Plant Controller

Optima Organizational Solutions; Silao (Ciudad); On-site; MXN 1,100,000 - 1,900,000; Full time

Job summary

Optima Organizational Solutions in Silao, Guanajuato seeks a Plant Controller to lead the financial activities of an automotive manufacturing operation, partnering with plant leadership to support profitability and performance.

The role combines manufacturing finance and cost accounting expertise with hands-on knowledge of plant operations, collaborating with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering and Corporate Finance to improve cost, productivity, working capital and EBITDA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 7–10 years in progressive finance/accounting, manufacturing preferred.
• 3–5 years of plant-level financial leadership or controlling.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, and cost control in manufacturing.
• Fluent or advanced English and Spanish required.

Responsibilities

• Lead all plant-level financial activities: budgeting, forecasting, month-end closing and reporting.
• Partner with Plant Manager and leadership team on financial insights.
• Analyze manufacturing costs, variances, and performance drivers.
• Maintain standard costing for labor, overhead, and materials.
• Manage CAPEX projects and ROI analyses.
• Ensure internal controls and regulatory compliance.
• Develop dashboards and reports to improve visibility and decision making.
• Lead and develop plant Finance/Accounting personnel.

Skills

Manufacturing finance

Cost accounting

Financial analysis

ERP systems

Excel

CAPEX evaluation

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's in Accounting/Finance/Business Admin

Tools

SAP

ERP systems

Job description

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Plant Controller to lead the financial activities of an established automotive manufacturing operation in Silao, Guanajuato. This position will serve as a key member of the plant leadership team, providing financial insight, cost analysis, controls, and business partnership to support operational performance and profitability.

The ideal candidate will combine strong manufacturing finance and cost accounting expertise with a hands-on understanding of plant operations. This individual will work closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Human Resources, and Corporate Finance to identify opportunities to improve cost, productivity, working capital, and overall financial performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all plant-level financial activities, including budgeting, forecasting, month-end closing, financial reporting, and performance analysis.
• Serve as the primary financial business partner to the Plant Manager and plant leadership team.
• Analyze manufacturing performance, identifying cost drivers, risks, trends, and opportunities for improvement.
• Manage and maintain accurate standard costing, including labor, overhead, material costs, routings, and manufacturing variances.
• Analyze purchase price, material usage, labor efficiency, scrap, productivity, freight, and overhead variances.
• Prepare annual operating budgets, forecasts, and long-range financial plans.
• Monitor plant profitability and provide recommendations to improve EBITDA, operating margin, cash flow, and working capital.
• Partner with Operations to establish and monitor key manufacturing and financial KPIs.
• Lead financial analysis for CAPEX projects, including business cases, ROI, payback, and post-investment reviews.
• Maintain strong controls over inventory, cycle counts, physical inventories, obsolete and excess materials, and inventory reserves.
• Ensure accurate monthly financial closing and reconciliation of plant accounts.
• Provide financial support for continuous improvement, Lean manufacturing, productivity, cost-reduction, and VA/VE initiatives.
• Support new product launches, customer programs, quoting activities, and changes in production volumes from a financial perspective.
• Ensure compliance with corporate accounting policies, internal controls, and applicable financial regulations.
• Coordinate and support internal and external audits.
• Identify financial and operational risks and proactively recommend corrective actions.
• Develop financial models and plant performance dashboards to improve management visibility and decision-making.
• Lead, coach, and develop plant Finance/Accounting personnel, as applicable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive finance/accounting experience, preferably within manufacturing.
• At least 3–5 years of plant-level financial leadership or controlling experience.
• Strong preference for experience within the automotive industry, ideally with a Tier 1 or Tier 2 supplier.
• Preparation of financial statements, with demonstrated knowledge of Mexican Financial Reporting Standards (NIF), IFRS (NIIF), SAT regulations, Federal Tax Code (CFF), Income Tax Law (LISR), Value Added Tax Law (LIVA), Carta Porte, Payment Complement requirements, and U.S. GAAP.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing cost accounting and standard costing systems.
• Demonstrated experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, inventory management, and manufacturing variance analysis.
• Strong understanding of plant operations and the relationship between operational KPIs and financial results.
• Experience supporting CAPEX, productivity, cost-reduction, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of internal controls and financial reporting requirements.
• Advanced proficiency with Excel and ERP systems; SAP experience is highly desirable.
• Experience working within a multinational manufacturing organization is preferred.
• Fluent or advanced English and Spanish required.