Plant Controller - Manufacturing

Plant Controller

Location: Orange, CA (Onsite)
Industry: Building Materials / Manufacturing
Company Size: ~$200M Revenue

Our client, a well-established building materials manufacturer with approximately $200M in annual revenue, is seeking a Plant Controller to support its Orange, CA manufacturing operations. This role will serve as the senior financial leader for the plant, with a strong focus on cost accounting, operational finance, and inventory/logistics accounting
.

The Plant Controller will partner closely with plant leadership, operations, and supply chain teams to drive financial visibility, cost discipline, and continuous improvement. This individual will lead an accounting organization of approximately 7 accounting professionals
, with close collaboration across an additional 5 team members in shipping and logistics
.

Plant Finance & Cost Accounting

• Own all plant-level accounting activities, with a heavy emphasis on standard costing, variance analysis, and inventory accounting
• Maintain and enhance product costing methodologies, BOMs, routings, labor standards, and overhead allocations
• Analyze manufacturing variances (PPV, usage, labor, overhead, freight) and partner with operations to drive corrective actions
• Support plant leadership with actionable financial insights tied to production efficiency, scrap, yield, and throughput

Logistics & Inventory Accounting

• Oversee accounting related to shipping, freight, warehousing, and logistics costs
• Ensure accurate accounting for inventory movements, freight capitalization, and landed cost
• Partner with logistics leadership to improve cost visibility and control across inbound and outbound freight
• Support cycle counts and physical inventories; ensure strong inventory controls and reconciliations

Financial Reporting & Close

• Lead monthly close for the plant, ensuring accurate and timely financial statements
• Prepare and review plant-level P&L, balance sheet reconciliations, and management reporting
• Ensure compliance with GAAP, internal controls, and corporate accounting policies
• Act as primary finance contact for audits related to plant operations and inventory

Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Lead, develop, and mentor a team of accounting professionals; set clear expectations and performance standards
• Partner closely with Plant Manager, Operations, Supply Chain, and Corporate Finance
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning for the plant
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across accounting processes and plant financial performance

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field (CPA or CMA a plus)
• 7+ years of progressive accounting experience within a manufacturing environment
• Deep expertise in cost accounting within a multi-product manufacturing operation
• Experience supporting or partnering closely with plant operations and supply chain/logistics
• Strong knowledge of inventory accounting, standard costing, and manufacturing variance analysis
• ERP experience required (Oracle, SAP, JD Edwards, Net Suite, or similar)
• Prior experience leading or mentoring accounting teams
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence operational leaders
• Hands‑on, detail‑oriented mindset with the ability to operate strategically

• High‑visibility role with direct impact on plant profitability and operational performance
• Opportunity to partner closely with operations in a complex manufacturing environment
• Stable, established company with meaningful scale and growth
• Leadership responsibility with a sizable accounting and logistics footprint

Base Salary: $140-180k

Bonus: 25% based on profitability