Plant Controller - Operations

The Finance Controller – Operations serves as a strategic business partner to North American Operations and Global Supply Chain. Reporting to the Sr. Manager – Operations Finance, this role is responsible for driving operational performance through financial insight, standard costing discipline, variance analysis, and strong plant controllership. The position plays a critical role in budgeting, forecasting, inventory management, and continuous improvement across manufacturing sites.

• Act as a trusted finance partner to Operations Finance, Plant Leadership, and Supply Chain teams.
• Provide proactive financial analysis and actionable insights related to:
• Productivity and Continuous Improvement initiatives
• Material cost-out programs
• Inventory management and working capital optimization
• Support quarterly forecasts, annual operating plans, and long-range strategic planning for Operations and Supply Chain.
• Deliver ad hoc analyses to support decision-making and operational performance improvement.

• Lead month-end close activities in compliance with GAAP and internal controls.
• Prepare and review balance sheet reconciliations; ensure accuracy and timeliness.
• Identify financial and compliance gaps at manufacturing sites and coordinate corrective actions with operations and supply chain teams.
• Own weekly, monthly, and quarterly reporting and diagnostics, including:
• Plant expenses and cost performance
• Capacity and utilization analysis
• Budget vs. actual performance
• Inventory valuation and analysis
• Product line/Plant job margin analysis

• Establish, monitor, and maintain standard costs across manufacturing operations.
• Partner with operations to identify root causes and drive corrective actions.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing plants.
• Leverage best practices to improve financial processes, controls, and reporting consistency.
• Help develop and maintain a robust measurement framework to evaluate operational and financial improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure successful project execution and value realization.

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting

• 5–8+ years of progressive finance or accounting experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Prior experience as a Plant Controller, Accounting Manager, or Senior Cost Analyst strongly preferred.
• Deep expertise in standard costing and manufacturing variance analysis.
• Proven ownership of budgets, forecasts, and financial planning processes.
• ERP experience required (Epicor preferred).
• Experience with BI tools and financial reporting systems.

• Executive-level communication skills with the ability to clearly present financial results and insights.
• Strong analytical mindset with exceptional attention to detail and data integrity.
• Build trust through transparency, accountability, and follow-through.
• Influences cross-functional partners and drives operational performance.
• Demonstrates intellectual curiosity and anticipates business questions and impacts.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities.
• High sense of urgency and strong ownership mentality.
• Continuous learner with a proactive, solution-oriented approach.