Plant Controller

Vaco by Highspring; Fort Worth (TX); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food and beverage manufacturer is seeking a Controller for their Fort Worth plant. This individual will oversee all accounting functions, including month-end close, budgeting, and operational analysis. The role demands experience in manufacturing finance and solid knowledge of U.S. GAAP. The successful candidate will lead financial processes and support operational initiatives in a rapid-growth environment. Competitive compensation of $150-160K plus additional bonuses is offered.

Qualifications

• 7-12+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience.
• Prior experience in manufacturing or plant-level finance strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP and manufacturing accounting practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes.
• Prepare and review journal entries, account reconciliations.
• Develop financial models to support operational decisions.

Skills

Accounting

Financial modeling

Cost accounting

U.S. GAAP knowledge

Excel

Budgeting

Forecasting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

CPA or CMA

Tools

ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite)

Job description

Fort Worth, TX (onsite first 6 months, hybrid afterwards)

One of Vaco's food and beverage manufacturing clients is looking for a Controller to lead the charge on both accounting and finance functions for a plant location in Fort Worth. The Plant Controller will oversee the full spectrum of plant-level accounting functions, including month-end close, cost accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and operational analysis. This individual will play a critical role in building scalable financial processes and providing actionable insights as the facility ramps production and grows.

This is a hyper-growth environment with the parent company setting up shop in the last 5 years, opening their Fort Worth plant in the last year and have plans for rapid East coast expansion.

Compensation: $150-160K + 10-15%

Day-to-Day

• Lead the monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes for the plant, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting.
• Prepare and review journal entries, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Ensure compliance with U.S. GAAP and company accounting policies.
• Maintain the integrity of the plant's balance sheet and income statement.
• Coordinate with corporate finance to support consolidated financial reporting.
• Own the plant cost accounting structure, including standard costing, inventory valuation, and cost variance analysis.
• Analyze production costs, labor efficiency, material usage, and overhead absorption.
• Monitor and report on key manufacturing metrics such as: cost per unit, scrap and yield, labor utilization, production variances
• Lead the development of the plant's annual operating budget and periodic forecasts.
• Analyze financial results against budget and forecast, providing detailed variance analysis.
• Develop financial models to support operational decisions, capital investments, and capacity planning.
• Provide plant leadership with insights to improve profitability and operational performance.
• Serve as a key business partner to the Plant Manager and operations leadership team.
• Provide financial analysis to support operational initiatives, productivity improvements, and margin expansion.
• Oversee inventory accounting and controls, including cycle counts and annual physical inventories.
• Establish and maintain strong internal controls over financial reporting and plant operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required
• CPA or CMA preferred7-12+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience
• Prior experience in manufacturing or plant-level finance strongly preferred
• Experience in cost accounting and inventory accounting
• Exposure to budgeting, forecasting, and operational financial analysis
• Experience supporting plant operations or manufacturing leadership teams
• Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP and manufacturing accounting practices
• Deep understanding of standard costing, inventory controls, and variance analysis
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, or similar)