Plant Controller

Bright Innovation Labs•New Albany, OH

About The Position

The Plant Controller is a strategic business partner to Operations, responsible for manufacturing controlling, cost accounting, budgeting and forecasting, operational KPI reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives. The role supports improved profitability, productivity, and operational efficiency while supporting growth in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. The Plant Controller leads manufacturing finance and cost accounting activities, maintains costing methodologies and inventory valuation, and partners with plant leadership on cost savings and operational profitability. The role leads operating plans, budgets, and forecasts; develops financial models; analyzes performance and variances; and provides KPI reporting and recommendations to executive leadership and operations management. As a finance partner to Operations, Plant Management, Engineering, and Procurement, the position provides analysis for strategic initiatives, customer profitability, product launches, and capital investments. It also supports continuous improvement through ROI analyses and savings measurement, and helps ensure financial controls, accounting standards, inventory procedures, and audit readiness. This is a full-time, Monday-through-Friday position with no expected travel. The position has no direct supervisory responsibilities. Work may include occasional time on the production floor, where sounds and smells are elevated. Employees are regularly exposed to fragrances, and the usual noise level is low. The employee may regularly stand, sit, talk, hear, reach, walk, stoop, kneel, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and keyboard; close vision is required for computer work. The employee must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
At least 8 years of progressive experience in manufacturing finance.
Cost accounting experience.
Advanced expertise in MS Excel, including advanced formulas, pivot tables, and data analysis techniques.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to analyze complex data, identify trends, and make recommendations based on insights.
Excellent organizational and multitasking skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage a heavy workload in a fast-paced environment.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and ability to interact effectively with internal teams.
High level of accuracy and attention to detail in pricing and data management.
Ability to work independently, set priorities, and manage tasks effectively without direct supervision.
English language proficiency and knowledge of English vocabulary, spelling, composition, and grammar.
Must be authorized to work in the U.S. as a precondition of employment.

Nice To Haves

MBA, CPA, CMA, or equivalent professional certification.
Experience working with ERP systems such as Deacom, SAP, or similar.
Experience in Beauty, Personal Care, Cosmetics, CPG, or contract manufacturing industries.
Experience with LEAN Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement methodologies.
Familiarity with Power BI or other business intelligence platforms.

Responsibilities

Lead manufacturing controlling activities across production operations.
Maintain and enhance standard costing methodologies, bill of materials (BOM) structures, labor rates, and overhead allocation models.
Analyze manufacturing variances, including material usage, labor, yield, scrap, waste, and overhead absorption.
Ensure accurate inventory valuation and product costing in compliance with accounting standards.
Partner with Plant Leadership to identify cost-saving opportunities and improve operational profitability.
Support month-end close activities related to inventory, manufacturing costs, and operational performance.
Lead annual operating plans, budgets, and rolling forecasts for Operations functions.
Develop financial models and operational scenarios to support capacity planning and investment decisions.
Provide insights into labor productivity, production efficiency, and cost trends.
Monitor performance against budget and explain key variances with actionable recommendations.
Develop and maintain dashboards and scorecards for manufacturing performance.
Track and report labor efficiency, OEE, yield and waste, material consumption, production throughput, cost per unit, inventory turns, capacity utilization, and scrap and rework costs.
Communicate performance trends to executive leadership and operations management.
Act as a finance business partner to Operations, Plant Management, Engineering, and Procurement teams.
Participate in daily, weekly, and monthly operational reviews.
Provide financial analysis for strategic initiatives, customer profitability, new product launches, and capital investment projects.
Influence decision-making through fact-based recommendations and financial insights.
Support continuous improvement initiatives and identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste, and optimize manufacturing costs.
Develop financial analyses and ROI assessments for operational improvement projects.
Measure and report savings generated through continuous improvement efforts.
Ensure compliance with company policies, financial controls, and accounting standards.
Support inventory cycle counts and annual physical inventory processes.
Assist with internal and external audits related to manufacturing operations.
Collaborate with multiple departments and teams to support the accuracy and effectiveness of pricing strategies.