Assistant Plant Controller

Fresh Start Foods Canada Ltd.; Richmond; On-site; CAD 95,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health and dental cover

RRSP Matching Program

Annual Profit Sharing Bonus

Weekly paychecks

Employee Family Assistance Program

Career advancement opportunities

Employee Recognition Programs

Company-sponsored events

Training opportunities

Annual Safety Boot Allowance

Job summary

Fresh Start Foods Canada Ltd. is seeking an Assistant Plant Controller in Richmond, BC to provide financial oversight, budgeting, costing, inventory management, and business support to the Controller and Senior Leadership Team.

The role leads the onsite Finance team, collaborates with Shared Services, Operations, Purchasing, and Sales to deliver timely financial insights, improve margins, and strengthen internal controls in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in Accounting, Finance or related discipline.
• CPA designation or progress toward CPA designation is an asset.
• At least 5 years of progressive accounting, financial analysis, budgeting, costing, or finance experience.
• 1 year of experience in a Senior/Lead Accounting role.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong business acumen and ability to understand how operational decisions impact financial performance.
• Strong understanding of inventory, costing, gross margin, and profitability analysis.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain strong relationships across multiple departments.

Responsibilities

• Analyze monthly financial statements and variances against budgets/forecasts.
• Lead onsite Finance team and mentor staff.
• Partner on the annual budgeting process and rolling forecasts.
• Collaborate with Operations, Sales, Purchasing and HR to guide decisions.
• Oversee inventory accounting accuracy and variance root causes.
• Evaluate standard costs, BOMs, direct labor and overheads.
• Model pricing strategies and support margin improvement initiatives.
• Maintain internal controls and support audits.

Skills

Communication skills

Business acumen

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Leadership

Education

Degree or diploma in Accounting/Finance

CPA designation (asset)

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Fresh Start Foods Canada Ltd. Join one of the BEST teams in the Industry At Fresh Start Foods you'll find qualified professionals that stand out with their experience and understand that customers are at the centre of everything we do. We are seeking individuals: Who are customer centric Who are able to deliver on their commitments Who value individual excellence and collective performance Who care and give back - sustainable agriculture, the environment, corporate citizenship Who go above and beyond to provide options for our customers Who understand the foodservice/hospitality/retail business and bring extensive knowledge and experience

For more than 30 years, Fresh Start Foods has proudly delivered a full range of fresh produce solutions to customers across Canada. As a valued member of the Gordon Food Service (GFS) family of companies, we are honored to be recognized by Forbes as one of Canada’s Best Employers in 2026.

Position

Full-Time Assistant Plant Controller to join our team based out of our Richmond, BC location. The Assistant Plant Controller provides financial oversight, analysis, budgeting, costing, inventory management, and business support to the Controller and Senior Leadership Team. This role leads the onsite Finance team and works closely with Shared Services, Operations, Purchasing, and Sales to deliver accurate, timely, and meaningful financial insights. The position focuses on financial review, budget management, variance analysis, profitability, and strategic decision support. Through strong financial leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and effective internal controls, the Assistant Plant Controller supports margin improvement, operational efficiencies, cost management, and informed business decisions. Position: Full-Time Permanent Schedule: Monday to Friday, business hours. In office. Compensation: Depending on experience, between $95,000-105,000 per year, plus annual performance bonus.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Financial Review & Performance Analysis: Analyze monthly financial statements, investigate variances against budgets/forecasts, and communicate underlying trends, risks, and opportunities to leadership.
• Onsite Finance Leadership: Direct and mentor the local Finance team, setting work priorities, establishing quality control standards, and aligning onsite activities with corporate Shared Services.
• Budgeting & Forecasting: Partner with department managers and the Controller to lead the annual budgeting process, maintain periodic rolling forecasts, and build dynamic scenario models.
• Cross-Functional Strategic Partnership: Collaborate with Operations, Sales, Purchasing, and HR to interpret financial data, guide operational decision-making, and promote financial accountability across departments.
• Inventory Valuation & Control: Oversee inventory accounting accuracy, analyze cycle counts/physical reconciliations, monitor obsolescence/slow-moving reserves, and determine root causes of inventory variances.
• Product Costing & BOM Review: Evaluate standard costs, bills of materials (BOMs), direct labor, and overhead structures; analyze actual manufacturing spend against targets to safeguard gross margins.
• Pricing & Margin Optimization: Conduct profitability analyses by product, customer, channel, and facility; model pricing strategies for new opportunities and support product rationalization initiatives.
• Internal Controls & Audit Support: Monitor and refine internal control frameworks to mitigate risk, ensure GAAP/policy compliance, and coordinate internal and external audit documentation.
• Process & ERP Improvement: Identify opportunities to streamline finance workflows, automate reporting, enhance ERP system tools, and elevate data accuracy across business units.
• Executive Reporting & Special Projects: Develop executive dashboards, support capital expenditure evaluations, and perform ad-hoc financial analysis as requested by the Controller and Senior Leadership.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline.
• CPA designation or progress toward a CPA designation is considered an asset.
• At least 5 years of progressive accounting, financial analysis, budgeting, costing, or finance experience.
• 1 year of experience in a Senior/Lead Accounting role.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong business acumen and ability to understand how operational decisions impact financial performance.
• Strong understanding of inventory, costing, gross margin, and profitability analysis.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure, challenging environment.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain strong relationships across multiple departments.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health and dental benefits (including vision, prescription drugs, disability, and extended health coverage)
• Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) Matching Program
• Annual Profit Sharing Bonus
• Weekly paychecks
• Employee Family Assistance Program
• Opportunities for career advancement
• Employee Recognition Programs
• Company-sponsored events (Family Picnic, Staff Celebration, BBQs)
• Training opportunities
• Annual Safety Boot Allowance Program
• Full-time hours
• A team-oriented work environment

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those selected for the next stage will be contacted.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Fresh Start Foods is an equal opportunity employer who strives to provide an inclusive work environment that involves everyone and embraces the diverse talent of its people. All qualified applicants and employees will receive consideration for employment, or in terms or conditions of employment, without regard to any enumerated or analogous grounds of discrimination, including race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status, sexual orientation or status as a qualified individual with disability.

We Are Passionate About Produce Wholesale Fruits and Vegetable Suppliers From Coast To Coast Fresh Start Foods continues to be the leading value added and fresh produce supplier in Canada. Building on 25 years of growth and success, we understand the importance of satisfying the essential stakeholders in your business. We ensure that high quality and value is delivered from field to table. We understand the critical nature of fresh produce to your offering and work diligently to ensure you are able to exceed your customers expectations. With several well positioned locations in both Eastern and Western Canada, we are truly national and well positioned to deliver the freshest product possible. Fresh Start Foods has two additional companies within our food family, J.G. Fruits and Vegetables in Montreal distributes both whole and fresh cut fruit, vegetables and other related products. Our Eating New Creations facility in Mississauga focuses on meeting retail and food-service needs in the manufacturing and assembly of salad & meal kits, a variety of portioned salads, sandwiches, fruit cups and other portioned fresh and dry products.