Plant Controller

Red Rover Recruitment; Sardis (MS); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sardis, Mississippi facility is seeking a Plant Controller to lead the financial operations during a growth phase. You will own plant accounting, implement controls, and partner with leadership to scale the operation.

This role offers significant ownership, cross-functional interaction with the GM and corporate finance, and the chance to build the accounting function from the ground up as production and staffing expand. On-site with some flexibility as the function matures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field.
• Manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with cost accounting and standard costing.
• Experience with month-end close, budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis and reconciliations.
• Ability to review incomplete historical information and reconcile numbers.

Responsibilities

• Own plant accounting and financial reporting.
• Review six months of historical activity and establish a clean financial foundation.
• Develop and maintain standard costs within the plant.
• Prepare budgets, forecasts and variance analyses; report to leadership.
• Coordinate month-end close, journal entries, and balance-sheet reconciliations.
• Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll and related processes.
• Manage Mississippi tax requirements and incentives reporting.
• Build and lead the local accounting team as the operation grows.

Skills

Manufacturing accounting

Cost accounting

Standard costing

Month-end close

Budgeting & forecasting

Variance analysis

Financial reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or related field

Job description

Our client is one of North America’s leading contract manufacturers of household cleaning products, producing branded and private-label products for many of the continent’s best-known consumer marketers and retailers.

The company is making a significant investment in its relatively new Sardis manufacturing operation. The facility is moving from one production line to multiple lines and is expected to grow to approximately 120–130 employees across three shifts.

They are now looking for a Plant Controller who wants to build something.

This is not a mature plant where you inherit established processes and simply maintain them. You will become the financial leader for a rapidly developing manufacturing operation, working directly with a practical and supportive General Manager and partnering closely with corporate finance leadership.

The leadership team’s goal is ambitious: to build one of the strongest manufacturing businesses in the region and ultimately a benchmark operation within the company. The Controller will play an important role in helping them get there.

What You Will Build

The Sardis accounting function is still being established. Your initial priority will be getting the operation completely caught up financially and creating the structure needed to support its continued growth.

You will:

• Take ownership of plant accounting and financial reporting.
• Review approximately six months of historical accounting activity, correct gaps and establish a clean financial foundation going forward.
• Establish a reliable chart of accounts and strengthen plant expense-tracking processes.
• Develop and maintain standard costs within the manufacturing operation.
• Prepare budgets, forecasts and variance analyses and clearly explain results to plant and corporate leadership.
• Coordinate month-end close, journal entries, financial statements and balance-sheet reconciliations.
• Ensure accurate inventory accounting and physical inventory controls.
• Maintain fixed assets, depreciation schedules and capital-project payback analyses.
• Establish and ultimately oversee the plant’s local accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll and related accounting processes.
• Manage Mississippi sales and use tax requirements, tax exemptions, abatements and other state-specific reporting.
• Help ensure the company fully utilizes available Mississippi workforce and economic-development programs, including significant On-the-Job Training funding.
• Prepare audit schedules, property-tax schedules, insurance accruals and other external reporting.
• Develop practical accounting procedures, internal controls and management reporting.
• Provide plant leadership with clear, timely information about operating and financial performance.
• Build and eventually supervise the local accounting team as the facility expands.

What We Are Looking For:

We are looking for a hands-on manufacturing accounting professional who is comfortable taking ownership rather than simply maintaining an established system.

You should bring:

• A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field.
• Strong accounting experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on experience with cost accounting and standard costing.
• Experience with month-end close, budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis and balance-sheet reconciliations.
• Working knowledge of inventory accounting, fixed assets and general ledger management.
• The ability to review incomplete historical information, identify discrepancies and get the numbers right.
• A practical, straightforward communication style and the confidence to work closely with operational leadership.
• Experience developing accounting procedures, controls or processes during a period of growth.

Meaningful accounting experience in Mississippi is strongly preferred. The successful candidate should understand, or have substantial exposure to, Mississippi sales and use tax, tax exemptions, state reporting requirements, abatements, workforce funding programs or similar state-specific programs. The facility has important Mississippi incentives and reporting requirements that this individual will need to take ownership of quickly.

CPA or CMA credentials are welcome but are not required.

Why Consider It?

This is a rare opportunity to join an established North American manufacturer while its Sardis operation is still early enough that you can materially shape how the plant operates financially.

You will have significant ownership, direct access to both plant and corporate leadership, and the opportunity to build the accounting organization as production, headcount and customer activity expand.

The company is looking for someone who wants to put down roots, become an important part of the operation and grow with the business over the long term.

The position is based in Sardis, Mississippi, with candidates potentially commuting from Oxford, DeSoto County, the greater Memphis area and surrounding North Mississippi communities.

This should initially be viewed as an onsite position, particularly while the accounting function is being established and the historical work is being brought up to date. Some work-from-home flexibility may become possible once the function is running smoothly and the local accounting team is in place, depending on the individual and the needs of the facility.