What are the responsibilities and job description for the Plant Controller position at Nortek Data Center Cooling?
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Nortek Data Center Cooling builds the systems that keep modern data centers running — from liquid cooling to large‑scale air solutions. Our work supports some of the world’s most demanding AI and hyperscale environments, and we solve those challenges with engineering depth and practical execution.
We keep things simple here. We communicate early, stay close to the details, and follow through. When issues come up, we address them directly, not with layers of process. Customers count on us because we do what we say and we keep projects moving.
Our culture is hands‑on and collaborative. People take ownership, move quickly, and help each other. If you like working with teammates who are straightforward and accountable, you’ll feel at home.
With the backing of Madison Air, we have the scale, stability, and manufacturing footprint to support complex, high‑growth programs.
Job Summary
The Plant Controller leads accounting, financial reporting, inventory and cost accounting, and plant-level internal controls across the OKCN and OKCS manufacturing locations. Reporting to the Corporate Controller, this role is accountable for accurate and timely closes, balance-sheet integrity, compliant inventory and cost accounting, and consistent execution of company policies and SOX controls.
The Plant Controller leads the plant accounting team and partners with Operations, Supply Chain, FP&A, and Operations Finance. FP&A retains ownership of budgets and forecasts, while Operations Finance leads cross-site margin and performance-improvement initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
Accounting Close and Reporting
Required Qualifications
Nortek Data Center Cooling builds the systems that keep modern data centers running — from liquid cooling to large‑scale air solutions. Our work supports some of the world’s most demanding AI and hyperscale environments, and we solve those challenges with engineering depth and practical execution.
We keep things simple here. We communicate early, stay close to the details, and follow through. When issues come up, we address them directly, not with layers of process. Customers count on us because we do what we say and we keep projects moving.
Our culture is hands‑on and collaborative. People take ownership, move quickly, and help each other. If you like working with teammates who are straightforward and accountable, you’ll feel at home.
With the backing of Madison Air, we have the scale, stability, and manufacturing footprint to support complex, high‑growth programs.
Job Summary
The Plant Controller leads accounting, financial reporting, inventory and cost accounting, and plant-level internal controls across the OKCN and OKCS manufacturing locations. Reporting to the Corporate Controller, this role is accountable for accurate and timely closes, balance-sheet integrity, compliant inventory and cost accounting, and consistent execution of company policies and SOX controls.
The Plant Controller leads the plant accounting team and partners with Operations, Supply Chain, FP&A, and Operations Finance. FP&A retains ownership of budgets and forecasts, while Operations Finance leads cross-site margin and performance-improvement initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
Accounting Close and Reporting
- Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual closes for both manufacturing locations in accordance with the corporate close calendar.
- Prepare/Review journal entries, accruals, reserves, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules for accuracy and completeness.
- Maintain balance-sheet integrity and ensure appropriate transaction cut-off, including inventory, receiving, accounts payable, payroll, fixed assets, and inter-site activity.
- Explain significant balance-sheet and income-statement movements and coordinate reporting and technical accounting matters with Corporate Accounting.
- Own inventory accounting, reconciliations, and related controls across both sites.
- Oversee cycle counts and physical inventories, including adjustment review, root-cause documentation, and corrective-action follow-up.
- Ensure standard costs, bills of material, routings, labor and overhead rates, reserves, and inventory master data are appropriately reflected in the financial records.
- Analyze manufacturing variances and partner with Operations and Supply Chain to resolve transaction, process, and master-data issues
- Implement and sustain plant-level SOX and internal controls established by Corporate Accounting.
- Ensure controls are performed on time and supporting evidence is accurate, complete, and retained.
- Identify and escalate control gaps and recurring exceptions; coordinate corrective actions and monitor remediation.
- Serve as the primary plant accounting contact for internal and external audits, walkthroughs, and control testing.
- Establish accounting processes, controls, system configuration, and close readiness for the new location.
- Ensure both sites are incorporated into reporting calendars, reconciliations, approval workflows, and applicable control processes.
- Lead, develop, and cross-train the plant accounting team, with clear ownership, review standards, escalation expectations, and backup coverage.
- Simplify, standardize, and automate recurring accounting, reconciliation, and control processes.
- Corporate Controller: Establishes the accounting, technical, SOX, audit, and compliance framework; the Plant Controller implements it at the sites.
- FP&A: Owns budgets, forecasts, planning, and forward-looking reporting; the Plant Controller provides accurate actuals and accounting inputs.
- Operations Finance: Leads cross-site margin, productivity, working-capital, KPI, and decision-support initiatives; the Plant Controller ensures reliable underlying accounting data.
- Operations and Supply Chain: Own operational processes and corrective actions; the Plant Controller provides accounting oversight and identifies financial and control implications
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; Accounting degree preferred.
- Six or more years of progressive accounting experience, including manufacturing and cost accounting.
- Experience leading complex closes and reviewing journal entries and account reconciliations.
- Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP, inventory accounting, standard costing, reserves, and manufacturing variances.
- Experience executing or supporting internal controls; public-company or SOX experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated success leading and developing an accounting team.
- Strong analytical, communication, organizational, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Proficiency with ERP and financial reporting systems and advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
- CPA, CMA, or MBA.
- Prior Plant Controller, Assistant Controller, or manufacturing accounting leadership experience.
- Multi-site manufacturing, new-site launch, plant expansion, or ERP implementation experience.
- Experience with Infor/SyteLine, Planful, or comparable systems.
- Accurate, timely closes and complete balance-sheet reconciliations, with disciplined resolution of aged items.
- Consistent execution of SOX and internal controls with complete supporting evidence.
- Reliable inventory accounting, standard costs, physical-count discipline, and manufacturing variance analysis.
- Timely audit support and effective remediation of identified issues.
- Accounting and control readiness across OKCN and OKCS, supported by clear team ownership and backup coverage.