Plant Controller
Glendale Heights, IL | $120,000–$145,000 + 10% Bonus | Onsite
Are you a hands-on manufacturing finance professional who enjoys working closely with operations, digging into production costs, and turning financial data into meaningful business decisions?
Our client, an established food manufacturing company, is seeking a Plant Controller to take ownership of plant-level financial performance at its Glendale Heights facility. This is a highly visible, hands-on role that combines cost accounting, financial analysis, operational partnership, and strategic decision support.
You will serve as the primary finance resource for a large manufacturing operation, working directly with plant leadership to understand production performance, identify cost-saving opportunities, and improve profitability.
This is an individual contributor position with no direct reports, ideal for someone who enjoys being close to the manufacturing process rather than managing a large accounting team.
What You Will Do
- Own plant-level cost accounting, financial reporting, margin analysis, and financial performance.
- Develop, maintain, and analyze standard costs, including raw materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead.
- Lead detailed variance analysis, including material usage, purchase price variances (PPV), yield, labor efficiency, and overhead absorption.
- Analyze complex product costing, bills of materials (BOMs), production yields, and manufacturing cost drivers.
- Manage monthly financial close activities, forecasting, and the annual plant budgeting process.
- Develop KPI dashboards, financial models, and reports to monitor plant performance and identify improvement opportunities.
- Partner closely with operations leadership and production teams to understand manufacturing challenges and recommend cost improvements.
- Spend time on the manufacturing floor to understand production processes, material usage, labor, and operational performance.
- Prepare and present monthly financial results, business reviews, and recommendations to senior and executive leadership.
- Oversee inventory controls, cycle counting, and inventory-related financial accuracy.
- Conduct ROI analysis for capital expenditures and support plant investment decisions.
- Support financial audits, year-end inventory reviews, and other financial compliance activities.
What We Are Looking For
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 5+ years of manufacturing or plant finance experience, including hands-on cost accounting and variance analysis.
- Strong experience with standard costing, product costing, BOMs, and manufacturing cost structures.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze material usage, yield variances, labor costs, and overhead absorption.
- Experience in a complex manufacturing environment, preferably food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, or another industry with multiple ingredients, components, or production steps.
- Advanced Excel skills, including financial modeling, data analysis, and building reports and dashboards.
- Experience with manufacturing ERP systems.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify cost drivers and translate financial data into actionable recommendations.
- Ability to work directly with production managers, operations leadership, and executive stakeholders.
- Strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to explain financial results to non-financial audiences.
- Self-motivated, organized, and comfortable working independently in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Why This Opportunity?
This is an excellent opportunity for a manufacturing finance professional who wants to have a direct impact on plant performance and profitability. You will have significant ownership of the financial function at a large manufacturing facility, working closely with operations and presenting financial results and recommendations to executive leadership.
Unlike traditional accounting positions focused primarily on reporting, this role offers the opportunity to get involved in manufacturing operations, understand how products are made, analyze cost drivers, and influence decisions that improve business performance.
Compensation & Benefits
• Base Salary: $120,000–$145,000
• Annual Bonus: 10% performance bonus opportunity
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company matching and immediate vesting
- Paid vacation and holidays
- Life and disability insurance
- Health savings and flexible spending account options
- Additional employee benefit programs
Position Details
Location: Glendale Heights, Illinois Schedule: Full-time, onsite, Monday–Friday Position Type: Individual Contributor – No Direct Reports Industry: Manufacturing / Food Production
If you are a manufacturing finance professional who enjoys working with operations, solving complex costing challenges, and making a measurable impact on plant performance, we would like to hear from you.
Apply today to learn more about this opportunity!