Cost Controller – Plant Controller

Jobtailor; Colorado; On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Nortrak is seeking a skilled cost accountant to own profitability analysis, cost accounting methods, and internal reporting for a manufacturing environment. You will drive accuracy in cost data, perform variance analyses, and support decision-makers with clear, action-oriented insights.

You will lead month-end close, budgeting, and revenue forecasting in SAP, collaborate across Purchasing, HR, and Sales to optimize costs, and champion process improvements and cost-saving initiatives.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in accounting, business or finance or equivalent.
• 3+ years accounting experience, ideally in manufacturing.
• Experience with financial planning and analysis.
• Understanding of cost accounting methodologies.
• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills with sound judgement.
• Advanced Excel, Word, and PowerPoint skills.
• Experience with ERP systems, ideally SAP.

Responsibilities

• Comply with safety policies and regulations.
• Complete month-end procedures and prepare internal management reports.
• Analyze profitability by product, project, and customer.
• Lead monthly financial reviews with the CFO, VP Controlling, Plant Manager, and other departments
• Support process improvement initiatives and cost-saving plans
• Perform profitability and cost analyses for projects, investments, and products
• Assist plant-level decision-making with regular and ad-hoc analyses
• Prepare internal budgets and monitor actual results against budget
• Prepare quarterly revenue forecasts with the production team
• Collaborate with Purchasing, HR, and Sales to optimize cost, pricing, and overhead
• Manage product costing in SAP and review standard costs monthly
• Review and reconcile labor reports and analyze actuals against production benchmarks
• Monitor inventory costing, balance, and movement
• Collaborate with Production on inventory counts and operations
• Identify, investigate, and resolve costing and labor variances
• Monitor compliance with internal plant policies
• Monitor vendor invoices, classify them, and address errors
• Monitor and resolve sales order issues with Sales and Account Managers
• Perform ad-hoc reporting and financial management tasks
• Support the plant team with analytical and financial tasks
• Keep costing current, accurate, and complete; verify estimated costs against actuals
• Manage deadlines and prioritize bids based on complexity, priority, and risks
• Identify and recommend cost-effective material, design, and process options
• Liaise with sub-trades for quotations and compare quotes with historical data
• Participate in production meetings and understand products and manufacturing procedures
• Perform peer reviews and provide feedback on other estimators’ work
• Maintain collaborative relationships with other functions and divisions
• Adhere to Nortrak environmental procedures, practices, and policies

Skills

Advanced Excel

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Professional judgement

Education

Undergraduate degree in Accounting, Business or Finance or equivalent

Tools

SAP

Job description

• Comply with all Nortrak safety policies and regulations
• Complete month-end procedures and prepare internal management reports
• Analyze profitability by product, project, and customer
• Lead monthly financial reviews with the CFO, VP Controlling, Plant Manager, and other departments
• Support process improvement initiatives and cost-saving plans
• Perform profitability and cost analyses for projects, investments, and products
• Assist plant-level decision-making with regular and ad-hoc analyses
• Prepare internal budgets and monitor actual results against budget
• Prepare quarterly revenue forecasts with the production team
• Collaborate with Purchasing, HR, and Sales to optimize cost, pricing, and overhead
• Manage product costing in SAP and review standard costs monthly
• Review and reconcile labor reports and analyze actuals against production benchmarks
• Monitor inventory costing, balance, and movement
• Collaborate with Production on inventory counts and operations
• Identify, investigate, and resolve costing and labor variances
• Monitor compliance with internal plant policies
• Monitor vendor invoices, classify them, and address errors
• Monitor and resolve sales order issues with Sales and Account Managers
• Perform ad-hoc reporting and financial management tasks
• Support the plant team with analytical and financial tasks
• Keep costing current, accurate, and complete; verify estimated costs against actuals
• Manage deadlines and prioritize bids based on complexity, priority, and risks
• Identify and recommend cost-effective material, design, and process options
• Liaise with sub-trades for quotations and compare quotes with historical data
• Participate in production meetings and understand products and manufacturing procedures
• Perform peer reviews and provide feedback on other estimators’ work
• Maintain collaborative relationships with other functions and divisions
• Adhere to Nortrak environmental procedures, practices, and policies

Requirements

• Undergraduate Degree in Accounting, Business or Finance or equivalent
• Minimum of 3+ years of accounting experience, ideally in manufacturing
• Experience with financial planning and analysis
• Understanding of cost accounting methodologies
• Ability to analyze financial and non-financial data and clearly articulate opportunities for improvement and/or risk areas
• Advanced Excel, Word, and PowerPoint skills
• Experience with ERP systems, ideally SAP
• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills combined with sound professional judgement
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Must work effectively in a noisy environment
• Ability to lift and move equipment or objects up to 20–25 pounds occasionally
• Occasional travel required

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in financial planning and analysis, cost accounting methodologies, and profitability analysis. Proficient in managing budgets, preparing internal reports, and collaborating across departments to optimize costs and improve processes.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Financial Planning And Analysis
• Cost Accounting Methodologies
• SAP Experience
• Advanced Excel Skills
• Analytical And Interpersonal Skills

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Profitability Analysis
• Budget Preparation
• Cost Analysis
• Internal Reporting
• Inventory Costing
• Financial Management
• Data Analysis
• Costing Management
• Month-End Procedures
• Revenue Forecasting

Soft Skills

• Interpersonal Skills
• Communication Skills
• Professional Judgement
• Collaboration
• Problem-Solving

Industry Keywords

• Manufacturing
• Cost-Saving Plans
• Process Improvement
• Vendor Management
• Compliance

Tools & Technologies

• SAP
• ERP Systems
• Excel
• Word
• PowerPoint