Plant Controller

Albemarle Limitada; Magnolia (AR); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Albemarle is hiring a Plant Controller for its Magnolia, AR site. This on-site role partners with site leadership to drive financial accountability, cost discipline and informed decision-making, translating data into actionable insights to improve cost, cash and profitability.

The role leads plant planning, close processes, and forecast accuracy, collaborating with operations, procurement, and maintenance to optimize productivity and capital investments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in finance, business, engineering or related quantitative discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of progressive finance or accounting experience, including at least 5 years in FP&A, plant controlling, manufacturing finance, or site finance business partnering.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior finance leader and business partner for the Magnolia site, driving financial accountability and informed decision-making.
• Own plant financial planning and performance: budgeting, forecasting, standard costing, inventory valuation, cost and margin analysis, and financial reporting.
• Lead month-end, quarter-end and year-end close, including reconciliations, accruals, and variance reporting.
• Develop cost-management cadence by linking volume, yield, material usage, labor, energy and overhead to financial results.
• Analyze performance against budget/forecast; identify root causes, risks and opportunities for improvements.
• Lead the Annual Operating Plan, rolling forecasts, scenario analysis and predictive insights to improve forecast accuracy.
• Collaborate with operations, supply chain, maintenance, engineering, procurement, and commercial teams to improve productivity and cash performance.
• Evaluate capital projects and productivity initiatives, including cash flow and post-investment benefits.
• Develop driver-based models and dashboards using SAP, Excel and BI tools for reliable financial insights.
• Strengthen data quality and governance across SAP modules; simplify processes and reduce manual work.
• Ensure compliance with US GAAP, SOX, policies and internal controls, coordinating audits.
• Communicate complex financial topics clearly to influence cross-functional decisions.

Skills

SAP FI/CO

SAP COPA

SAP MM

Purchasing

Production data

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance/Business/Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Job Description

We work together to transform essential resources into critical ingredients for mobility, energy, connectivity and health. Join our values-led organization committed to building a more resilient world with people and planet in mind. Our core values are the foundation that make us successful for ourselves, our customers and the planet.

Albemarle is hiring for a Plant Controller . This position is located in Magnolia, AR , on-site.

What You Will Do

The Plant Controller is the senior finance leader and trusted business partner for the Magnolia site. As a core member of plant leadership, this role owns plant financial performance and drives disciplined, fact-based decision-making. You will translate operational and financial data into actionable insights that improve cost, cash, productivity, and profitability.

• Serve as the finance co-pilot to plant leadership , partnering closely with the Plant Manager and operations leaders to drive financial accountability, cost discipline, and informed decision-making.
• Own plant financial planning and performance, including budgeting, forecasting, manufacturing accounting, standard costing, inventory valuation, cost and margin analysis, and financial reporting .
• Lead accurate and timely month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close , including reconciliations, accruals, inventory accounting, and variance reporting.
• Establish a rigorous cost-management cadence , connecting key operational drivers such as volume, yield, material usage, labor, maintenance, energy, downtime, and overhead to financial results.
• Analyze performance against budget, forecast, and prior year; identify root causes, risks, opportunities, and corrective actions for unfavorable variances and cost leakage.
• Lead the Annual Operating Plan, rolling forecasts, scenario analysis, and predictive insights to improve forecast accuracy and identify cost, margin, and cash risks early.
• Partner with operations, supply chain, maintenance, engineering, procurement, and commercial teams to improve productivity, working capital, inventory, and cash performance .
• Evaluate capital projects and productivity initiatives , including assumptions, cash flow, returns, risks, alternatives, and post-investment benefits.
• Develop driver-based models, dashboards, and automated reporting using SAP, Excel, and applicable business-intelligence tools , creating reliable and transparent financial insights.
• Strengthen data quality and governance , particularly SAP production, purchasing, costing, and master data, while identifying opportunities to simplify processes and reduce manual work.
• Ensure compliance with US GAAP, SOX, company policies, and internal controls , including coordination of audits and timely resolution of findings.
• Communicate complex financial and operational topics in clear, practical terms and influence cross-functional decisions without relying on formal authority .

It'd be great if you also have:

• Demonstrated track record of driving measurable cost reduction, stronger cost ownership, and improved plant profitability in a complex manufacturing environment.
• Outstanding analytical ability: rapidly structures ambiguous problems, interrogates large data sets, detects patterns and anomalies, tests assumptions, and converts findings into action.
• Highly technical and hands-on, with the curiosity and persistence to trace results through operational data, systems, and plant-floor drivers.
• Deep expertise in manufacturing finance, financial planning and analysis, cost and margin analysis, and business performance management.
• Strong business judgment and constructive challenge; comfortable taking a clear position, escalating issues, and holding peers accountable while building trusted relationships.
• Exceptional accuracy, structured thinking, attention to detail, and ability to deliver under tight deadlines without losing sight of business priorities.
• Clear, concise communicator who can translate complex finance and data topics for operators, engineers, executives and auditors.
• Continuous-improvement mindset, high learning agility, and the capacity to grow into broader finance leadership roles.

What You Bring

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Engineering, or a related quantitative discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of progressive finance or accounting experience, including at least 5 years in FP&A, plant controlling, manufacturing finance, or site finance business partnering.
• Advanced SAP expertise-particularly FI/COPA, MM, Purchasing, and production data-with the ability to extract, analyze, and i