufacturing facility, delivering accurate and timely financial reporting, controlling costs, supporting production planning, and ensuring strong internal controls. This role partners closely with operations, production, supply chain, and corporate finance to manage month-end close, P&L and balance sheet integrity, inventory valuation, bills of materials (BOM) accuracy, and manufacturing reporting to drive profitability and operational efficiency.Key ResponsibilitiesLead month-end close for the plant, prepare and analyze P&L, balance sheet reconciliations, and variance explanations to corporate finance.Manage cost accounting functions including standard cost maintenance, product costing, cost roll-ups, and BOM validation.Analyze production hours, labor efficiency, and overhead allocation to identify opportunities to improve manufacturing productivity and reduce costs.Oversee inventory accounting and controls, ensure accurate inventory valuation, cycle count supervision, and resolution of discrepancies.Develop and maintain manufacturing reporting and KPIs using ERP systems and reporting tools to provide actionable insights to operations and leadership.Prepare budgets, forecasts, and periodic FP&A deliverables for the plant; partner with operations to model scenarios and support decision making.Design, implement, and monitor internal controls and SOX-related processes at the plant level to mitigate financial and operational risks.Serve as primary finance contact for internal and external audits, provide documentation, and support audit inquiries.Drive process improvements and automation initiatives in ERP and reporting tools to streamline transactional flows and reporting accuracy.Lead, mentor, and develop plant finance staff; coordinate cross-functional initiatives with production, procurement, and engineering.QualificationsBachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.5+ years of progressive accounting experience in a manufacturing environment with plant-level or cost accounting responsibilities.Proven expertise in cost accounting, inventory management, bills of materials (BOM), and analyzing production hours.Strong experience with month-end close, P&L and balance sheet reconciliations, and financial statement preparation.Hands-on experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics) and manufacturing reporting tools; ability to configure and leverage system reporting.Experience in FP&A, budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.Demonstrated understanding of internal controls and audit processes; experience supporting SOX compliance is a plus.Advanced Excel skills and strong analytical capabilities with attention to detail.