Plant Controller

The Plant Controller is a critical Accounting and Finance role that is part of the plant leadership team.

This role is responsible for financial leadership at the facility, ensuring a well-controlled environment for plant operations. In partnership with the full plant team, as well as with the corporate team, the Plant Controller will lead and execute the development of standard product costs, month end close activities, budgeting and forecasting processes, and ERP/General Ledger control assurance. Providing financial support to key operational initiatives will also be a critical function of the role, including overseeing plant TTB compliance processes.

Core Responsibilities

• Business Outcomes: run, build, and grow the department and function through strategic insights and direction. Establish budgets, policies, and long-term roadmaps
• People and Teams: manage one direct report (Cost Accountant); provide day-to-day coaching, mentorship, training, and direction related to performance and development
• Know How: progressive knowledge of concepts and business processes and how they can be applied or integrated into the business
• Operational Support: partner with plant operations to ensure accuracy of production records, develop a labor costing model, develop a continuous pipeline of productivity projects, and provide financial analysis in support of ad hoc plant and corporate initiatives
• Process Management and Controls: oversee plant TTB compliance, develop, maintain, and ensure adherence to financial and operational controls, and manage audit control testing protocols and procedures
• Month End Close: review P&L accounts and provide critical insights on changes vs. budget, forecast, and prior year; ensure accuracy of inventory and associated sub ledger transactions; develop management reporting on various timeline cycles for review with plant and corporate leadership; and lead year-end financial activities
• Budget and Forecast: lead the process of creating standard costs and variance planning for the annual budget and periodic forecasts; develop cause of change analytics and reporting; create budget standards and manage standard costs for all WIP and finished good items

Experience

• 8 to 10+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience; background can come from any of the following: a manufacturing environment (food and beverage or CPG preferred), corporate finance/accounting within food and beverage with an understanding of manufacturing, or corporate finance/accounting outside manufacturing entirely, including consulting or a large accounting firm, provided they grasp manufacturing fundamentals and can grow into the environment
• Strong, proven track record in month end close and financial analysis is essential
• Process improvement mindset with a demonstrated ability to drive change and influence better financial decision making at the plant level
• Ability to analyze financials to determine cost savings, efficiencies, and business improvements
• Cost accounting and standard product costing experience with complex bills of materials preferred, not required
• Experience building labor costing models a plus
• Demonstrated expertise using ERP systems and Microsoft Excel
• Comfortable handling a large amount of data, with the ability to see the big picture to prioritize workload effectively
• Adaptable and flexible to changing business needs, but also laser focused on executing standard daily and monthly responsibilities