Plant Controller

Gay Lea Foods; Calgary; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Gay Lea Foods is seeking an Accounting Manager in Calgary to lead the accounting team and manage financial matters related to its dairy manufacturing operations. The role requires a minimum of 5 years of cost accounting experience and offers the chance to drive growth and profitability while working closely with production management.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of cost accounting experience.
• Experience in operational accounting and variance analysis preferred.
• Strong decision-making and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage accounting team and oversee daily operations.
• Prepare financial statements and perform variance analysis.
• Collaborate with operations management to enhance profitability.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving

Communication

Education

Professional accounting designation

Tools

MS Office

ERP systems (preferably MS D365)

Job description

Job Description

Posted: Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 4:00 AM

Department: Finance

Reports to: Snr Director of Operations & Supply Chain Finance

Status: Full-time, Onsite 5 days a week

Job Scope:

Reporting to the Snr Director of Operations & Supply Chain Finance, this position manages all accounting responsibilities related to the plant’s financial statements and budgets. The role collaborates closely with the operations management team to drive growth and enhance profitability at the plant level.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the accounting team (3 FTE), overseeing daily operations, setting goals, coaching, mentoring, training, and managing performance.
• Prepare accurate monthly and annual financial and operating statements, including variance analysis.
• Coordinate with production management to provide insights on plant efficiencies regularly.
• Analyze variances against standard costs and operational benchmarks.
• Prepare and submit Milk utilization reports to the Dairy Board.
• Create cost estimates for new products.
• Assist with cost-benefit analyses for CapEx projects and monitor expenditures.
• Calculate savings from cost-saving initiatives.
• Conduct financial modeling and scenario analysis to evaluate impacts and opportunities.
• Research and coordinate costing, pricing, and margin analysis for division products, collaborating with sales, marketing, production, and distribution teams.
• Provide budgeting data aligned with the corporate consolidated operating budget.
• Analyze labor costs and other manufacturing drivers.
• Perform other ad hoc projects as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Professional accounting designation is an asset.
• Minimum 5 years of cost accounting experience with strong conceptual knowledge.
• Experience in operational accounting, cost analysis, plant standards, and variance analysis is preferred.
• Experience in a dairy manufacturing environment is a strong asset.
• Proven leadership and team management skills.
• Experience in food manufacturing is advantageous.
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Highly analytical and process-oriented.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, Outlook) and ERP systems, preferably MS D365.

Gay Lea Foods is a proud Canadian-owned dairy company with a diverse portfolio of brands including Gay Lea Butter, Nordica Cottage Cheese, Ivanhoe Cheese, Salerno Cheese, and Hewitt’s Dairy. Our products are sold across Retail, Foodservice, Industrial, Co-pack, and Export markets from 13 manufacturing facilities in Ontario and Alberta.

We are committed to delivering high-quality, innovative products, from Spreadables and North America’s first Smooth Cottage Cheese to Nothing But Cheese snacks. Our culture emphasizes excellence, entrepreneurship, and a business owner mindset.

Learn more about us at: http://www.gaylea.com

Gay Lea Foods is an equal-opportunity employer that values diversity. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request throughout our recruitment process.

Thank you for your interest in Gay Lea Foods. Wishing you success in your career search!