Plant Controller - River Falls, Wi

Job Purpose Provide financial leadership to the plant, serving as a key member of the plant leadership team and the Plant Manager's primary finance partner and co-pilot. Develop a deep understanding of plant operations, connect operational performance to financial outcomes, identify risks and opportunities, and partner cross-functionally to improve business performance. This role partners directly with the plant leadership team in River Falls, WI. and is based on site at the plant. Essential Functions • Financial & Operational Leadership o Serve as the plant’s finance leader and Plant Manager’s co-pilot, providing financial insight, constructive challenge, and leadership in key business decisions o Act as an engaged member of the plant leadership team, partnering across Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, Human Resources, Safety, and other functions o Develop a deep understanding of plant operations, including production, labor, materials, yield, waste, throughput, downtime, capacity, inventory, and other key manufacturing drivers o Participate in the Rise Recipe tier reviews – daily (L2), weekly (L3), and monthly (L4) – and follow Finance Leader Standard Work, maintaining a visible presence through regular engagement on the plant floor o Connect operational performance to cost, margin, productivity, working capital, and cash flow; translate risks and opportunities into clear actions, owners, and expected outcomes o Build financial understanding and accountability throughout the plant leadership team • Business Performance & Decision Support o Lead financial analysis and business partnership to improve plant cost, productivity, margin (including product and customer profitability in Rise Business Insights), working capital, and capital efficiency o Move beyond explaining variances by identifying root causes and partnering with Operations to drive corrective actions o Own the financial measures in the plant scorecard – material usage and labor variance (weekly) and cost per lb (monthly) – and the narrative behind them; escalate when thresholds are breached o Lead the annual plan and forecasting processes, ensuring forecasts are driver-based, actionable, and connected to operational performance, S&OP volumes, and the plant labor plan and production schedule o Support productivity initiatives, staffing and capacity decisions, capital investments, and other significant operational decisions through financial analysis and scenario modeling o Track and validate benefits from Rise Recipe, productivity, and capital initiatives and hold the organization accountable for committed results o Clearly communicate what happened, why it happened, what is expected next, and what action is required • Financial Management, Cost Accounting & Controls o Own the plant's monthly close (by WD5) and accurate, timely financial reporting, including planning, forecasting, balance sheet management, reconciliations, and variance analysis; complete and own the standard P&L package and scorecard provided by the Finance Center of Excellence, adding commentary and actions o Maintain strong manufacturing cost accounting, including standard costs, material usage, labor, yield, waste, overhead, inventory, and other manufacturing variances, with a quarterly review of standard costs o Ensure the integrity of plant financial and operational data, using LaunchPAD as the single source, and provide meaningful analysis of underlying operational drivers o Maintain strong controls over inventory (including cycle counts and the inventory deviation log), purchasing (including GR/IR monitoring), expenses, capital, production reporting, and other plant financial processes o Support internal and external audits and ensure compliance with company accounting policies and control requirements o Partner with Regional Finance Operations, the Finance Center of Excellence, and other Plant Controllers to improve processes, tools, analytics, and consistency • Support food safety program, quality standards, and legality of manufactured products • Perform other job-related duties as assigned Qualifications (Education, Experience, Competencies) • Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field • CPA, CMA, MBA, or other relevant advanced degree or certification preferred • 10+ years of progressive finance or accounting experience, including meaningful manufacturing or plant finance experience • Food manufacturing, consumer products, or process-manufacturing experience preferred • Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, cost accounting, standard costing, forecasting, inventory, financial controls, and performance analysis • Previous Plant Controller, Plant Finance Manager, or Operations Finance leadership experience preferred • Demonstrated ability to lead and influence cross-functionally, including with non-finance leaders • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear business actions and constructively challenge assumptions • Strong Excel and ERP capabilities; SAP or comparable manufacturing ERP experience preferred • Experience with Lean, continuous improvement, capital investment, ERP implementation, or business transformation preferred • Ability to work on-site in a manufacturing environment and travel among assigned facilities as needed