Controller

Judge Direct Placement; Indiana (PA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Judge Direct Placement invites applications for a Plant Controller to lead the financial operations of a manufacturing plant. You will oversee cost accounting, GL, inventory, fixed assets, and internal controls, partnering with the General Manager to monitor KPIs and drive efficiencies.

You will manage CapEx, tool tracking, and intercompany reconciliations, ensuring GAAP compliance and adherence to corporate policies in a hands-on leadership role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field (CPA or CMA preferred).
• 5+ years of financial controlling/accounting experience within a high-volume manufacturing facility.
• Proficient with Plex ERP and advanced Excel; strong GAAP knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Manage monthly plant closing, GL transactions, subledgers, reconciliations in GAAP.
• Prepare and present financial statements, variance analyses, and KPIs for leadership.
• Develop and track plant operating metrics to drive budget performance.

Skills

Financial leadership

Cost accounting

GAAP knowledge

Lean/continuous improvement

Budgeting & forecasting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

CPA or CMA preferred

Tools

Plex ERP

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Our client is searching for a Plant Controller who will serve as the primary financial leader for the manufacturing facility. This operational and hands-on leadership role oversees all aspects of plant financial processes, cost accounting, general ledger maintenance, inventory control, fixed asset management, and internal controls. Working closely with the General Manager and plant leadership, the Plant Controller acts as a key strategic partner to monitor plant KPIs, drive operational efficiencies, manage production costs/variances, and ensure compliance with GAAP and corporate policies.

Responsibilities:

• Manage the monthly plant closing process, general ledger transactions, subledgers, balance sheet reconciliations, and journal entries in compliance with GAAP.
• Prepare and present monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements, variance analyses, and operational performance reports for the General Manager and corporate leadership.
• Develop, track, and deploy key plant operating metrics (KPIs) to drive site performance relative to budget and forecast targets.
• Counsel plant department heads on spending, cost containment, and potential operational risks.
• Maintain and optimize standard/actual cost systems for purchased inventory, manufactured components, sub-assemblies, and bill of materials (BOMs).
• Collaborate closely with the Materials and Logistics departments to evaluate scrap, scrap recovery, material usage variance (MUV), and labor/overhead efficiency variances.
• Oversee physical inventory counts and cycle counting processes, reconciling results to the general ledger and resolving root-cause discrepancies.
• Review, approve, and record capital expenditures (CapEx) and fixed assets, setting up appropriate depreciation schedules per corporate guidelines.
• Oversee customer tooling accounting, tracking customer purchase orders, expenditures, and timely tooling cost recovery.
• Direct and supervise the plant accounting team (e.g., Staff Accountants, AP/AR Specialists).
• Ensure robust internal financial controls are implemented to safeguard plant assets and prevent unauthorized use or fraud.
• Reconcile intercompany accounts and coordinate internal and external audit requirements.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field (CPA or CMA preferred).
• 5+ years of financial controlling/accounting experience within a high-volume manufacturing facility.
• Proficient with manufacturing ERP software (experience with Plex ERP is highly desirable).
• Advanced Microsoft Excel capabilities (data modeling, lookup formulas, pivot tables) and deep knowledge of cost accounting standards and GAAP.
• Experience with turnaround management, lean manufacturing concepts, or continuous improvement initiatives is a strong plus.