Manufacturing Controller Lead

Freshpet Inc.

Ennis (TX)

On-site

USD 190,000 - 220,000

Full time

4 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401(k) plan with company match

Paid parental leave

Pet insurance

Tuition assistance

Generous PTO

Job summary

Freshpet is seeking a Manufacturing Controllership Lead to oversee finance and controllership across our manufacturing network, including plants in Bethlehem, PA and Ennis, TX, and our co-manufacturer. This role drives COGS, inventory control, standard costing, and budgeting across all sites, leading the plant controllership team.

We are looking for a collaborative finance leader who builds partnerships with Operations, Supply Chain, and Accounting to improve cost, gross margin, and performance

Qualifications

8+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience.
3+ years as a plant controller or in a manufacturing finance leadership role.
Multi-site or co-manufacturing experience is a plus.
Experience in food, CPG, or process manufacturing.

Responsibilities

Lead plant controllership across all sites and co-manufacturer.
Own COGS performance, materials usage, labor, overhead, and explain variances.
Oversee month-end close including accruals, inventory and cost reconciliations.
Develop and update product standard costs across sites and the co-manufacturer.
Manage inventory control across finished goods, raw materials, packaging, and spare parts.
Lead budgeting and forecasting across all sites with FP&A.
Own capital planning and ROI analysis for manufacturing projects.
Coordinate internal and external audits and maintain SOX controls.

Skills

Finance leadership

Manufacturing finance

Cross-site experience

Cost management

Education

Bachelor's in Accounting or Finance

CPA or MBA preferred

Tools

Microsoft D365

Power BI

AI tools (Copilot/ChatGPT)

Job description

Who We Are

At Freshpet, our goal is to change the way people nourish their pets forever. We strive to strengthen the bond between people and our pets so that we both live longer, healthier, and happier lives while being kind to the planet. We believe that if we can create fresh, real foods that pets love and help them live healthier lives, that their pet parents will also enjoy the many benefits of a rich life shared with a pet. IT'S AMAZING WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU START COMPLETELY FRESH!

What You Will Do

Freshpet is seeking a Manufacturing Controllership Lead to oversee finance and controllership across our manufacturing network, including our plants in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Ennis, Texas, and our co-manufacturing partner. This role owns cost of goods sold, inventory control, standard costing, and manufacturing budgeting and forecasting across all sites, and leads the plant controllership team. It reports to the Senior Director, FP&A and Manufacturing Finance, who reports to the CFO, and plays a central role in how Freshpet manages cost, gross margin, and performance.

We are looking for a collaborative, hands‑on finance leader who builds strong partnerships with cross‑functional finance leads as well as plant leadership, Operations, Supply Chain, Commercial, and Accounting. The right candidate is a team player with strong business judgment and an open mind who thrives in a fast‑paced environment. They bring consistency and discipline across sites while helping each plant improve its financial and operational performance.

How You Will Make An Impact

Network controllership leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop the plant controllership team across all manufacturing sites, including plant controllers, assistant plant controllers, and site controllership staff, and establish consistent processes, reporting, and standards across the network.
Cost of goods sold and productivity: Own COGS performance across the manufacturing network, including materials usage and yield, labor, conversion cost, and overhead, and clearly explain the drivers of variances to plan and prior year. Partner with Operations to identify, quantify, and track plant productivity and cost savings initiatives, driving cost reduction and gross margin improvement and ensuring savings are reflected in the plan and delivered.
Plant and COGS close: Provide full oversight of the site controllership teams in executing the month‑end plant and COGS close across all sites and the co‑manufacturer, including accruals, inventory and cost reconciliations, balance sheet reconciliations, and variance review. Review results and ensure a timely, accurate close in partnership with Accounting.
Standard costing: Oversee the development and annual update of product standard costs across all sites and the co‑manufacturer, ensuring accurate bills of materials, routings, and overhead rates.
Inventory control: Lead and coordinate inventory control across the business, including finished goods, raw materials, packaging, and spare parts, covering inventory valuation, excess and obsolete reserves, cycle counts and physical inventories, and reconciliation between operational and financial records.
Co‑manufacturing oversight: Provide financial oversight of our co‑manufacturing partner, including cost and invoice validation, inventory and yield reconciliation, tracking performance against agreed terms, and supporting the financial evaluation of co‑manufacturing and capacity decisions.
Budgeting and forecasting: Lead the manufacturing budget and forecast process across all sites, partnering with plant leadership and FP&A to deliver accurate COGS and gross margin outlooks for the annual operating plan, latest estimates, and long‑range plan. Support the Senior Director, FP&A and Manufacturing Finance with budgeting and forecasting insights, including the manufacturing outlook and key risks and opportunities.
Capital expenditures: Own capital planning and spending across the manufacturing network in partnership with Engineering and Operations, including return and payback analysis on capital proposals, tracking spend against approved budgets, project closeout and capitalization, and reporting on capital performance.
Audit and internal controls: Coordinate and support internal and external audits for manufacturing and inventory, and maintain strong internal controls and compliance with company policies, SOX requirements, and GAAP.
Cross-functional partnership: Work closely with Supply Chain Finance, Operations, Engineering, Procurement, and Accounting to align on cost drivers, network decisions, and supply planning.
Commercial partnership: Collaborate with the Commercial and Commercial Finance teams on innovation, network and capacity planning, and capital needs, providing manufacturing cost insight for new items, volume and mix changes, and capacity investments.
Reporting and KPIs: Develop and maintain consistent KPIs and performance reporting across sites, and support the preparation of senior management and Board materials on manufacturing and gross margin performance.
Process improvement: Build standardized, replicable reporting across all sites and the co‑manufacturer, and streamline the work of the site controllership teams through data integration and automation so the team can spend more time on analysis and business partnership. Leverage D365, Power BI, and AI tools to drive consistency and efficiency across plant finance.

What You Will Bring

Experience: 8+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including at least 3 years as a plant controller or in a manufacturing finance leadership role, with proven results in reducing manufacturing costs, improving inventory accuracy, and strengthening controls. Multi‑site or co‑manufacturing experience is a plus, as is experience in food, CPG, or process manufacturing.
Education: Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA or MBA preferred.
Technical expertise: Deep knowledge of standard costing, inventory accounting, manufacturing variance analysis, and GAAP, with experience in a SOX‑compliant, public company environment.
Leadership: Proven ability to lead, develop, and elevate the capabilities of finance teams.
Business partnership: Strong track record partnering with plant, operations, and cross‑functional leaders and translating financial results into practical recommendations. A collaborative, open‑minded team player who thrives in a fast‑paced environment.
Systems and tools: Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and experience with an ERP system (Microsoft D365 preferred) and Power BI. Hands‑on experience using AI tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, or Claude) and integrating data sources to automate reporting and improve team productivity.
Communication skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present manufacturing and cost results clearly to senior leadership.
Travel: Ability to travel to manufacturing sites and the co‑manufacturer (up to 20%, depending on location).

What We Offer

The range for this position is: $190,000-$220,000

At Freshpet, we offer a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance, basic and optional life insurance, short- and long-term disability protection, flexible spending accounts, and a 401(k) plan with company match, paid parental leave, pet insurance, tuition assistance, a generous PTO plan and so much more!