Plant Controller

We are looking for a Plant Controller to provide financial leadership for a manufacturing operation in Waterville, Maine. This role blends strong technical accounting knowledge with day-to-day partnership across plant leadership, helping translate operating activity into clear financial insight. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working closely with production teams, guiding performance improvement efforts, and supporting decisions that strengthen both efficiency and profitability.

Responsibilities:
• Collaborate with plant leaders and cross-functional partners to align financial guidance with production goals, cost management priorities, and overall business performance.
• Direct plant-level costing activities, including standard cost maintenance, product cost analysis, and review of manufacturing variances tied to labor, materials, scrap, yield, and equipment performance.
• Lead the budgeting, forecasting, and month-end review process, delivering timely analysis on financial results and key operating trends.
• Assess capital spending proposals by analyzing expected returns, cash flow impact, capacity needs, and operational benefits.
• Oversee inventory accounting, account reconciliations, and compliance with internal controls to support accurate and reliable financial reporting.
• Manage and develop the plant finance team by setting expectations, coaching performance, and encouraging accountability and continuous improvement.
• Identify opportunities to improve reporting methods, streamline financial processes, and increase the effectiveness of enterprise systems and plant reporting tools.
• Maintain an active presence within plant operations to understand daily challenges, investigate performance issues, and provide practical financial recommendations.
• Partner with operational stakeholders on initiatives that improve productivity, strengthen margins, and enhance cost competitiveness within the facility.• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related business discipline.
• At least five years of experience in manufacturing finance, cost accounting, or plant-level accounting leadership.
• Strong knowledge of standard costing, inventory accounting, variance analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and month-end close within a manufacturing setting.
• Experience supporting capital investment decisions and providing financial input for operational planning.
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams while building strong working relationships across finance, operations, and leadership groups.
• Advanced Excel skills and hands-on experience with ERP platforms and manufacturing finance processes.
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving abilities, with the capacity to turn complex data into actionable business recommendations.
• Background in paper, packaging, converting, or other process manufacturing environments is preferred, as is exposure to continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean or Kaizen.