Controller: Goreway; Acton

About the Company

Our client is a food manufacturing company. They are looking for a Controller who will be responsible for supporting a multi‑site manufacturing operation consisting of 3 plants and 2 distribution centres. The position is highly operational and serves as the key finance business partner to plant leadership.

The role is split approximately: 50% Financial Reporting & Analysis, 50% Operations Support & Business Partnering.

• Month‑end close and financial reporting
• EBITDA bridge analysis
• Margin analysis and reporting
• Variance analysis
• Financial statement review and presentations

• Partnering closely with Plant Managers and Operations leaders
• Providing operational finance support and insights
• Translating financial results into actionable business recommendations
• Presenting results and analysis to senior leadership, including the CEO and CFO
• Acting as the right hand to the Plant Manager on financial and operational matters

• Strong internal growth opportunities (Plant Controller, Director of Finance FP&A, broader leadership roles)
• Significant exposure to executive leadership, including CEO, CFO, and VP Finance
• Highly visible role with direct impact on plant performance and profitability
• Opportunity to support multiple sites and gain broader operational exposure
• Growing organization with continued expansion across plants and distribution operations
• Strong partnership with operations leadership and plant management

• Lead the accounting team (5 FTE) and set goals, coach, mentor, develop, train, and manage individual performance.
• Partner with Operations and Supply Chain to ensure consistency and accuracy in all operational reporting and analysis; attend operational meetings to discuss improvement areas, generate solutions and action plans.
• Reporting includes yield and labour efficiency, impact of SKU Mix on yield, labour and expense, labour and operational expenses, inventory on hand balances and DIO trending, AFE review and tracking against approved project plan, cost savings initiatives – development of recent ideas and performance against each one.
• Engage in regular meetings with senior executives; present financial results to CFO, VP Finance Operations with clear, concise year‑over‑year analysis to drive informed decisions and actionable outcomes; participate in bi‑monthly operational review meetings with the CEO, CFO, and COO.
• Drive process improvement for the accounting team, focusing on value‑add activities.
• Manage month‑end close process and complete financial reporting package with in‑depth variance analysis, ensuring accuracy, completeness and deadlines.
• Support enforcement of closing timelines to help business partners become more efficient.
• Effectively manage and strengthen partnerships with grocery customers within the distribution business, maintaining a strong working capital position.
• Manage cash flow by reporting on cash movements and monitoring working capital levels.
• Establish and monitor internal controls and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure all balance sheet and variance account reconciliations are completed monthly, with reconciling items cleared timely and perform analytical review of all account reconciliations.
• Key contact for Treasury, intercompany divisions, and external audits; coordinate efforts, preparing and reviewing required information and meeting all deadlines; liaise with other Controllers to establish company best practices.

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, or business administration.
• CMA/CGA/CA/CPA Professional Accounting Designation and minimum of 10+ years progressive experience.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment required, preferably in a food processing environment.
• Demonstrated, independent Controllership experience, including operations accounting & analysis, standard costing and business analysis.
• Demonstrated knowledge of ASPE and ability to interpret ASPE guidance and apply to situations.
• Demonstrated leadership & people management / team development skills.

$140,000 - $160,000 per year.

Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or other protected characteristics as required by law.