Plant Controller

Truity Partners; Wauwatosa (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Truity Partners in the Wauwatosa area is seeking an experienced Controller to oversee accounting and financial performance across three plant locations. This role combines hands-on plant finance leadership with strategic partnership to operations and senior management.

You will drive budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning, deliver timely reporting, build financial models, and champion internal controls while enabling profitability across sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 6+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience.
• Manufacturing accounting and plant finance experience required.
• Experience as a finance partner to plant/operational leadership.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide accounting and finance leadership across three manufacturing locations.
• Serve as finance business partner to plant and operational leadership.
• Oversee plant-level accounting activities and timely financial reporting across locations.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and strategic financial planning for the plants.
• Analyze plant performance, operating results, costs, and key financial drivers to identify risks and opportunities.
• Partner with operations to evaluate business performance and develop actionable plans to improve profitability.
• Provide financial guidance on manufacturing costs, inventory, productivity, capital investments, and plant initiatives.
• Oversee month-end close activities and ensure review of financial results and reconciliations.
• Develop forecasts and financial models to support operational planning and resource allocation.
• Evaluate plant-level variances and communicate insights to finance and operations.
• Support capital expenditure planning and evaluate financial returns of investments.
• Maintain internal controls and ensure accounting practices align with policies and standards.
• Build relationships across locations and serve as a finance resource for plant leadership.
• Identify opportunities to improve financial processes, reporting, and visibility across sites.

Skills

Finance leadership

Operational partnership

Budgeting

Forecasting

Strategic planning

Financial reporting

Financial modeling

Multi-site oversight

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Job description

Our client is an organization in the Wauwatosa area looking for a Controller. Our client is looking for an experienced manufacturing finance professional who can serve as a strategic business partner while overseeing the accounting and financial performance of multiple plant locations. This role combines hands‑on plant finance leadership with operational partnership, strategic planning, and financial decision support across three sites.

The salary range for this position is $120k–150k.

The Controller will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following:

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide accounting and finance leadership across three manufacturing locations.
• Serve as a key finance business partner to plant and operational leadership, providing insight and recommendations that support business decisions.
• Oversee plant-level accounting activities and ensure accurate, timely financial reporting across assigned locations.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and strategic financial planning activities for the plants.
• Analyze plant performance, operating results, costs, and key financial drivers to identify risks and opportunities.
• Partner with operations to evaluate business performance and develop actionable plans to improve profitability and operational results.
• Provide financial guidance related to manufacturing costs, inventory, productivity, capital investments, and other plant initiatives.
• Oversee month‑end close activities and ensure appropriate review of financial results, reconciliations, and reporting.
• Develop forecasts and financial models to support operational planning, resource allocation, and strategic initiatives.
• Evaluate plant-level variances and communicate meaningful insights to finance and operational leadership.
• Support capital expenditure planning and evaluate the financial return of proposed investments.
• Maintain effective internal controls and ensure accounting practices are consistent with company policies and applicable accounting standards.
• Build strong working relationships across multiple locations while serving as a consistent finance resource for plant leadership.
• Identify opportunities to improve financial processes, reporting, controls, and visibility across the sites.
• Support broader business initiatives and provide financial leadership as operational priorities evolve.

The Controller will possess the following:

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
• 6+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience.
• Manufacturing accounting and plant finance experience required.
• Demonstrated understanding of plant-level financial operations, including costing, inventory, budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance analysis.
• Prior experience serving as a finance business partner to plant or operational leadership required.
• Experience taking ownership of the financial relationship with business or operational leaders and influencing decision-making.
• Previous Plant Controller, Site Controller, Plant Finance Manager, or similar operational finance leadership experience strongly preferred.
• Multi‑site experience is a plus; candidates with strong ownership of finance for a single manufacturing location who are ready to expand into multi‑site responsibility will also be considered.
• Strong understanding of the operational drivers behind manufacturing financial results.
• Proven ability to translate financial information into meaningful business recommendations for non‑finance leaders.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and strategic planning skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills with the ability to establish credibility across plant and corporate teams.
• Proactive, hands‑on leadership style with the ability to balance accounting oversight, operational partnership, and longer‑term strategic priorities.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The compensation philosophy reflects the Company's reasonable expectation at the time of posting. Actual compensation is influenced by a variety of factors including, but not limited to, skills, experience level, and overall qualifications. This role may also be eligible to participate in a discretionary incentive program and company‑sponsored benefits, subject to the rules governing those programs.