Plant Controller

Plant Controller

Location: Peoria, Illinois (On-Site)

Plant Controller

Are you a hands-on manufacturing finance leader who thrives on driving operational performance, influencing business decisions, and owning the financial success of a manufacturing facility?

We are seeking a highly analytical and business-minded Plant Controller to serve as the senior financial leader for our Peoria manufacturing operation. This role is a strategic business partner to Plant Leadership and Corporate Finance, providing financial leadership that drives profitability, operational excellence, and long-term growth.

The Plant Controller owns the facility's financial performance, including full P&L responsibility, budgeting, forecasting, cost accounting, inventory controls, financial reporting, and operational analysis. This position plays a critical role in ensuring accurate financial reporting under both U.S. GAAP and IFRS while delivering meaningful insights that improve manufacturing performance.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Leadership

• Serve as the financial leader and trusted business partner for the manufacturing plant.
• Lead all financial activities supporting plant operations and executive leadership.
• Drive accountability for plant profitability, cash flow, productivity, and operational performance.
• Present financial results, risks, and opportunities to executive leadership.

Profit & Loss Ownership

• Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual Plant P&L.
• Analyze operating performance and identify opportunities to improve margins.
• Monitor financial KPIs and recommend actions to improve profitability.
• Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Procurement to improve financial results.

Budgeting, Forecasting & FP&A

• Lead the annual operating budget process.
• Develop monthly forecasts and long-range financial plans.
• Perform detailed variance analysis against budget, forecast, and prior year.
• Provide financial modeling and strategic decision support.
• Develop dashboards and executive reporting for plant leadership.

Cost Accounting & Manufacturing Finance

• Own all standard costing and product costing activities.
• Analyze manufacturing variances including:
• Labor
• Material
• Purchase Price Variance (PPV)
• Usage
• Yield
• Scrap
• Production efficiencies
• Manage inventory valuation and inventory controls.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce manufacturing costs.
• Ensure accurate Bills of Material (BOMs), routings, and standard cost updates.

Financial Reporting

• Lead the monthly financial close process.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting under U.S. GAAP and IFRS.
• Prepare monthly financial statements and executive reporting packages.
• Maintain strong internal controls and compliance with corporate policies.
• Support internal and external audits.

Inventory & Working Capital

• Oversee inventory accounting and cycle count programs.
• Lead physical inventory processes.
• Improve inventory accuracy and working capital performance.
• Monitor inventory reserves and obsolete inventory.

Business Partnership

• Partner closely with Plant Management to improve operational efficiency.
• Support capital expenditure planning and ROI analysis.
• Provide financial guidance on strategic initiatives and capital investments.
• Participate in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required
• CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred
• 8 years of progressive accounting and finance experience within a manufacturing environment
• 3 years in a Plant Controller or Manufacturing Controller leadership role preferred
• Strong experience supporting manufacturing operations
• Deep understanding of:
• Cost Accounting
• Standard Costing
• Inventory Accounting
• Manufacturing Finance
• Financial Planning & Analysis
• Experience with both U.S. GAAP and IFRS financial reporting
• Strong knowledge of ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards, Microsoft Dynamics, Plex, or similar)
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
• Experience working within a multi-site manufacturing organization is highly preferred

Preferred Experience

• Manufacturing KPI development
• Capital investment analysis
• Lean Manufacturing environments
• Continuous Improvement initiatives
• Standard costing implementation
• Inventory optimization
• Financial modeling
• Business intelligence and reporting tools (Power BI, Tableau, or similar)

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen
• Influential leader capable of partnering across Operations and Finance
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong executive communication and presentation abilities
• Results-driven with a continuous improvement mindset
• High level of integrity, accountability, and professionalism

What You'll Own

• Plant Profit & Loss (P&L)
• Annual Budget
• Monthly Forecast
• Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
• Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
• Cost Accounting
• Inventory Accounting
• Capital Planning
• Manufacturing KPI Reporting
• U.S. GAAP & IFRS Financial Reporting
• Monthly Close Process
• Internal Controls
• Financial Compliance
• Executive Financial Reporting

Why Join Us?

This is an outstanding opportunity to become the financial leader of a high-performing manufacturing facility where your insights will directly influence operational strategy, profitability, and long-term business success. You will partner closely with executive leadership while driving financial excellence across all aspects of plant operations in a collaborative, growth-oriented environment.