Plant Controller - Manufacturing
Yewser • Mankato, MN • Full Time
Posted on Tue, Apr 28, 2026
Manufacturing Controller
Mankato, MN (On-site)
We are working with a well-established, vertically integrated manufacturer in the Mankato area seeking a Manufacturing Controller to support multiple production facilities and partner closely with plant leadership.
This is a highly visible role focused on cost accounting, inventory control, and operational finance, with direct exposure to leadership and the opportunity to influence plant performance and decision-making.
About the Opportunity
- Established manufacturing business with decades of operating history
- Recently backed by a long-term ownership group focused on operational improvement and growth
- Multi-site manufacturing environment with a mix of production, inventory, and seasonal demand complexity
- Opportunity to play a key role in improving cost visibility, processes, and overall financial performance
Key Responsibilities
Cost Accounting & Manufacturing Finance
- Own and improve standard costing across materials, labor, and overhead
- Analyze manufacturing variances (material, labor, overhead) and partner with operations to drive improvements
- Support pricing, product costing, and make/buy decisions
Inventory & Production
- Oversee inventory valuation (raw, WIP, finished goods)
- Lead physical inventories, cycle counts, and reconciliations
- Monitor scrap, obsolescence, and inventory reserves
Financial Reporting & Close
- Lead month-end close related to manufacturing costs and plant operations
- Ensure consistency and accuracy in cost accounting practices
- Prepare manufacturing KPIs and cost performance reporting for leadership
Budgeting, Forecasting & Analysis
- Lead plant-level budgeting and forecasting
- Analyze production volumes, capacity utilization, and cost behavior
- Support capital investments and ROI analysis
Operations Partnership
- Act as a finance partner to plant leadership, engineering, and supply chain
- Support continuous improvement, lean initiatives, and efficiency projects
- Help standardize processes across locations
Leadership & Systems
- Support and mentor inventory/cost accounting staff
- Improve ERP accuracy related to BOMs, routings, and production reporting
- Drive process improvements across manufacturing finance
What We’re Looking For
Experience
- 7+ years of manufacturing finance / cost accounting experience
- Experience supporting multi-site or complex manufacturing environments
Technical Skills
- Strong knowledge of standard costing, absorption costing, and variance analysis
- Experience with manufacturing ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Dynamics, Epicor, etc.)
- Advanced Excel (BI tools a plus)
Profile
- Comfortable working on-site in a plant environment
- Strong communicator who can partner with operations
- Able to translate financial data into actionable insights
- Hands-on, detail-oriented, and proactive
Why This Role
- High visibility with leadership
- Real impact on plant performance and decision-making
- Opportunity to help build and improve processes in a growing manufacturing platform
- Balanced role across accounting, cost, and operations