Plant Controller

PLANT CONTROLLER

Location: South Suburbs of Chicago, IL

Full-Time | Onsite Manufacturing Environment

Drive Financial Performance Where It Matters Most – On the Plant Floor

We are seeking a hands-on Plant Controller to become a key member of our direct client’s manufacturing leadership team. This is not a traditional accounting role. We are looking for a finance professional who thrives in a production environment, enjoys solving operational problems, and understands that accurate inventory and cost controls are critical to plant performance.

The successful candidate will serve as the financial leader for the facility, partnering closely with plant leadership to improve inventory accuracy, strengthen financial controls, enhance reporting visibility, and drive operational improvements. This role offers significant visibility and the opportunity to make a measurable impact on the plant's profitability and long-term success.

What You'll Do

Plant Financial Leadership

• Own the plant's financial performance and reporting activities.
• Analyze manufacturing results and translate operational performance into financial impact.
• Partner with plant leadership to improve decision-making and drive profitability.
• Monitor production costs, variances, and operational efficiencies.

Inventory Control & Accuracy (Highest Priority)

• Lead efforts to improve inventory accuracy and strengthen inventory control processes.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies between physical inventory and system records.
• Develop, implement, and reinforce inventory management best practices.
• Work directly with production teams to ensure process compliance and accountability.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that reduce inventory variances and improve financial accuracy.

Cost Analysis & Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve operational performance
• Analyze manufacturing processes and recommend improvements that positively impact plant profitability
• Support product costing, inventory valuation, and financial forecasting activities
• Develop meaningful reporting and metrics that improve operational visibility

Business Partnership & Leadership

• Build strong relationships across operations, production, maintenance, and leadership teams
• Influence decision-making through data, analysis, and strong communication skills
• Help drive behavioral and process improvements through training, coaching, and ongoing reinforcement
• Serve as a visible presence on the production floor and become a trusted resource for plant personnel

What We're Looking For

Required Qualification

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field
• 5+ years of Plant Controller, Manufacturing Finance, Cost Accounting, Supply Chain Finance, or similar experience within a manufacturing environment
• Strong inventory control and inventory reconciliation experience
• Experience working directly within a manufacturing plant environment
• Strong understanding of cost accounting, inventory valuation, and manufacturing financial reporting
• Ability to work independently and influence cross-functional teams
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills

Preferred Qualification

• Experience in batch-process manufacturing environments such as
• Chemical
• Agricultural product
• Fertilizer
• Food processing
• Pharmaceutical
• Specialty manufacturing
• Experience with batch costing and inventory-intensive operations
• Experience utilizing ERP systems such as Oracle
• Exposure to Power BI or other business intelligence/reporting tools

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is much more than an accountant. You are someone who enjoys being in the plant, understanding operations, and solving problems at their source. You are comfortable working through imperfect processes, identifying root causes, and driving sustainable improvements

You are

• Hands-on and highly engaged
• Comfortable on the production floor
• Curious and proactive
• Skilled at influencing others without direct authority
• Able to balance financial discipline with operational realities
• Motivated by ownership, visibility, and making a measurable impact

Why This Opportunity

This role offers the chance to help shape the future of a growing manufacturing operation. You will have the opportunity to

• Improve inventory accuracy and financial control
• Influence plant-wide operational decision
• Drive cost savings and profitability improvement
• Partner directly with plant leadership
• Make a visible and lasting impact on plant performance

If you are looking for a role where you can combine strong financial expertise with operational leadership and hands-on problem solving, we would like to hear from you!

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