Senior Plant Accountant

Slate Auto•Warsaw, IN

12d

About The Position

Slate is looking for a dynamic, detail-oriented, and highly analytical Senior Plant Accountant to support the financial operations of our manufacturing organization. This role will serve as a key finance partner to plant operations, manufacturing engineering, supply chain, and program leadership teams, helping drive financial accuracy, cost transparency, and operational performance across manufacturing activities. The ideal candidate brings strong automotive manufacturing accounting experience, deep understanding of plant operations and cost accounting, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment while helping build scalable financial processes and controls.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required; CPA or CMA preferred.
5+ years of experience in plant accounting, manufacturing finance, cost accounting, or automotive operations finance.
Strong understanding of manufacturing accounting, inventory accounting, standard costing, variance analysis, and financial reporting.
Experience supporting automotive, EV, or high-volume manufacturing operations preferred.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to interpret operational and financial data.
Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERP systems; NetSuite experience preferred.
Experience partnering cross-functionally with manufacturing, engineering, operations, and supply chain teams.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, evolving startup manufacturing environment.
Strong communication skills with the ability to present financial information clearly to both finance and operational teams.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and drive process improvements.
Knowledge of internal controls, compliance requirements, and manufacturing financial processes.
Strong attention to detail with proactive mindset and ability to anticipate operational and financial needs.

Responsibilities

Support financial operations for manufacturing programs, including budgeting, forecasting, month-end close activities, and operational financial reporting.
Partner closely with Plant Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, Purchasing, and Program Management teams to support plant financial performance and cost management initiatives.
Analyze manufacturing costs, labor utilization, overhead absorption, inventory movement, and capital spending to support operational and strategic decision-making.
Prepare and maintain detailed cost models and financial analyses related to production, tooling, launches, and manufacturing operations.
Support monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes, ensuring accurate accounting treatment and timely reporting.
Perform variance analysis between budget, forecast, and actual plant performance, identifying risks, trends, and improvement opportunities.
Assist in development and implementation of internal controls, accounting procedures, and financial processes to support a growing manufacturing organization.
Monitor and analyze key operational KPIs including scrap, labor efficiency, inventory accuracy, throughput, and manufacturing cost performance.
Support inventory accounting activities including cycle counts, physical inventories, inventory reserves, and reconciliation processes.
Collaborate with FP&A and corporate finance teams to support forecasting accuracy, reporting alignment, and management reviews.
Assist with capital expenditure tracking, fixed asset accounting, and project financial monitoring for manufacturing equipment and facility investments.
Support audit activities and ensure compliance with company accounting policies, SOX/internal control requirements, and GAAP standards.
Provide financial insights and recommendations to plant leadership to improve operational efficiency and financial performance.
Help develop scalable reporting structures, dashboards, and financial processes suitable for a high-growth EV manufacturing environment.