Controller III, Plant

Posted Friday, August 14, 2026 at 10:00 AM

Join the California Dairies, Inc. (CDI) team, a farmer-owned cooperative dedicated to sustainably producing the highest quality dairy products while fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. CDI products are delivered locally and around the world.

At our Visalia plant, equipped with the largest single evaporator-dryer in North America, we manufacture milk powder, butter, and AMF. We encourage you to be part of our team that's shaping the future of dairy, right from the heart of California!

Our commitment to CDI employees:

We believe in valuing our team with a total rewards package that goes beyond the basics. You'll find we offer
competitive pay
and
incentive programs
designed to recognize and reward your contributions.
Competitive medical,dental, and vision benefits
,
generous paid time off, sick days & holidays
,
retirement plans
designed to secure your future. We don't stop there. We've also cultivated a variety of valuable programs focused on your
personal well-being and professional growth
, ensuring you have the support you need to both inside and outside of work.

The Plant Controller III is the senior financial position at a production facility for California Dairies, Inc. This position is responsible for all the accounting activities at the plant. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to, timely and accurate recording of daily production of all finished goods product lines, ensuring accurate inventories of finished goods, recording of daily receipts of milk and other fluid dairy products, recording of daily sales and transfers of all fluid dairy products, and KPI reporting.

Additional responsibilities will include annual budgeting, production forecasting, bills of materials analysis, financial variance analysis, and cost accounting.

• Demonstrate extensive expertise in managing the general ledger, ensuring the integrity and accuracy of financial data.
• Lead timely preparation, analysis, and posting of journal entries, ensuring alignment with accounting standards and corporate policies.
• Lead comprehensive account reconciliations and execute all aspects of the month-end and year-end closing processes with precision and adherence to accounting standards
• Provide extensive leadership in product costing, developing, maintaining, and rigorously analyzing standard costs across all product lines.
• Conduct thorough evaluations of bills of materials (BOMs), validating the accuracy of ingredient and packaging formulas to ensure full alignment with operational efficiencies and production standards.
• Identify/lead continuous improvement initiatives and drive enhanced transparency in cost accounting processes to support margin optimization.
• Manage the accumulation and consolidation of all financial data necessary for accurate accounting of consolidated business results.
• Demonstrate extensive leadership in the development and preparation of the annual budget, leveraging advanced financial modeling and data analysis to create robust, forward-looking financial forecasts.
• Deliver high-impact insights that align operational financial plans with long-term corporate strategy and performance metrics.
• Provide management with reports that specify and compare factors that affect prices and profitability of products or services.
• Ensure quality control over financial transactions and financial reporting.
• Lead the preparation and presentation of comprehensive weekly and monthly performance reports and provide deep insights into plant operations.
• Drive detailed reporting on yield performance, labor, maintenance spend, utilities, volume/mix impacts, and other key components of the plant financial results.
• Conduct in-depth variance analysis and root cause assessments, identifying key performance drivers and recommending strategic corrective actions.
• Engage with cross-functional teams to communicate solution-oriented insights, optimizing operational efficiency and driving superior financial performance outcomes.
• Provide extensive guidance in the evaluation, design, and continuous refinement of internal control processes to ensure stringent adherence to financial compliance standards.
• Collaborate closely with operations management team to strengthen internal governance frameworks, mitigate financial risk and maintain the integrity of all financial reporting.
• Take proactive leadership in ensuring transparency, accountability, and the effective execution of compliance protocols across the organization.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

The Controller will supervise and support a small finance/accounting team (2 or more employees).

• Clearly communicate the company's vision & goals and how the team's work contributes to them.
• Set a positive example through their own work ethic, attitude, and commitment to quality.
• Develop and empower team members by delegating tasks effectively and providing opportunities for growth and development.

• Provide clear…