Manufacturing Plant Controller: Cost, Forecast & Controls

United Future; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

United Future seeks a seasoned Private Label Plant Controller to lead financial accounting, cost accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and internal controls for the plant supporting private label operations.

You will collaborate with plant leadership, private label units, and corporate finance to deliver accurate reporting, explain results, safeguard assets, and drive profitability and working capital improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Seven or more years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including substantial experience in manufacturing cost accounting.
• Demonstrated experience leading accounting or plant finance activities and collaborating across departments.
• Strong knowledge of standard costing, inventory valuation, manufacturing variance analysis, financial close, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Working knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles and internal controls.
• Ability to translate financial results into practical recommendations for plant and business unit leaders.
• Proficiency with ERP systems, Excel, and financial reporting tools.
• Strong communication, analytical, organizational, and problem‑solving skills.
• Food manufacturing or distribution experience preferred.
• CPA or CMA designation preferred.
• Experience improving accounting processes and supporting ERP implementations or conversions preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the plant’s monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close and reporting activities, including journal entries, accruals, account reconciliations, and analysis of operating results.
• Prepare plant budgets, forecasts, and financial inputs for the company’s annual operating and long-range plans.
• Maintain accurate standard costs for materials, labor, and manufacturing overhead. Partner with Operations to validate bills of materials, production routings, yields, and related cost assumptions.
• Analyze purchase price, material usage and yield, labor rate and efficiency, and overhead spending and absorption variances. Identify underlying causes and work with private label business unit and department leaders to track corrective actions.
• Oversee inventory accounting and valuation, cycle counts, physical inventories, and inventory reconciliations. Review slow-moving, obsolete, damaged, and expired inventory and recommend appropriate reserves.
• Partner with plant leadership to evaluate production costs, staffing, capacity utilization, waste, and improvement opportunities.
• Report plant financial and operating performance, clearly explaining results against budgets, forecasts, and prior periods.
• Support product and customer profitability analysis through accurate costing and analysis of product mix and contribution margins.
• Evaluate capital expenditure requests, including financial justification, payback, and return on investment. Track approved project spending and review results against expected benefits.
• Establish and maintain plant financial controls and written procedures covering inventory, purchasing, expenditures, fixed assets, and financial reporting.
• Coordinate plant audit support and resolve accounting and control findings with corporate finance.
• Partner with cost accounting and data management staff to maintain financial accuracy and the integrity of ERP master data.
• Improve plant accounting processes, reporting, and ERP data quality in partnership with Operations, IT, and corporate finance.
• Perform other duties consistent with the scope of the position.

Skills

Standard costing

Inventory valuation

Manufacturing variance analysis

Financial close

Budgeting

Forecasting

ERP systems

Excel

Financial reporting tools

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Food manufacturing experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field

CPA or CMA designation preferred

Tools

ERP systems

Excel

Financial reporting tools

Job description

United Future seeks a seasoned Private Label Plant Controller to lead financial accounting, cost accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and internal controls for the plant supporting private label operations.

You will collaborate with plant leadership, private label units, and corporate finance to deliver accurate reporting, explain results, safeguard assets, and drive profitability and working capital improvements.