Plant Operations Controller

Location: New Century, KS (Travel required to the Hugoton, KS manufacturing facility several days per month)

About the Position

The Operations Controller partners with the Factory Finance Manager to drive financial performance, operational excellence, and cost optimization across the manufacturing network. This role provides critical financial analysis, reporting, and governance that supports strategic decision-making and ensures the accuracy of factory financial performance.

Working closely with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations, Procurement, and Finance, the Operations Controller delivers actionable insights that improve productivity, strengthen financial controls, and support continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Performance & Business Partnering

• Partner with the Factory Finance Manager and site leadership to deliver accurate financial reporting and operational insights.
• Support monthly factory P&L reporting, ensuring accuracy across manufacturing costs, inventory, labor, overhead, and production variances.
• Prepare financial analyses that identify cost drivers, operational risks, and opportunities for productivity improvements.
• Provide financial support for capital investments, continuous improvement initiatives, and operational decision-making.
• Partner with Operations to drive accountability for financial performance and cost management.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Cost Control

• Support the annual budgeting process, quarterly forecasts, and monthly financial outlooks.
• Perform detailed variance analysis comparing actual performance against budget, forecast, and prior year results.
• Monitor manufacturing KPIs and recommend corrective actions to improve financial performance.
• Track spending across labor, materials, utilities, maintenance, and manufacturing overhead.
• Identify opportunities to improve cost efficiency while maintaining operational performance.

Financial Governance & Controls

• Ensure compliance with internal financial controls, accounting policies, and corporate governance standards.
• Support month-end close activities, including journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and financial reporting.
• Maintain accurate financial records and support internal and external audit requirements.
• Monitor inventory movements, manufacturing variances, and cost allocations to ensure financial accuracy.
• Assist in developing standardized reporting and financial governance processes across manufacturing operations.

Reporting & Analytics

• Develop and maintain financial dashboards and KPI reporting using tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or Excel.
• Analyze factory performance metrics including:
  • Manufacturing costs
  • Labor efficiency
  • Material usage
  • Waste and scrap
  • Inventory performance
  • Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
• Translate complex financial data into actionable recommendations for operational leaders.
• Support continuous improvement through enhanced reporting and business intelligence capabilities.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to streamline financial processes and improve reporting efficiency.
• Recommend process improvements that enhance financial visibility and strengthen operational decision-making.
• Support cross-functional continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, cost savings, and manufacturing excellence.
• Contribute to the development of financial tools, templates, and reporting best practices.

Career Growth

Potential future career paths include:

• Factory Finance Manager
• Commercial Finance Manager
• Senior Operations Controller
• Commercial Analyst
• Logistics Finance Analyst

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in Operations Finance, Cost Accounting, Manufacturing Finance, or Financial Planning & Analysis.
• Experience supporting manufacturing or supply chain operations.
• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.

Preferred

• CPA, CMA, or equivalent professional accounting qualification.
• Experience within FMCG, consumer packaged goods (CPG), food manufacturing, or industrial manufacturing.
• Experience with SAP or other ERP systems.
• Experience with Power BI, Tableau, or similar business intelligence platforms.

Knowledge & Skills

• Intermediate to advanced knowledge of:
  • Manufacturing P&L management
  • Cost accounting
  • Inventory accounting
  • Standard costing
  • Budgeting and forecasting
  • Variance analysis
  • Financial controls and governance

• Understanding of manufacturing operations and production processes.
• Knowledge of:
  • Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
  • Material flow
  • Yield and waste analysis
  • Labor productivity
  • Manufacturing KPIs
  • Inventory management

Technical Skills

• Experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred).
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Financial reporting and dashboard development.
• Power BI, Tableau, or similar data visualization tools.
• Strong financial modeling and data analysis capabilities.

Key Competencies

• Strong business partnering and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Close attention to detail and financial accuracy.
• Ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to operational leaders.
• Proactive, collaborative, and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

What's next 

If this position sounds interesting, please hit the apply button now!   

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