Plant Controller - Manufacturing

Manufacturing Controller
Mankato, MN (On-site)

We are working with a well-established, vertically integrated manufacturer in the Mankato area seeking a Manufacturing Controller to support multiple production facilities and partner closely with plant leadership.

This is a highly visible role focused on cost accounting, inventory control, and operational finance, with direct exposure to leadership and the opportunity to influence plant performance and decision-making.

About the Opportunity

• Established manufacturing business with decades of operating history
• Recently backed by a long-term ownership group focused on operational improvement and growth
• Multi-site manufacturing environment with a mix of production, inventory, and seasonal demand complexity
• Opportunity to play a key role in improving cost visibility, processes, and overall financial performance

Key Responsibilities

Cost Accounting & Manufacturing Finance

• Own and improve standard costing across materials, labor, and overhead
• Analyze manufacturing variances (material, labor, overhead) and partner with operations to drive improvements
• Support pricing, product costing, and make/buy decisions

Inventory & Production

• Oversee inventory valuation (raw, WIP, finished goods)
• Lead physical inventories, cycle counts, and reconciliations
• Monitor scrap, obsolescence, and inventory reserves

Financial Reporting & Close

• Lead month-end close related to manufacturing costs and plant operations
• Ensure consistency and accuracy in cost accounting practices
• Prepare manufacturing KPIs and cost performance reporting for leadership

Budgeting, Forecasting & Analysis

• Lead plant-level budgeting and forecasting
• Analyze production volumes, capacity utilization, and cost behavior
• Support capital investments and ROI analysis

Operations Partnership

• Act as a finance partner to plant leadership, engineering, and supply chain
• Support continuous improvement, lean initiatives, and efficiency projects
• Help standardize processes across locations

Leadership & Systems

• Support and mentor inventory/cost accounting staff
• Improve ERP accuracy related to BOMs, routings, and production reporting
• Drive process improvements across manufacturing finance

What We’re Looking For

Experience

• 7+ years of manufacturing finance / cost accounting experience
• Experience supporting multi-site or complex manufacturing environments

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of standard costing, absorption costing, and variance analysis
• Experience with manufacturing ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Dynamics, Epicor, etc.)
• Advanced Excel (BI tools a plus)

Profile

• Comfortable working on-site in a plant environment
• Strong communicator who can partner with operations
• Able to translate financial data into actionable insights
• Hands-on, detail-oriented, and proactive

Why This Role

• High visibility with leadership
• Real impact on plant performance and decision-making
• Opportunity to help build and improve processes in a growing manufacturing platform
• Balanced role across accounting, cost, and operations