Operations Controller

The Operations Controller is responsible for the day-to-day financial support and analysis of plant operations within a food manufacturing facility. This role owns core plant controlling activities, including manufacturing cost analysis, standard costing, inventory valuation, variance analysis, operational reporting, forecasting support, and capital expenditure tracking. The Operations Controller partners closely with Operations, Production, Maintenance, Warehouse, Quality, Procurement, and other cross-functional teams to improve financial performance, strengthen controls, and support data-driven decision-making.

The role works under the direction of the Controlling Manager, who retains overall responsibility for plant finance. The role is on-site in a food manufacturing facility and requires adherence to GMPs, food safety, and food defense requirements.

• Serve as a primary day-to-day finance partner to plant Operations and provide financial insight into manufacturing performance, cost drivers, productivity, and profitability.
• Monitor key plant performance metrics and translate operational results into clear financial impacts and actionable insights.
• Support the Controlling Manager with plant financial planning, performance reviews, forecasts, and business decision support.
• Identify financial risks, performance gaps, and cost-saving opportunities and work with operational leaders to develop corrective actions.

• Own and maintain standard costing processes and monitor standards for accuracy and relevance.
• Analyze manufacturing variances, including material usage, labor efficiency, food waste, yield, purchase price, and overhead absorption.
• Monitor production costs and identify opportunities to reduce waste, improve productivity, and strengthen margins.
• Perform product cost analysis for existing and new products and support accurate costing assumptions.
• Partner with Operations and Production teams to understand manufacturing processes, cost drivers, and performance trends.

• Oversee financial controls and reconciliation processes for raw materials, work-in-process (WIP), and finished goods inventory.
• Ensure accurate inventory valuation and investigate material inventory discrepancies and financial impacts.
• Support physical inventory counts and cycle count programs and ensure appropriate financial follow-up on count results.
• Analyze inventory obsolescence, shrinkage, excess stock, and other inventory risks and recommend appropriate actions.
• Partner with Warehouse, Supply Chain, Production, and Finance teams to improve inventory accuracy and controls.

• Support development of the plant budget, forecasts, and latest estimates in partnership with the Controlling Manager and operational leaders.
• Prepare and analyze recurring plant performance reporting, including production volume, labor, waste, yield, overhead, inventory, gross margin, and other operational KPIs.
• Analyze actual results against budget, forecast, prior periods, and operational expectations and explain significant variances.
• Develop financial models and ad hoc analyses to support operational decisions, productivity initiatives, and cost improvement opportunities.
• Ensure plant leaders have timely, accurate, and understandable financial information to support decision-making.
• Lead plant-related activities for month-end and year-end close in coordination with the Controlling Manager and Accounting team.
• Prepare and review journal entries related to inventory, production, manufacturing variances, accruals, and other plant-related activity.
• Ensure plant financial results are complete, accurate, properly…