Plant Controller - Finance

Sodecia Automotive Auburn; Auburn (AL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Sodecia Automotive Auburn is seeking a Plant Controller to lead finance for a high-volume automotive manufacturing plant in Alabama. You will drive budgeting, forecasting, cost analyses, and capital investment ROI, partnering with Operations to improve EBITDA and operational performance.

The role requires strong knowledge of standard costing, inventory control, and cross-functional collaboration. You will report to plant leadership and support compliance, audits, and continuous improvement

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field is required.
• CPA, CMA, or MBA is preferred.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive finance/accounting experience in manufacturing.
• 3–5 years in plant controller or manufacturing finance leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead all plant financial activities including budgeting, forecasting, month-end close, reporting, and financial statement analysis.
• Monitor manufacturing costs (labor, overhead, scrap, logistics, tooling, material) and drive cost reduction.
• Ensure GAAP compliance, internal controls, and SOX requirements, plus inventory accuracy.
• Evaluate capital expenditure requests, ROI analyses, and post-launch financial reviews.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, and Program Management to support EBITDA and productivity.
• Provide variance analysis with actionable recommendations to leadership.

Skills

Financial leadership

GAAP knowledge

Budgeting & forecasting

Cost analysis

ERP systems

Inventory control

Lean manufacturing

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance

CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred

Tools

SAP

QAD

Plex

Oracle

Excel

Job description

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.