Plant Controller

International Automotive Components • Alma, MI

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Plant Controller leads the daily administration of the facility’s accounting and finance activities. The role supports financial statement preparation and analysis and continually improves the accounting function, providing timely and accurate services in compliance with legislative and corporate requirements. The Controller maintains adequate internal controls, ensures general ledger accounts are correctly stated and classified, and prepares financial reporting in accordance with GAAP. The role partners with cross-functional teams at corporate and business-unit levels.

The Plant Controller has full responsibility for the facility’s income statement and balance sheet; prepares budgets, forecasts, cash forecasts, financial statements, and analytical reports; and provides cost-accounting expertise to manufacturing operations. The position also oversees closing activities, internal controls and audits, profitability tracking, tax filings, fixed-asset depreciation, accounts receivable collections, and inter-company product transfers. The Controller provides guidance to staff accountants and works with IT and operational teams to improve reporting and workflows.

The position is primarily office-based, with periodic time on the manufacturing floor. The employee may be exposed to dust, varying temperatures, fumes, and loud noise, and must follow company safety procedures and wear required personal protective equipment on the production floor. Travel to other divisions is required and is typically less than 5%.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business management, accounting, or finance.
• At least 5 years of experience in a manufacturing industry.
• Strong technical and analytical skills, with a solid cost-accounting background.
• Ability to build professional relationships with internal and external clients.
• Ability to analyze financial data and prepare financial reports, statements, and projections, with strong attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to make sound, objective, and ethical decisions.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive financial information and demonstrate a high level of integrity.
• Excellent communication and analysis skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a diverse environment and interact effectively with other groups and departments, clients, and partners.
• Willingness to continuously learn and be open to feedback to improve individual performance.
• Ability to maintain safe maintenance practices and adhere to safety requirements.
• Willingness and ability to travel to other divisions; travel is typically less than 5%.
• Ability to tolerate periodic exposure to dust, varying temperatures, fumes, and loud noise in the manufacturing setting.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and reconcile general ledger accounts, including posting monthly journal entries, completing account reconciliations, providing variance analysis, and investigating discrepancies.
• Manage the facility’s income statement and balance sheet.
• Prepare the annual budget and in-year income statement, balance sheet, and cash-flow forecasts.
• Prepare a 13-week cash forecast to determine short-term facility cash needs.
• Support new-business quoting and track profitability throughout the program life cycle, alerting the team to margin deterioration.
• Conduct month-end and year-end closing, reconcile and balance accounts, and review monthly journal entries.
• Provide cost-accounting expertise for manufacturing operations.
• Prepare financial statements and analytical reports for the monthly reporting package.
• Ensure GAAP is incorporated into business management and maintain appropriate internal controls.
• Support effective and efficient annual financial audits.
• Work with manufacturing operations to ensure accurate and timely capture of production costs and analysis of production variances.
• Develop and maintain financial procedures and systems.
• Develop the location budget and analyze variances.
• Manage inter-company product transfers.
• Guide staff accountant(s) to ensure effective team support.
• Prepare sales and use tax filings.
• Develop, monitor, and analyze manufacturing overhead allocations and burden rates.
• Manage book and tax depreciation for fixed assets.
• Drive collection of customer accounts receivable as needed.
• Work with IT to automate the company’s financial reporting package.
• Improve workflow processes, including paperless filing.
• Travel to other divisions as required.
• Follow company safety procedures and wear required personal protective equipment while on the production floor.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager