Plant Controller

About the role

Reporting directly to the Vice President, Controlling, the Plant Controller/Senior Cost Accountant for voestalpine Railway Systems Nortrak’s foundry in Decatur, IL is responsible for performing and leading a variety of financial management and reporting tasks. This role works closely with the local plant management team to ensure accurate costing, financial analysis, and compliance with internal policies.

Responsibilities

• Comply with all Nortrak safety policies and regulations.
• Complete month-end procedures and prepare internal management reports.
• Analyze profitability by product, project, and customer.
• Lead monthly financial reviews with the CFO, VP Controlling, Plant Manager, and other departments.
• Support process improvement initiatives and assist with cost-saving plans.
• Perform profitability and cost analyses for projects, investments, and products.
• Assist decision-making at the plant level with regular and ad-hoc analyses.
• Prepare internal budgets and monitor actual results against budget.
• Prepare quarterly revenue forecasts in collaboration with the production team.
• Work closely with Purchasing, HR, and Sales to optimize cost, pricing, and overhead.
• Manage product costing in SAP and review standard costs monthly.
• Review and reconcile labor reports and analyze actuals vs. production benchmarks.
• Monitor inventory costing, balance, and movement.
• Collaborate with the Production Team in managing inventory counts and operations.
• Identify, investigate, and resolve costing and labor variances with different groups.
• Monitor and enforce compliance with internal policies at the plant level.
• Monitor vendor invoices, provide classification, and address errors.
• Monitor and resolve sales order issues with Sales and Account Managers.
• Perform ad-hoc reporting and financial management tasks as required.
• Support the plant team with analytical and financial tasks.
• Maintain knowledge of state-of-practice and recommend cost-effective material, design, and process options.
• Liaise with sub-trades for quotations and analyze quotes compared to historical data.
• Use financial and non-financial data to make informed assumptions for costing.
• Build and nurture healthy working relationships with a wide range of employees.
• Actively participate in production meetings to gain an understanding of products and manufacturing procedures.
• Perform peer-review on other estimators’ work and provide feedback.
• Maintain and collaborate on a good working relationship with other functions and divisions.
• Adhere to Nortrak's Environmental Procedures, Practices, and Policies.

Requirements

• Undergraduate Degree in Accounting, Business, or Finance or equivalent – CPA or CMA is an asset.
• Minimum of 3+ years of accounting experience, ideally in manufacturing – exposure to foundry is an asset.
• Experience with financial planning and analysis.
• Understanding of cost accounting methodologies.
• Ability to analyze financial and non-financial data and clearly articulate opportunities for improvement and/or risk areas.
• Advanced Excel, Word, and PowerPoint skills.
• Experience with ERP systems – ideally SAP.
• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills combined with sound professional judgment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Physical Demands

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer; occasional standing and walking for your scheduled shift.
• Must remain stationary for extended periods and move throughout the building to access files.
• Must work effectively in a noisy environment.
• Ability to lift and move equipment or objects up to 20-25 pounds occasionally.
• Visual requirements include close, distance, color, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Occasional travel required, involving walking, standing, sitting, and driving for varying durations.
• Frequent use of hands and arms for dialing phones and using a computer mouse.

Pay

$80,000/year - $110,000/year

Benefits

• A supportive, family-oriented Nortrak Blue culture.
• An environment where Health and Safety is our #1 priority.
• Career development opportunities and competitive pay progression.
• Competitive medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Company-paid life and disability insurance.
• Paid holidays and vacation.
• Retirement plan with matching contributions.
• Tuition Assistance Program.
• Wellness Program.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Employee Recognition Programs.