Plant Controller

Description Plant Controller Where finance meets the factory floor You don't sit in the office waiting for numbers to tell a story. You walk the plant, talk to operators, challenge assumptions, and connect what's happening on the floor to what's showing up in the P&L. If you've led accounting in a manufacturing environment and know that cost accuracy starts with operational reality, this role is built for you. We're a progressive, growth-oriented manufacturing company looking for a Plant Controller who can own the financial heartbeat of the operation. This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll drive accounting, costing, controls, and reporting, while partnering closely with Operations to improve performance. What You'll Own Be the financial leader on the plant floor * Act as a trusted advisor to Operations, not just a reporter of results * Translate financial data into clear, actionable insights for plant leadership * Connect production activity, labor, materials, and variances to real business outcomes Drive accurate, disciplined manufacturing accounting * Lead all plant accounting activities in compliance with U.S. GAAP * Own monthly close, financial statements, budgeting, forecasting, and audit coordination * Ensure costing integrity across all systems, transactions, and SKUs * Investigate and explain actual vs. standard variances with precision Own inventory, costing, and controls * Lead cycle counting and physical inventories with operational alignment * Ensure work orders are fully burdened and aligned to the corporate cost model * Strengthen and continuously improve internal controls across inventory and manufacturing * Conduct ongoing audits of transactions and master data for accuracy and impact Turn data into operational improvement * Analyze cost of goods, run costing studies, and identify margin opportunities * Lead process improvements using Lean tools (as-is / to-be flow mapping) * Pull and analyze data from SQL and ERP systems to improve visibility and decision-making * Partner cross-functionally to drive efficiency, cost reduction, and performance Lead systems and continuous improvement * Work within ERP (Infor Visual Manufacturing) and support transition to MS Dynamics 365 * Recommend and implement system enhancements * Develop and deliver ERP and process training to close gaps and elevate team capability Build and develop your team * Lead and coach the Cycle Counter / Inventory Analyst * Set clear goals, develop capability, and raise the bar on performance * Establish best practices across accounting, warehousing, and operations support What You Bring * Bachelor's (or Master's) in Accounting, Finance, or related field * Proven experience as a Plant Controller or senior manufacturing finance leader * Deep expertise in cost accounting within a process manufacturing environment * Strong working knowledge of U.S. GAAP in manufacturing * Experience working inside an ERP environment (Visual, SAP, Oracle, Epicor, D365, etc.) * Advanced analytical skills. Comfortable pulling data from SQL and building models in Excel * Ability to operate at both the strategic level and the transac