Plant Controller

About the Role

The Plant Controller will be responsible for overseeing all financial aspects of the manufacturing facility. This includes managing the plant's budget, financial reporting, cost control, inventory management, and compliance with company policies and regulations. The Plant Controller will partner with the Plant Manager and other key stakeholders to provide financial insights that support decision-making, improve operational efficiency, and drive profitability. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of manufacturing accounting principles and a proven track record in cost analysis and financial reporting.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and analyze monthly financial statements, including profit and loss, balance sheets, and cash flow reports. Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and financial metrics to support plant operations. Provide detailed variance analysis and recommendations for improvement.
• Collaborate with all site stakeholders to help them make informed decisions using data. Provide insights and analysis to understand financial situations, identify opportunities and risks.
• Develop, monitor, and adjust the plant's annual budget, ensuring alignment with overall company financial goals. Analyze and control direct and indirect manufacturing costs, including labor, materials, and overhead. Ensure adherence to the budget by identifying discrepancies and implementing corrective actions.
• Oversee inventory valuation, tracking, and reconciliation, ensuring accuracy in reporting. Implement and maintain controls to reduce waste, improve inventory turns, and optimize stock levels. Work with operations and supply chain teams to minimize inventory obsolescence.
• Proactively review job variance reports for accuracy and discuss findings with operations, challenging teams to drive improvement.
• Ensure compliance with corporate accounting policies and procedures. Monitor adherence to internal controls, audit guidelines, and risk mitigation protocols. Conduct regular audits and support a controlled environment.
• Develop product costing models and ensure accurate allocation of manufacturing costs. Collaborate with the plant leadership team to provide forecasts for financial planning and decision-making.
• Partner with operations and commercial teams to identify and prioritize CAPEX projects, ensuring a robust challenge to key business assumptions and investment criteria. Assist in the preparation of capital expenditure proposals and track ROI for investments.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives by providing financial data and insights.
• Provide training and support for plant personnel on financial matters.
• Participate in cross-functional teams to drive operational efficiency and cost reductions.
• Provide ad hoc financial analysis, modeling, and consolidation as required or assigned.
• Duties may vary slightly by location.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field (Preferred).
• Experience:
  • 4-6 years in financial management within a manufacturing environment (Required).
  • 4-6 years proven experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting (Required).
  • 4-6 years understanding of cost accounting, inventory management, and variance analysis (Required).
  • 4-6 years with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, etc.) and advanced Microsoft Excel skills (Required).
  • 4-6 years working in a co-manufacturing environment (Preferred).

Skills and Abilities

• High proficiency: Ability to prepare, interpret, and analyze financial statements (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow); deep understanding of financial metrics and KPIs; ability to analyze variances and recommend corrective actions; expertise in cost accounting, budgeting, and managing plant financial health; creating and managing plant budgets, identifying cost savings, and tracking costs; forecasting and cost optimization; in-depth knowledge of internal controls, accounting policies, and regulatory requirements; enforcing financial policies, identifying risks, and designing effective controls; auditing and ensuring policy adherence; calculating and analyzing direct and indirect manufacturing costs; allocating costs accurately and developing cost models using standard costing, job costing, or activity-based costing; financial forecasting techniques and modeling; presenting financial information clearly to non-financial stakeholders; exceptional attention to detail in data entry, report generation, and audit processes; spotting discrepancies and inefficiencies.
• Medium proficiency: Proficiency with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or similar software; extracting data from ERP platforms to support reporting and analysis; knowledge of finance, production, and inventory system modules; understanding of inventory management techniques and systems; managing inventory levels, ensuring valuation accuracy, optimizing inventory turns; reconciling physical inventory to financial records; minimizing obsolescence; familiarity with costing methods like FIFO, LIFO, and weighted average; cross-functional collaboration with plant operations, finance, and supply chain teams; leadership skills in managing a finance team and fostering a collaborative environment.

Licenses and Certifications

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) (Preferred)