Plant Controller

SUMMARY

The Plant Controller is the finance and FP&A leader for the facility and a core member of the plant leadership team, owning both the controllership function (P&L integrity, internal controls, GAAP compliance) and the strategic FP&A function (profitability analysis, forecasting, budgeting, and capital investment analysis) for the plant. This is a highly visible role that regularly presents financial results, forecasts, and business recommendations to senior corporate leadership (Directors, VPs, CFO, CEO), and is expected to act as a business partner first and a controller second, using sound financial judgment to influence plant and corporate decisions. This is a driver's seat role: the Plant Controller is expected to take ownership of outcomes, not simply report on them, and to help raise the performance bar for the entire plant finance team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Controllership

• Own the accuracy and integrity of the plant's monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and operational reporting
• Oversee month-end and year-end close processes, ensuring accuracy and compliance with US GAAP
• Own the design, implementation, and monitoring of internal controls
• Own cost allocation methodology, including standard labor and overhead rates by work center/department
• Own resolution of standard cost variances, including purchase price variance (PPV), material usage, and labor/overhead absorption variances; drive root cause analysis and corrective action to closure, partnering with the Costing function and plant operations as needed, and escalating systemic costing issues to the Director of Costing and Director of Finance
• Analyze inventory valuation and metrics, including period-to-period fluctuations
• Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external audit requests
• Mentor and guide Associate Plant Controllers; this is a leading-without-authority relationship (Associate Plant Controllers currently report to the Director of Finance, not the Plant Controller) and a deliberate development opportunity for the Plant Controller to build influence and coaching skills ahead of larger management scope

FP&A and Business Partnering

• Serve as the FP&A lead for the plant, partnering directly with the Plant Director and plant leadership team
• Lead the annual budget/AOP process and periodic reforecasts for the facility
• Own profitability analysis by product line and/or customer, and use it to drive plant strategy
• Lead capital project and investment analysis, including ROI and payback calculations, for plant leadership decision-making
• Present financial results, forecasts, and strategic recommendations to plant leadership and senior corporate leadership
• Proactively lead cost reduction and margin improvement initiatives, both inter-departmentally and cross-functionally, to drive low-cost producer status
• Serves as the lead analyst partner to the Costing team for the plant: proactively surfacing costing opportunities, risks, and variance root causes, and driving them into Costing's review and standard-setting process; Costing owns execution and the standard, the Plant Controller owns the analysis and the push
• Lead plant continuous improvement events and business transformation activities
• Lead special projects and system implementations (e.g., Oracle EBS) on behalf of the plant

KEY SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Ability to work independently across the full scope of plant finance, exercising sound judgment on when to escalate to the Director of Finance or plant leadership
• Strong knowledge of US GAAP and internal control principles; working familiarity with IFRS concepts a plus given Crenlo's OEM customer relationships
• Demonstrated business partnering skills; able to translate financial data into clear, actionable recommendations for non-finance leaders
• Self-starter who proactively identifies issues and opportunities rather than waiting for direction; acts as a driver of outcomes, not a passenger along for the process
• Constructively challenges assumptions and the status quo at the plant; comfortable respectfully pushing back on plans or numbers that don't hold up
• Acts as a business partner first and a controller second, without compromising financial integrity or controls
• Strong data mining, analysis, and financial modeling capabilities
• Excellent verbal, written, and executive presentation skills
• Proficient with Microsoft 365 (Excel, PowerPoint, Word); experience with Oracle EBS or a comparable ERP strongly preferred
• Contributes to raising the performance bar for the broader plant finance team, not just individual results; supports a team-first culture where the team's collective strength matters as much as any one person's output
• Experience mentoring and developing accounting/finance staff; comfortable guiding and coaching an Associate Plant Controller toward advancement without formal supervisory authority over that role
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leadership decisions using financial data and analysis

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Success in this role is measured primarily by the plant's performance against budgeted/forecasted KPIs, including:

• EBITDA attainment against AOP/forecast
• Manufacturing efficiency and productivity metrics
• Cost reduction and margin improvement initiatives delivered
• Standard cost variance resolution, including PPV and material/labor/overhead variances, closed to root cause within expected timelines
• Inventory accuracy and working capital metrics
• Forecast/budget accuracy and timeliness of reporting
• Effectiveness of internal controls

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or related discipline
• 8+ years of progressive experience in finance/accounting, with demonstrated supervisory experience
• CPA or CMA not required, but preferred / a strong plus
• Broad cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment, or a lean/continuous improvement methodology and culture, strongly preferred
• Demonstrated FP&A leadership experience: budgeting, forecasting, and capital investment analysis
• Demonstrated experience presenting to and influencing senior leadership
• Experience with an ERP system (Oracle EBS preferred), business intelligence/reporting tools, and financial planning software
• Experience with internal controls and audit support preferred

WORKING CONDITIONS / OTHER

• Work Hours/Status: Full-time, exempt
• Travel Requirements: Occasional travel between Crenlo facilities and corporate office; travel to attend leadership or customer meetings as needed
• Environment: Combination of plant floor and office environment; may involve exposure to a manufacturing floor with associated noise, dust, and equipment
• Physical Requirements:
  • Sitting/standing, free to move around plant floor and office
  • Sustained visual concentration on financial data, reports, and monitors
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting standards, and manufacturing finance best practices

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or related discipline
• 8+ years of progressive experience in finance/accounting, with demonstrated supervisory experience
• CPA or CMA not required, but preferred / a strong plus
• Broad cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment, or a lean/continuous improvement methodology and culture, strongly preferred
• Demonstrated FP&A leadership experience: budgeting, forecasting, and capital investment analysis
• Demonstrated experience presenting to and influencing senior leadership
• Experience with an ERP system (Oracle EBS preferred), business intelligence/reporting tools, and financial planning software
• Experience with internal controls and audit support preferred

WORKING CONDITIONS / OTHER

• Work Hours/Status: Full-time, exempt
• Travel Requirements: Occasional travel between Crenlo facilities and corporate office; travel to attend leadership or customer meetings as needed
• Environment: Combination of plant floor and office environment; may involve exposure to a manufacturing floor with associated noise, dust, and equipment
• Physical Requirements:
  • Sitting/standing, free to move around plant floor and office
  • Sustained visual concentration on financial data, reports, and monitors
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting standards, and manufacturing finance best practices