Plant Controller

Ready to lead financial operations at a high-volume manufacturing facility where your expertise directly impacts operational excellence?

Pave Talent is hiring on behalf of our client, an established mid-size food packaging manufacturer with multiple locations across the US, known for their collaborative culture, employee longevity, and commitment to operational excellence. This Richmond, Indiana facility produces specialty closures for the food industry and operates with a tight-knit team of 170 employees.

As Plant Controller, you'll be the financial backbone of this 170-person operation, leading all accounting functions while partnering closely with plant leadership to drive cost efficiency and operational improvements. This is a true leadership opportunity where you'll build and mentor a small finance team while serving as a strategic partner to operations. Your financial insights will directly influence production decisions, inventory management, and overall plant profitability.

• Lead all plant financial reporting and analysis, delivering accurate monthly results, forecasts, and annual operating plans to plant and corporate leadership within tight deadlines
• Build and mentor a finance team of 1-3 professionals, developing their technical skills while fostering a collaborative accounting department
• Own inventory accuracy and control by leading monthly physical inventory audits, investigating variances, and maintaining perpetual inventory systems reconciled daily to production and shipping
• Partner with operations leadership through daily production meetings and regular plant walkthroughs to analyze labor costs, materials usage, manufacturing overhead, and identify cost-saving opportunities
• Ensure SOX compliance and strengthen internal controls across all plant operations and financial processes, working closely with corporate finance to safeguard company assets
• Develop and maintain standard costs and bills of materials that accurately reflect production realities and support strategic pricing decisions
• Control and verify capital expenditures and monthly spending, ensuring alignment with budgets and corporate approval requirements
• Prepare comprehensive variance analysis reports that translate financial data into actionable operational insights for plant management

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting required
• Minimum 5 years of experience as a Plant Controller or Cost Manager in a manufacturing environment
• Proven experience managing and developing accounting staff
• Strong cost accounting background with expertise in variance analysis and standard costing
• Advanced Excel skills with ability to create and modify complex spreadsheets and financial models
• Detail-oriented with demonstrated ability to meet strict monthly close deadlines

• MBA, CMA, or CPA certification with solid cost accounting experience
• Experience with JD Edwards ERP system and system conversions
• Multiple years of Plant Controller experience in food manufacturing or packaging industries
• Background in high-volume production environments with complex inventory management

$90,000-$100,000 base salary depending on experience, comprehensive benefits package from Day 1, Monday-Friday schedule with excellent work-life balance (flexibility to leave an hour early when needed), relocation assistance available, and only 4 inventory Saturdays per year. This replacement role offers stability with a long-tenured team and the autonomy to build your own accounting department.

Join a plant where controllers stay for decades because leadership values their financial expertise and treats finance as a true business partner. The retiring controller built strong processes over many years, and you'll have the opportunity to modernize systems while maintaining operational excellence.

Ready to lead plant finance operations in a stable, collaborative environment? Apply via Pave Talent will contact qualified candidates within 48 hours. Confidential search - your application is fully private. Apply now!