Plant Controller - (Manufacturing)

Position Overview

The Plant Controller serves as the financial backbone of a complex opto-mechanical defense and imaging manufacturing operation. This is a hands-on financial leadership role responsible for ensuring the integrity and accuracy of plant financials from the shop floor through financial reporting.

The Plant Controller will have significant responsibility across internal controls, cost accounting, managerial accounting, inventory, manufacturing variance analysis, forecasting, and plant P&L management. This individual will partner closely with Operations to connect financial performance with production results and provide leadership with accurate, actionable financial analysis.

Work Location & Schedule

• Location: Keene, NH
• Work Model: Hybrid – Onsite 2 days per week

Key Responsibilities

Plant Financial Management

• Own the integrity and accuracy of the plant's financial reporting.
• Manage and analyze the monthly plant P&L.
• Prepare and maintain inventory, capital, and financial forecasts.
• Deliver accurate, timely, and audit-ready financial reporting to leadership.
• Provide financial analysis that supports operational and strategic decision-making.

Cost & Manufacturing Accounting

• Manage and analyze standard costing within a complex manufacturing environment.
• Review and analyze Bills of Materials (BOMs) and manufacturing work orders.
• Perform detailed manufacturing variance analysis.
• Analyze product-line and program margins.
• Evaluate manufacturing absorption and its impact on plant financial performance.
• Identify and explain cost, volume, mix, and production-related financial variances.
• Partner with Operations to distinguish sustainable cost improvements from changes related to product or production mix.

Internal Controls & Compliance

• Develop, maintain, and enforce rigorous financial internal controls.
• Maintain appropriate SOX controls and compliance requirements.
• Ensure appropriate safeguards surrounding inventory and the revenue cycle.
• Maintain financial controls over a large, Work-in-Process (WIP)-intensive balance sheet.
• Support internal and external audits and ensure financial documentation is complete and audit-ready.
• Identify potential financial or control risks and proactively address issues.

Operations Partnership

• Partner directly with Operations and manufacturing leadership to connect financial results with production performance.
• Challenge assumptions when they are not supported by manufacturing or financial data.
• Investigate variances and identify underlying operational and financial drivers.
• Provide clear and objective financial insights to plant and organizational leadership.
• Proactively identify financial risks before they materially impact plant performance.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in cost accounting, managerial accounting, plant accounting, or a related financial function.
• Significant experience within a complex discrete manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of:
  • Cost accounting
  • Standard costing
  • Manufacturing variance analysis
  • Bills of Materials (BOMs)
  • Work orders
  • Inventory and WIP accounting
  • Manufacturing absorption
  • Product and program margin analysis
  • Plant P&L management
  • Forecasting and budgeting
• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and enforcing strong internal financial controls.
• Strong understanding of SOX compliance and audit requirements.
• Experience managing financial controls associated with inventory and revenue-cycle activities.
• Strong ERP and/or Manufacturing Execution System (MES) experience.
• Ability to analyze complex manufacturing and financial data and translate findings into actionable business insights.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and financial decision-support skills.
• Ability to effectively partner with Operations and challenge assumptions using financial and manufacturing data.
• High level of accuracy, integrity, and attention to detail.