Plant Controller

Enjoy a career, packaged with care, whilst helping protect food, people and the planet 

We are a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions. We’re on a mission to make all packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable. Every day, we ensure the hygiene and safety of food and drink for people around the world. We are Huhtamaki.  

You could be part of our vision. Because it’s our talented people that make it happen. Our people on the shop floor producing innovative, sustainable products. Our people in our offices delivering excellence for our customers every day. It’s every one of us working together. 

We offer a place where you can feel safe, be supported, and make an impact so we can all focus on the future together.  

Job Summary

The Plant Controller is the financial leader for the Waterville site and a key member of the plant leadership team. This role partners with plant and Finance leaders to improve cost, performance, controls, and decision-making through clear financial analysis and recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

Business Partnership and Performance

• Partner with plant leaders to develop and execute financial and operational plans.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, monthly performance reviews, and reporting key trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Analyze labor, material usage, yield, scrap, downtime, productivity, inventory, and other operating drivers.
• Provide actionable insights that improve cost competitiveness, working capital, and operating performance.
  
  

Costing, Capital, and Decision Support

• Lead product costing, standard costs, cost modeling, variance analysis, and cost-to-serve analysis.
• Evaluate decisions related to capacity, staffing, sourcing, inventory, productivity, and manufacturing processes.
• Assess capital proposals, including cost, cash flow, ROI, utilization, and operational benefits.
• Monitor capital spending and benefits, support post-investment reviews, and track applicable incentives.
  
  

Controls and Financial Integrity

• Maintain effective internal controls and compliance with Huhtamaki accounting policies and reporting standards.
• Partner with centralized Finance on close activities, reconciliations, fixed assets, transactions, and financial reporting.
• Maintain accurate ERP, inventory, and product-costing records.
• Support audits and site compliance programs, including safety, SQF, food safety, and housekeeping.
  
  

People and Continuous Improvement

• Lead and develop the plant Finance team, setting clear priorities and accountability.
• Champion continuous improvement and validate financial benefits.
• Improve reporting and decision support through automation, dashboards, data visualization, and ERP discipline.
• Support World Class Operations and cross-functional process standardization.
  
  

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• Five or more years of manufacturing operations finance or accounting leadership experience.
• Experience in costing, budgeting, forecasting, inventory accounting, controls, and capital evaluation.
• People-leadership experience and the ability to influence cross-functional teams.
• Strong ERP and advanced Excel skills, including inventory, costing, reconciliations, and account review.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills; ability to turn complex analysis into clear recommendations.
• Experience leading change or continuous improvement.
  
  

Preferred

• CPA or CMA; master’s degree desirable.
• Oracle, BI, visualization, reporting automation, and manufacturing systems experience.
• Lean, Kaizen, World Class Operations, or similar continuous improvement experience.
• Food packaging, paperboard, converting, or related manufacturing experience.
  
  

Work Environment

• Onsite at the Waterville manufacturing site with regular shop-floor and plant leadership engagement.
• Periodic support outside normal business hours may be required for close, budgets, audits, inventory, or significant operating events.
• Physical ability to do work requiring frequent stooping, standing, squatting, bending, crawling, twisting, walking and lifting up to 50 lbs. occasionally.
  
  

What we offer in return

• Our products are only as good as the people we hire, so we make sure to hire the best and treat them accordingly. Huhtamaki offers a comprehensive traditional benefits package including medical insurance as well as dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, 401K, and a pension. We also proudly offer a slate of more nontraditional perks – opportunities like online learning and development courses, tuition reimbursement, employee referral bonus program, wellness program, onsite medical staff, monthly employee plate store benefits, monthly onsite boot truck, and various mentorship programs – that encourage our associates to grow personally as they develop professionally. You’ll also enjoy Paid Time Off and holiday pay because we believe a work-life balance is more than just a buzzword – it’s part of our culture.
  
  

Trace your own Path! Join us to shape the future together!

Equal Employment Opportunity

Huhtamaki is an equal opportunity employer. EEO/AA Employer/Veterans/Disabled.

Join us. Help protect food, people and the planet.