Plant Finance Manager

Zekelman Industries•Rochelle, IL

10d•$125,000 - $145,000

About The Position

Zekelman Industries is seeking a strategic, hands-on finance leader to oversee the financial operations of its new conduit manufacturing facility in Rochelle, Illinois. The role is a key member of the plant leadership team, providing financial insight, operational support, and disciplined financial management to drive plant performance and long-term growth. The one-million-square-foot facility is designed for high-volume, precision manufacturing and includes four in-line galvanizing tube mills, a fully automated Matter warehouse system, and annual steel tube production capacity exceeding 300,000 tons. It produces Electrical Metallic Tubing (EMT) and Intermediate Metal Conduit (IMC), and operates an automated hot-dip galvanizing line with annual capacity of 110,000 tons. The successful candidate will be a proactive business partner who thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and translates operational and financial information into actionable business strategies. The position leads budgeting, forecasting, long-range planning, plant cost accounting, reporting, controls, and continuous improvement, while partnering with plant and cross-functional leaders and developing finance team members.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
Seven or more years of progressive finance or accounting experience, including at least three years supporting manufacturing operations.
Demonstrated experience in plant finance, cost accounting, financial planning and analysis, or controllership.
Strong knowledge of standard costing, inventory accounting, manufacturing variance analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and capital investment analysis.
Experience with enterprise resource planning systems such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar platforms.
Advanced analytical, financial modeling, and problem-solving skills.
Proven ability to influence cross-functional leaders and drive business results through financial insight.
Strong communication, organizational, and leadership skills.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, production-driven environment.

Nice To Haves

MBA, CPA, or CMA.
Experience supporting facility startups, major expansions, or large-scale operational transformations.

Responsibilities

Lead the facility’s annual budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning processes.
Advise plant leadership through timely financial analysis and recommendations.
Identify business risks and opportunities and develop action plans to improve profitability, cash flow, and operational performance.
Support capital investment decisions through financial modeling, return-on-investment analysis, and post-investment reviews.
Develop and monitor key financial and operational performance metrics.
Lead plant cost accounting activities, including standard costing, variance analysis, inventory valuation, and cost-of-goods-sold reporting.
Monitor and analyze material, labor, conversion, overhead, inventory, and capital expenditures.
Partner with operations, engineering, maintenance, and supply chain leaders on productivity and cost-reduction initiatives.
Ensure accurate product costing and provide financial insight for pricing and commercial decisions.
Analyze plant performance against budget, forecast, and operational targets.
Support physical inventories and working capital improvement initiatives.
Prepare timely, accurate, and actionable financial reporting for plant and corporate leadership.
Ensure compliance with company policies, internal controls, accounting standards, and regulatory requirements.
Maintain strong financial controls and documentation across plant processes.
Coordinate internal and external audits and ensure timely resolution of audit findings.
Safeguard the integrity and accuracy of financial and operational data.
Build partnerships across finance, operations, supply chain, engineering, and commercial teams.
Foster accountability, collaboration, financial discipline, and continuous improvement.
Develop scalable financial processes and reporting capabilities to support facility growth.
Lead, coach, and develop finance team members.
Champion improvements in systems, reporting tools, analytics, and decision-support capabilities.