Plant Controller - Manufacturer

Food manufacturer in the Harleysville, PA area is seeking a Plant Controller that will serve as the financial business partner to the Plant Manager and the operations team. In this high-volume, fast-paced manufacturing environment, you will oversee all financial, accounting, and cost control functions for the facility. Your primary focus will be maintaining and optimizing the plant’s standard costing system
, driving variance analysis, managing inventory controls, and identifying cost-saving opportunities to maximize plant profitability.

• Maintain, review, and optimize the plant’s standard costing system (including BOMs, routings, labor, and overhead rates).
• Perform annual standard cost roll‑ups and analyze the impact on inventory valuation and margins.
• Lead daily, weekly, and monthly variance analysis (Purchase Price Variance, labor efficiency, material usage, and overhead spending).
• Partner with engineering and operations to ensure accurate Bill of Materials (BOM) and production routings.

• Lead the preparation of the plant’s annual budget, monthly forecasts, and strategic long‑range plans.
• Provide deep‑dive analysis into plant financial performance, highlighting trends, risks, and opportunities to leadership.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to track operational efficiency, scrap rates, and labor productivity.

• Act as a strategic advisor to the Plant Manager to drive continuous improvement, lean manufacturing initiatives, and cost‑reduction projects.
• Evaluate and justify Capital Expenditure (Cap Ex) proposals, ensuring rigorous ROI and payback analysis.
• Oversee month‑end and year‑end closing processes for the plant, ensuring timely and accurate GAAP‑compliant financial reporting.
• Maintain a strong internal control environment (SOX compliance where applicable) safeguarding plant assets, including rigorous inventory cycle count programs and physical inventory audits.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field. (CPA, CMA, or MBA is highly preferred).
• Experience: 5–7+ years of progressive accounting/finance experience in a high‑volume manufacturing environment
  , with at least 2–3 years in a Plant Controller or Assistant Plant Controller role.
• Technical Expertise: Deep understanding of standard costing methodologies and variance analysis is mandatory. Proficiency with tier‑1 ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics) and advanced Excel skills.
• Soft Skills: Strong leadership capability, excellent communication skills to translate complex financial data into actionable operational insights, and a hands‑on approach on the manufacturing floor.