Plant Controller

Helios Technologies; Sarasota (FL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Benefits package

Job summary

Helios Technologies, at the Sun Hydraulics plant in Sarasota, FL, seeks a senior cost accounting leader to oversee cost accounting, inventory and the monthly close, driving accuracy and process improvements. You will mentor the finance staff, develop KPI dashboards in Power BI, and partner with plant leadership on budgeting, forecasting, CapEx ROI, and decision support for make/buy, pricing and capacity.

Required: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance; 8+ years in manufacturing accounting; 3+

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• 8+ years of progressive manufacturing accounting/finance experience including cost accounting and inventory.
• 3+ years of people leadership experience (direct supervision and/or leading through influence).
• Strong knowledge of US GAAP, internal controls, and audit support; SOX preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the plant month-end close, including journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and timely submission of results to corporate.
• Own cost accounting and inventory processes, including standard cost maintenance, BOM/routing support, variance analysis, inventory valuation, cycle counts, and physical inventory.
• Prepare and present KPI dashboards and financial reviews for plant leadership (margin, conversion cost, scrap, PPV, labor/overhead, absorption, working capital).
• Utilize and build Power BI reporting (data modeling, DAX, visualization) to interpret data and enable data-driven decisions.
• Drive budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning for the site with plant leadership; align assumptions and targets.

Skills

Cost accounting

Budgeting & forecasting

US GAAP

Data analysis

Process improvement

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

Power BI

Excel

Job description

Job DetailsJob Location: Sun Hydraulics 1500 - Sarasota, FL 34243Position Overview:

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Supervise the cost accounting function (currently 1 direct report)
• Attract, develop, and mentor finance staff to maximize performance and support career growth

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the plant month-end close, including the review of journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and timely submission of results to corporate
• Own cost accounting and inventory processes, including standard cost maintenance, BOM/routing support, variance analysis, inventory valuation, cycle counts, and physical inventory
• Prepare and present KPI dashboards and financial reviews for plant leadership (margin, conversion cost, scrap, PPV, labor/overhead, absorption, working capital)
• Utilize and build out Power BI reporting (including data modeling, DAX measures, and visualization best practices) to interpret operational and financial data and enable timely, data-driven decisions
• Turn complex data from multiple sources into clear reporting and actionable insights (dashboards, variance bridges, concise executive summaries)
• Drive budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning for the site; partner with leaders to align assumptions, targets, and actions
• Provide decision support for make/buy, pricing and margin, capacity, product mix, and profitability improvement initiatives
• Analyze manufacturing results vs. standard and plan; identify root causes and recommend corrective actions and cost-reduction opportunities
• Support capital planning (CapEx) by building business cases/ROI, preparing requests, tracking spend, and completing post-investment reviews
• Maintain an effective internal control environment; ensure compliance with company policy and US GAAP; support audits and remediation
• Partner with plant leadership on working capital management (inventory turns, payables/receivables coordination as applicable) and cash discipline
• Partner with General Accounting (AP, AR, and related functions) to troubleshoot issues and ensure accurate, timely reporting
• Lead, coach, and develop the plant finance team; set expectations, provide feedback, and improve processes through standardization and automation

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required
• 8+ years of progressive manufacturing accounting/finance experience, including cost accounting and inventory
• 3+ years of people leadership experience (direct supervision and/or leading through influence)
• Strong knowledge of US GAAP, internal controls, and audit support; SOX experience preferred
• ERP and manufacturing reporting experience advanced Excel skillsCPA and/or CMA preferred; MBA a plus

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong business partnering skills; able to translate financial results into operational actions
• Strong analytical skills (variance analysis, margin bridge, standard cost, working capital) with high attention to detail
• Effective communicator able to influence across levels and functions, including non-finance audiences
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop a team; comfortable managing priorities in a deadline-driven environment
• Advanced data visualization and reporting skills, including Power BI (report development, data modeling, and dashboard design)
• Continuous improvement mindset with experience improving processes, controls, and reporting through automation and standardization

What We Offer

• Direct exposure to senior finance and business leadership with meaningful responsibility and ownership
• Opportunities to grow alongside a global manufacturing organization
• Collaborative, improvement-oriented culture that values initiative and problem-solving
• Competitive compensation and benefits

Qualifications