Controller (Plant Finance Manager)
Our client is an organization in the Wauwatosa area looking for a Controller. Our client is looking for an experienced manufacturing finance professional who can serve as a strategic business partner while overseeing the accounting and financial performance of multiple plant locations. This role combines hands-on plant finance leadership with operational partnership, strategic planning, and financial decision support across three sites.
The salary range for this position is $120k–150k.
The Controller will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following:
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide accounting and finance leadership across three manufacturing locations.
- Serve as a key finance business partner to plant and operational leadership, providing insight and recommendations that support business decisions.
- Oversee plant-level accounting activities and ensure accurate, timely financial reporting across assigned locations.
- Lead budgeting, forecasting, and strategic financial planning activities for the plants.
- Analyze plant performance, operating results, costs, and key financial drivers to identify risks and opportunities.
- Partner with operations to evaluate business performance and develop actionable plans to improve profitability and operational results.
- Provide financial guidance related to manufacturing costs, inventory, productivity, capital investments, and other plant initiatives.
- Oversee month-end close activities and ensure appropriate review of financial results, reconciliations, and reporting.
- Develop forecasts and financial models to support operational planning, resource allocation, and strategic initiatives.
- Evaluate plant-level variances and communicate meaningful insights to finance and operational leadership.
- Support capital expenditure planning and evaluate the financial return of proposed investments.
- Maintain effective internal controls and ensure accounting practices are consistent with company policies and applicable accounting standards.
- Build strong working relationships across multiple locations while serving as a consistent finance resource for plant leadership.
- Identify opportunities to improve financial processes, reporting, controls, and visibility across the sites.
- Support broader business initiatives and provide financial leadership as operational priorities evolve.
The Controller will possess the following:
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
- 6+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience.
- Manufacturing accounting and plant finance experience required.
- Demonstrated understanding of plant-level financial operations, including costing, inventory, budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance analysis.
- Prior experience serving as a finance business partner to plant or operational leadership required.
- Experience taking ownership of the financial relationship with business or operational leaders and influencing decision-making.
- Previous Plant Controller, Site Controller, Plant Finance Manager, or similar operational finance leadership experience strongly preferred.
- Multi-site experience is a plus; candidates with strong ownership of finance for a single manufacturing location who are ready to expand into multi-site responsibility will also be considered.
- Strong understanding of the operational drivers behind manufacturing financial results.
- Proven ability to translate financial information into meaningful business recommendations for non-finance leaders.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to establish credibility across plant and corporate teams.
- Proactive, hands-on leadership style with the ability to balance accounting oversight, operational partnership, and longer-term strategic priorities.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The compensation philosophy reflects the Company’s reasonable expectation at the time of posting. Actual compensation is influenced by a variety of factors including, but not limited to, skills, experience level, and overall qualifications. This role may also be eligible to participate in a discretionary incentive program and company-sponsored benefits, subject to the rules governing those programs.