Plant Controller

Graham Packaging; Lee's Summit (MO); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Graham Packaging Company in Lee’s Summit, MO seeks a Plant Controller to partner with operations, drive profitability, and lead financial controls for a startup-style facility. The role focuses on cost accounting, inventory control, budgeting, forecasting, and performance improvement, reporting to the Regional Controller.

The ideal candidate will bring 5+ years in manufacturing finance, strong analytical skills, and the ability to influence cross-functional teams while ensuring SOX and internal

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience, preferably within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of cost accounting, inventory management, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of the organization.
• Proven ability to work independently while partnering effectively with both finance and operations teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead monthly financial close and ensure timely, accurate reporting of plant financial results.
• Analyze monthly operating results and communicate key drivers, risks, opportunities, and performance trends to plant and executive leadership.
• Develop and maintain annual operating budgets, monthly forecasts, and long-range financial projections.
• Identify and execute actions with plant leadership to achieve financial commitments.
• Perform detailed manufacturing variance analysis (labor, material, overhead, conversion costs).
• Develop and improve standard costing methodologies and processes.
• Oversee product standard costs to align with operations and cost expectations.
• Serve as financial scorekeeper for labor, spend, and plant productivity metrics.
• Ensure reporting tools and performance measures support daily operations.
• Support special projects, operational analyses, and strategic initiatives.

Skills

Cost accounting

Inventory management

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial analysis

Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Business

Tools

SAP

BW (Business Warehouse)

HFM

Power BI

Job description

Graham Packaging Company is a global leader in the design, manufacture, and sale of value-added, custom blow-molded plastic containers used for packaging branded food and beverage products, personal care and household products, chemicals, and lubricants. With annual sales exceeding $2 billion and more than 60 manufacturing facilities worldwide, Graham Packaging is a market leader in nearly every segment in which it operates.

Join Graham Packaging’s newest manufacturing facility in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of a start-up operation.

Join Graham Packaging’s newest manufacturing facility in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of a start-up operation. This is a unique opportunity for a hands-on finance leader who enjoys partnering with operations, building processes, influencing business decisions, and driving performance from the ground up.

As a key member of the Plant Leadership Team, the Plant Controller will help establish and maintain financial controls, reporting processes, inventory management practices, performance management tools, and strategic decision-support capabilities that will drive long-term operational success.

Position Summary

The Plant Controller reports directly to the Regional Controller and serves as the primary finance business partner for the Lee’s Summit manufacturing facility.

The ideal candidate is a proactive finance professional who can translate financial data into actionable business insights, drive accountability for operational performance, and ensure strong financial controls and reporting discipline. This individual will work closely with plant leadership to improve profitability, productivity, inventory performance, and capital investment decisions while supporting the facility’s continued growth.

This role is organized around three key areas of responsibility:

• Insight & Business Partnership
• Planning, Forecasting & Reporting

Insight & Business Partnership

• Serve as a key member of the Plant Leadership Team, providing financial leadership and strategic support for operational decision-making.
• Act as a trusted business partner to the Plant Manager and operational leaders, identifying opportunities to improve profitability, productivity, and cash flow.
• Identify and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) that impact conversion costs and operational efficiency.
• Analyze manufacturing costs, labor productivity, and operational performance to identify improvement opportunities and drive corrective actions.
• Support and promote continuous improvement initiatives, including A3 processes, waste reduction, productivity enhancement, and cost optimization efforts.
• Lead financial analysis and business case development for capital projects, maintenance initiatives, and cost-savings opportunities (AFEs).
• Evaluate plant profitability at the customer, product, SKU, and mold levels to support business decisions.
• Provide financial insights and recommendations that influence spending decisions, staffing levels, and resource allocation.
• Develop and deliver financial training to plant leadership and operational teams to improve understanding of cost drivers, financial performance, and operational levers.
• Support broader plant operations and cross-functional initiatives as business needs require, including safety, quality, and operational excellence programs.
• Maintain effective financial and operational controls that ensure compliance with company policies, SOX requirements, and internal control standards.
• Partner with internal and external auditors and support all audit-related activities.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of standard costs and cost accounting processes.
• Lead inventory control efforts to improve inventory accuracy, minimize variances, reduce obsolescence, and optimize working capital performance.
• Oversee monthly cycle counts, annual physical inventory activities, and inventory reconciliation processes.
• Coordinate and support successful execution of annual tagged physical inventories.
• Maintain fixed asset records and ensure completion of annual fixed asset verification and audit requirements.
• Monitor compliance with inventory management practices, including FIFO methodologies and inventory governance procedures.
• Identify and implement process improvements that strengthen financial controls and operational effectiveness.

Planning, Forecasting & Reporting

• Lead the monthly financial close process and ensure timely, accurate reporting of plant financial results.
• Analyze monthly operating results and communicate key drivers, risks, opportunities, and performance trends to plant and executive leadership teams.
• Develop and maintain annual operating budgets, monthly forecasts, and long-range financial projections.
• Partner with plant leadership to identify and execute actions required to achieve financial commitments.
• Perform detailed manufacturing variance analysis, including labor, material, overhead, and conversion cost performance.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve standard costing methodologies and processes.
• Review and approve product standard costs to ensure alignment with operational realities and cost expectations.
• Serve as the financial scorekeeper for labor, variable spending, and plant productivity metrics.
• Ensure plant leadership has the reporting tools and performance measures necessary to manage daily operations effectively.
• Support special projects, operational analyses, and strategic initiatives as required.

Key Areas of Focus

Success in this role will be measured by performance in the following areas:

• Conversion cost management
• Labor productivity improvement
• Inventory accuracy and control
• Forecast and budget accuracy
• Working capital performance
• Capital project execution and return on investment
• EBITDA improvement
• Operational partnership and business support

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience, preferably within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of cost accounting, inventory management, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of the organization.
• Proven ability to work independently while partnering effectively with both finance and operations teams.

Preferred

• Experience serving in a Plant Controller, Senior Cost Accountant, Operations Finance, or Manufacturing Finance role.
• Experience with SAP and enterprise financial systems.
• Experience with Business Warehouse (BW), HFM, Power BI, or similar reporting and data visualization tools.
• Experience supporting continuous improvement, Lean Manufacturing, or operational excellence initiatives.
• Experience in a startup, greenfield, expansion, or high-growth manufacturing environment