Division Controller

FARMERS UNION INDUSTRIES LLC•Redwood Falls, MN

2d•$140,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

Farmers Union Industries, LLC (FUI) is seeking a Division Controller for its Central Bi-Products, Northland Choice, and Midwest Grease divisions. The role leads financial accounting, cost accounting, internal controls, and administrative functions across facilities in Redwood Falls, Long Prairie, Waite Park, and Estherville, Minnesota. It combines multi-site financial oversight with direct leadership of the administrative team and partnership with plant managers and corporate leadership. The Division Controller is accountable for accurate and timely month-end close and reporting, dependable product and plant cost accounting, inventory integrity, operating analysis, budgeting and forecasting, capital project analysis, and effective facility-level administrative processes. The role also improves consistency, controls, data quality, and use of ERP and plant production systems across the assigned facilities. This is a full-time position based at FUI’s corporate office in Redwood Falls, Minnesota. The stated schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; alternative or flexible schedules may be considered. Regular, predictable on-site attendance and travel to other FUI divisions as needed are required. The role may involve additional hours or heavier-than-normal workloads when circumstances require.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field.
Seven to ten years of progressive accounting experience, including substantial manufacturing cost accounting and inventory responsibility.
Experience leading people, delivering accurate month-end financial reporting, and working directly with manufacturing operations.
Strong knowledge of GAAP and internal controls.
Advanced Excel skills and proficiency using ERP systems.
Ability to regularly visit multiple plants, prioritize competing needs, and communicate effectively with non-financial leaders.
Ability to perform desk work while sitting or standing for up to 100% of the workday.
Ability to repetitively use the wrist, hand, and/or fingers.

Nice To Haves

CPA or CMA.
Previous experience as a Plant Controller, Division Controller, or in a comparable multi-site role.
Experience in rendering, agricultural processing, commodity-based operations, food production, or other process manufacturing.
Experience with manufacturing yields, product recovery analysis, and Business Central or Vicinity systems.

Responsibilities

Lead accurate and timely month-end close, including journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, facility financial statements, and management reporting.
Ensure consistent GAAP- and FUI-policy-compliant accounting for raw materials, work in process, finished goods, production activity, freight, and intercompany transactions.
Investigate unusual financial results, resolve accounting discrepancies, and support audits and financial reviews.
Lead product and plant cost accounting covering raw materials, direct labor, utilities, maintenance, freight, and manufacturing overhead.
Analyze raw material volumes and costs, fat and protein recoveries, production yields, manufacturing cost per incoming ton, finished-product costs, and contribution margins.
Identify and explain cost, mix, yield, and inventory variances, distinguishing operational performance changes from measurement or accounting issues.
Partner with plant leaders on margin improvement, processing efficiencies, operating expense management, and comparable KPI reporting across sites.
Oversee transactional controls for purchasing, receiving, production, inventory movements, shipping, invoice processing, and reconciliations.
Coordinate inventory counts and cycle-count practices; review adjustments, shrinkage, valuation, and aging; and resolve discrepancies.
Establish documented, risk-based controls and compensating review procedures, particularly at facilities with one administrative employee.
Directly manage the five initial administrative employees across the four facilities, including hiring input, selection, onboarding, scheduling, coverage, coaching, training, performance reviews, development, and corrective action in coordination with Human Resources.
Define administrative employees’ duties, deliverables, deadlines, authority levels, and service expectations, and standardize workflows where practical while accounting for plant-specific needs.
Oversee applicable plant administrative processing, including purchasing support, invoice documentation, production and inventory entry, shipping documentation, payroll and timekeeping administration, and operational reporting.
Build cross-training and backup capacity across facilities; assess workload balance, shared-work opportunities, and single-person dependency risks.
Coordinate daily plant-support priorities with plant managers while retaining direct supervisory and functional authority over the administrative team.
Lead facility budget inputs, operating forecasts, and monthly actual-versus-budget analysis, explaining the financial impacts of volume, commodity prices, yield, and operating costs.
Support ROI, payback, and financial-risk analysis for capital projects, equipment replacements, and process improvements.
Monitor capital project spending, fixed-asset accounting, and post-investment operating benefits with plant management and corporate finance.
Develop consistent scorecards, reconciliations, reporting packages, and data-quality standards across facilities.
Improve the utilization and integrity of ERP and plant production systems, including Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Vicinity, where applicable.
Participate in plant operating reviews, explain financial results in practical terms, and provide actionable recommendations to plant managers and corporate leadership.
Reduce unnecessary manual work, clarify process ownership, and support automation and standardization initiatives.
Maintain regular and predictable on-site attendance and travel to other FUI divisions as needed.
Temporarily or permanently assume other tasks as requested and accommodate additional hours or heavier-than-normal workloads when required.