Plant Controller

Role Overview

As Plant / Business Controller
, you are a key financial partner within a chemical manufacturing environment
, responsible for driving financial performance, cost transparency, and profitability at plant level.

You oversee management accounting
, lead month-end and year-end closings
, and deliver in-depth financial and cost analysis to support operational, tactical, and strategic decisions. Working closely with plant management, operations, and central finance, you contribute to budgeting, forecasting, reporting
, and lead strategic improvement projects focused on efficiency, cost optimisation, and margin improvement.

• Oversee plant-level management and cost accounting (production, raw materials, energy, maintenance, overheads)
• Lead month-end and year-end closing activities, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance
• Ensure correct cost allocation, inventory valuation, work-in-progress, and margin calculation
• Analyse and explain variances versus budget, forecast, and prior periods

• Perform detailed cost and profitability analyses (fixed/variable costs, yield, scrap, efficiency, downtime)
• Analyse production costs, energy consumption, and operational performance drivers
• Identify cost reduction and profitability improvement opportunities in collaboration with operations
• Support CAPEX evaluations, investment cases, and make-or-buy analyses

• Collaborate with plant management on annual budgets, forecasts, and long-term financial planning
• Prepare and review monthly management reports and KPIs (cost per unit, margins, productivity)
• Provide clear, actionable financial insights to plant and business leadership

• Act as a financial business partner to plant managers, production, engineering, and supply chain teams
• Lead or support strategic initiatives (cost optimisation, process efficiency, footprint improvements)
• Drive continuous improvement of financial processes, controls, and reporting standards
• Support standardisation and best-practice sharing across sites or business units

• Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or similar
• Proven experience as a Plant Controller / Business Controller in a chemical or process manufacturing environment
• Strong knowledge of management accounting, cost accounting, and industrial cost structures
• Experience leading month-end and year-end closings
• Solid experience with budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERP systems (preferably SAP)
• Strong analytical mindset, structured, proactive, and results-driven
• Hands-on attitude to work