Plant Controller

Roessel Joy; Billerica (MA); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Roessel Joy is partnering with a growing manufacturer in the Greater Boston area to recruit a Plant Controller who will lead strategic finance for a fast-scaling site. You will own financial and operational performance, profitability, and work closely with site leadership, operations, and Commercial Finance.

The role offers a Hybrid work schedule (3 days on-site, 2 days remote) with compensation ranging from $160,000 to $190,000 plus a ~20% bonus, reflecting market norms for this leadership

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting required; MBA/CPA/CGFM preferred.
• Significant manufacturing finance experience; aerospace/defense/government contracting preferred.
• Deep expertise in standard costing, billable rate structures, and cost accounting.
• Proven ability to build cost models and turn financial insights into operational improvements.

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve standard cost structures for the site; ensure CAS/FAR and US GAAP compliance.
• Lead forecasting, financial close, and variance analysis; articulate key drivers and risks.
• Identify inefficiencies: labor variance, material waste, overhead absorption gaps; drive improvements.
• Partner with Commercial Finance on long-range profitability and scenario modeling; support capex decisions.
• Communicate complex financial insights clearly to non-finance audiences.

Skills

Cost accounting

Forecasting

Variance analysis

Cross-functional partner

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting

MBA/CPA/CGFM preferred

Tools

SAP

Excel

Financial modeling tools

Job description

We are partnering with a growing manufacturer that is looking for a Plant Controller to serve as the strategic finance leader for a fast-scaling manufacturing site in the Greater Boston area. This person will own the financial and operational performance, long-term profitability, and will be working closely with site leadership, operations, and Commercial Finance.

This role offers a Hybrid work schedule (3 days on-site, 2 days remote).

Expected compensation range is $160,000-190,000 plus expected bonus of around 20%

Cost Strategy & Financial Leadership

• Own and evolve standard cost structures for the site, aligned with government program requirements and cost accounting standards
• Drive rigor in billable rates and cost methodologies, ensuring compliance with CAS/FAR and US GAAP
• Develop activity-based costing frameworks that improve visibility into cost drivers and accountability

Operational Finance & Performance Management

• Serve as the primary finance business partner to site leadership, turning financial performance into operational decisions
• Lead forecasting, financial close, and variance analysis, clearly articulating key drivers and risks
• Identify and address sources of manufacturing inefficiency, including labor variance, material waste, and overhead absorption gaps

Strategic Planning & Profitability

• Partner with Commercial Finance on long-range product profitability strategy and scenario modeling
• Support make-vs-buy decisions, capital investments, and cost structure optimization
• Drive initiatives that strengthen the long-term cost competitiveness of the product portfolio

Partnership & Influence

• Build strong relationships with operations leaders, engineers, and site stakeholders to drive shared ownership of results
• Influence decisions across functions without direct authority
• Communicate complex financial insights in clear, actionable terms for non-finance audiences

Systems, Processes & Compliance

• Oversee inventory controls, cycle counts, and ERP data integrity (SAP)
• Drive process standardization, automation, and scalability across financial workflows
• Ensure compliance with government accounting requirements and internal control frameworks

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field; MBA, CPA, or CGFM preferred
• Significant manufacturing finance experience, ideally in aerospace, defense, or government contracting
• Deep expertise in standard costing, billable rate structures, and cost accounting methodologies
• Proven ability to build cost models and turn financial insights into operational improvements across planning, assembly, and test
• Strong analytical skills, with a track record of identifying inefficiencies and partnering cross-functionally on solutions
• Strong influencing skills and success partnering with senior operations leaders
• Experience with SAP, financial modeling tools, and data analysis platforms preferred
• Ability to lead change and standardize processes in a fast-scaling, complex manufacturing environment