Plant Controller

SODECIA - AAPICO JV LLC; Troy (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Plant Controller at SODECIA - AAPICO JV LLC will lead all financial activities at the Troy, Michigan manufacturing facility, ensuring strong governance, reporting, and cost control while partnering with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain.

This on-site role requires preparing budgets, forecasts, and monthly closes, supporting capital investments, measuring performance with KPIs, and ensuring compliance with SOX and GAAP as the plant scales toward the Orangeburg site in 2027.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive finance experience in automotive or manufacturing.
• 3–5 years in a plant controller or manufacturing finance leadership role.
• Experience with high-volume manufacturing, standard costing, and inventory accounting.

Responsibilities

• Lead budgeting, forecasting, month-end close, and financial reporting for the plant.
• Analyze manufacturing costs, variances, and EBITDA performance to drive cost reductions.
• Partner with operations to support lean initiatives, capital projects, and program launches.
• Ensure SOX/internal controls compliance and manage inventory processes.
• Provide financial insights to plant manager and cross-functional teams.

Skills

Financial leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Budgeting & forecasting

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration

CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred

Tools

SAP

QAD

Plex

Oracle

Excel (Advanced)

Job description

This position will be located in Troy Michigan for a brief period. The successful candidate will need to be onsite in Troy Michigan until our plant is ready for occupancy in Orangeburg South Carolina in the first quarter of 2027.This position will be on-site and in office five days each week.Position SummaryThe Plant Controller is responsible for leading all financial activities within the manufacturing facility, ensuring strong financial governance, operational performance visibility, cost control, and compliance with corporate and customer requirements. The role partners closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Commercial, and Program Management teams to support profitable growth, operational excellence, and continuous improvement initiatives within a high-volume automotive manufacturing environment.The Plant Controller acts as a strategic business partner to plant leadership by driving financial transparency, supporting capital investment decisions, improving manufacturing efficiencies, and ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting in accordance with corporate policies and accounting standards.Key ResponsibilitiesFinancial Leadership & Reporting• Lead all plant financial activities including budgeting, forecasting, month-end close, financial analysis, and reporting.• Prepare and analyze weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and operational performance metrics.• Ensure accuracy and integrity of plant financial data in compliance with corporate accounting standards, GAAP, and internal controls.• Support preparation of annual business plans, strategic plans, and long-range financial forecasts.• Present financial performance reviews to plant leadership and corporate management.Cost Management & Manufacturing Finance• Monitor and analyze manufacturing costs including labor, overhead, scrap, logistics, tooling, and material variances.• Drive cost reduction initiatives through detailed operational and financial analysis.• Lead standard costing activities, BOM validation, labor and overhead rate calculations, and inventory valuation.• Analyze production efficiencies, downtime, utilization, OEE, and throughput impacts on financial performance.• Support quoting and program profitability analysis for new business awards and engineering changes.• Partner with operations teams to improve EBITDA performance and manufacturing productivity.Budgeting & Forecasting• Develop annual operating budgets and rolling forecasts aligned with plant operational targets.• Monitor actual performance versus budget and identify financial risks and opportunities.• Provide variance analysis with actionable recommendations to leadership teams.• Support scenario planning and financial modeling for production volumes, labor planning, and capital investments.Internal Controls & Compliance• Ensure compliance with corporate financial policies, SOX/internal control requirements, and audit standards.• Maintain strong inventory control processes including cycle counts, physical inventories, and reconciliation activities.• Coordinate internal and external audits and implement corrective actions as required.• Ensure compliance with tax, legal, environmental, and regulatory financial obligations.Capital & Investment Management• Evaluate and support capital expenditure requests, ROI analysis, and investment justifications.• Monitor capital spending versus approved budgets and timing.• Support launch activities for new programs, equipment installations, automation investments, and facility expansions.• Track program launch costs and support post-launch financial performance reviews.Operational Partnership• Act as financial business partner to Plant Manager and cross-functional leadership teams.• Support lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, Industry 4.0, and operational excellence initiatives.• Participate in APQP, launch reviews, customer program reviews, and operational meetings.• Provide financial insight into labor planning, inventory optimization, make-versus-buy decisions, and sourcing strategies.Team Leadership• Lead and develop plant finance/accounting personnel.• Establish clear KPIs, objectives, and performance expectations for finance team members.• Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and collaboration.• Support talent development, succession planning, and employee engagement initiatives.Education• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field required.• CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred.Experience• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive finance/accounting experience within automotive or manufacturing environments.• Minimum 3–5 years in a plant controller or manufacturing finance leadership role.• Experience supporting high-volume automotive OEM or Tier-1 supplier operations preferred.• Strong understanding of standard costing, inventory accounting, manufacturing variances, and operational finance.• Experience with launches, APQP processes, capital projects, and customer-driven manufacturing environments.Technical Skills• Strong knowledge of ERP systems such as SAP, QAD, Plex, Oracle, or similar manufacturing systems.• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, financial modeling, and data analytics tools.• Experience with MES, BI dashboards, and manufacturing KPI reporting preferred.• Understanding of lean manufacturing principles and operational performance metrics.• Familiarity with automotive customer requirements and IATF manufacturing environments.Leadership Competencies• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking.• Excellent communication and presentation skills.• Ability to influence cross-functional teams in a matrix organization.• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.• High level of integrity, accountability, and attention to detail.• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced automotive manufacturing environments.Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)• EBITDA performance• Budget vs. actual performance• Manufacturing cost reduction• Inventory accuracy• Scrap and labor variance performance• Forecast accuracy• Working capital performance• Capital spending adherence• Audit compliance results• Launch financial performanceWork Environment• Automotive manufacturing plant environment.• Frequent interaction with operations, engineering, production, and corporate finance teams.• Occasional travel to customer, supplier, and corporate locations may be required.