Plant Controller

Echo Lake Foods is a leading manufacturer of ready-to-eat egg products and breakfast foods, including waffles, pancakes, French toast, scrambled eggs, omelets, and egg patties, serving major retail, foodservice, and national restaurant customers across the United States. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Burlington, Wisconsin, the company operates multiple production facilities throughout the Midwest and has built a strong reputation for quality, innovation, and customer partnerships.

In 2025, Echo Lake Foods was acquired by Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the largest producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs in the United States, marking an exciting new chapter of growth. This partnership strengthens our resources, expands our capabilities, and supports continued investment in our people, facilities, and products. Creating new opportunities for employees to grow their careers within a stable and expanding organization.

Role Summary:

Lead product costing, inventory valuation, and variance analysis to drive operational profitability. Partner with operations, supply chain, and engineering to identify cost savings and improve standard costing accuracy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Costing: Maintain and update standard costs (raw materials, labor, overhead); lead annual standard cost roll; analyze BOMs and routings for accuracy.
• Variance Analysis: Investigate purchase price, usage, labor efficiency, and volume variances; report root causes and recommend corrective actions.
• Inventory Accounting: Oversee cycle count program, coordinate physical inventory, reconcile GL to sub-ledger, and manage reserve analysis (excess/obsolete).
• Margin & Reporting: Prepare product-line, customer, and channel profitability analysis; support gross margin reviews with sales and ops.
• Close Process: Lead cost-related month-end tasks (journal entries, accruals, reconciliations) and management reporting packages.
• Operations Support: Partner with engineering on new product costing; assist with make-or-buy, capex justification, and lean manufacturing initiatives.
• Process Improvement: Implement best practices in cost allocation (e.g., ABC, departmental overhead) and ERP system Implementation.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's in Accounting/Finance (CMA, CPA or progress toward a plus).
• Experience: 4-7 years of cost accounting in manufacturing (standard costing required; experience with job order or process costing a plus).
• Technical Skills: Advanced Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, macros). ERP experience required-SAP, Great Plains.
• Soft Skills: Strong analytical, cross-functional communication, and problem-solving. Ability to explain variances to non-finance stakeholders.

Preferred:

• Experience with lean manufacturing, inventory management (FIFO, LIFO, weighted average), and cost reduction projects.
• Knowledge of GAAP specifically related to inventory (ASC 330) and cost of sales.

Compensation & KPIs for hiring

• Key performance metrics: Inventory accuracy (95%); cycle count completion rate; days inventory outstanding (DIO); direct labor efficiency variance.

Benefits:

• 401(k) 3% Match
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, military service, protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.