Plant Controller

Korn Ferry; Marietta (GA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Korn Ferry is assisting a client in filling a Plant Controller role responsible for directing plant accounting activities, ensuring GAAP compliance, and maintaining fixed asset records. The position requires extensive collaboration with operations, engineering, and finance to optimize capital deployment and reporting.

Responsibilities include monthly close, budget preparation, labor load allocations, tax filings, and liaison with external auditors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field.
• CPA or CMA preferred.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in general and/or utility accounting.

Responsibilities

• Maintain plant asset records and depreciation rates.
• Prepare monthly financial reports and capital expenditure analyses.
• Lead tax filings and franchise tax payments across jurisdictions.
• Oversee labor load allocations and general ledger entries.
• Coordinate with operations, engineering, and external auditors.

Skills

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Organization & planning

Analytical skills

Supervisory

Confidential information

ERP systems

MS Office

Fixed asset systems

Initiative & ownership

Risk identification

Minimal supervision

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting

CPA or CMA (preferred)

Tools

PowerPlan

ERP systems

Fixed Asset systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Korn Ferry has partnered with our client on their search for the role, Plant Controller.

REPORTS TO: Controller

DIRECTS: Supervisor Plant Accounting; Accounting Associate I

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

To direct and oversee and accurately maintain work order activity, distribution plant, and fixed assets, to prepare plant asset accounting reports, and to maintain custodianship of plant accounting records for the Corporation. Be a key liaison with operations and engineering to assist in the optimal processes and reporting for all capital deployment. Provide financial review and analysis for monthly reporting documents and communicate to leadership any issues. Lead the property tax preparation process, filings, and payments for all jurisdictions and manage Franchise Tax payments for all required jurisdictions.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

INTERNAL:

• Receive direction and instruction from immediate supervisor.
• Provide direction and instruction to subordinate staff.
• Ability to coordinate and work well with senior management on a continuous basis.
• Communicate with Operations Division to obtain applicable information on records and supplies.
• Work with Accounting and Material Accounting departments to coordinate data exchange.
• Coordinate work order activity with Engineering and Mapping

EXTERNAL:

• Effectively serve all customers to achieve increased customer and public support of the Corporation.
• Effectively work with external auditors to provide assistance, advisement, and information

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Accounting Functions

• Ensure that accounting functions adhere to generally accepted accounting principles and practices, consistent with industry and regulatory standards.
• Analyze and review financial information to prepare entries to general ledger accounts.
• Perform variance analysis for budget to actual variances.
• Prepare and reconcile the monthly Labor Load allocation for company benefits.
• Ensure the accurate preparation of general ledger journal entries, allocations, overhead spreads, and month-end closings.
• Review Franchise Tax payment requests for local municipalities.
• Reconcile subsidiary ledgers to general ledger accounts, as required.
• Monitor the accounting of pre-capitalized equipment, labor, and installation estimates.
• Review the preparation of labor estimates for pre-capitalized equipment installation.
• Maintain Dossier fleet activity reports, inventory comparison, and equipment usage rates for company vehicles.
• Examine the trial balance for irregularities prior to preparation of monthly financial reports.
• Prepare the Annual Budget for General & Plant Accounting in Planful and enter the General Plant budget in PowerPlan.
• Improve business efficiency around processes and responsibilities.

Work Order and Distribution Plant Records

• Maintain accurate distribution plant records for the company utilizing PowerPlan as the system of record.
• Investigate and correct any unusual amounts on Staking Sheet Review Reports.
• Ensure material, labor, and overhead charges, and Contribution in Aid of Construction (CIAC) postings are supportable and consistent with corporate and industry practices prior to closing a work order
• Perform adjusting journal entries in PowerPlan for work order corrections.
• Review open work orders. Remove abandoned and duplicate work orders. Check status of aging work orders.
• Review blanket and individual work orders and report inconsistencies to Engineering.
• Ensure nightly interfaces between PowerPlan, NISC Financials, and Infor FSM complete each day.
• Coordinate with Engineering and Finance to review and analyze the annual Construction Work Plan budget in Planful, ensuring alignment with PowerPlan, capital expenditure reporting, and approved construction work plan assumptions
• Maintain system configuration to ensure accurate project and asset accounting

Fixed Asset and General Plant Records

• Maintain accurate general plant records and depreciation rates for the company.
• Identify and record additions, deletions, retirements, and selling of general plant items for the company.
• Assist with the inventory of general plant items for the company.
• Ensure month-end balances agree with general ledger fixed asset totals for the company and leased assets.

Reports/Forms

• Prepare and review monthly Financial and Statistical Board reports that go to the Controller and CFO.
• Review the Annual Property Tax Filing for the State of Georgia after prepared by the team.
• Prepare reports and provide additional information requested by external auditors.
• Prepare the monthly Capital Expenditures Report and work with engineering to determine the Year End Forecast.
• Review Cash Disbursements reports Prepare Budget & Finance Board minutes.

Supervision

• Handle all aspects of employment for subordinate staff, including hiring, promotion, training, and termination.
• Appropriately document actions on employment issues.
• Coach and direct learning through direct involvement and reinforcement.
• Analyze and manage daily workload and schedules.
• Monitor performance and conduct performance planning and review sessions.
• Ensure fair and consistent treatment of departmental employees.
• Actively support the efforts and intent of Equal Employment Opportunity.

EDUCATION/KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in general and/or utility accounting Demonstrate strong fundamentals of general accounting.

SKILLS:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organization and planning skills.
• Excellent reconciliation and analytical skills.
• Effective supervisory skills.
• Ability to appropriately handle confidential information.
• Proficiency with ERP systems, Microsoft Office products, and Fixed Asset systems.
• Demonstrate initiative and ownership in managing assigned accounting functions.
• Ability to identify risks or process gaps, resolve issues proactively, and ensure timely completion of departmental responsibilities. Experience with extracting data from software systems into spreadsheets.
• Previous supervisory experience.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.

Preferred:

• CPA or CMA
• Experience with PowerPlan or similar fixed asset system
• Previous utility industry experience in accounting or cost accounting.
• Familiarity construction assembly codes, material reporting requirements, FERC or RUS work order procedures, and industry practices