Plant Controller

Description:

The Plant Controller will support manufacturing and supply chain operations at the Lubbock Plant and other Tropicale locations as needed. The successful candidate should have a strong background in a consumer products manufacturing and distribution environment. Additionally, you will work cross functionally within the Tropicale Finance team to drive improvements throughout the department, supporting growth and standard processes.

The Plant Controller will work with all Lubbock functional team members to ensure optimal short-term and long-term decision making. The successful candidate will provide support / data to support the elimination of waste and improvement of end-to-end process stability while reducing process variation.

This position supports the development of standard cost, variance reporting, process improvement, and standard operating procedures to support changing global business demands while maintaining high quality standards and appropriate internal control safeguards for Tropicale, a growing, manufacturing company. The ideal candidate should have manufacturing experience, including experience utilizing an ERP system.

The Plant Controller will help develop the inventory management processes and will build capacity and capabilities for Tropicale by providing timely, relevant, and sound cost and financial information. To be successful in this role, this individual must continuously seek to maximize resources and provide guidance on data analytics and plant metrics supporting continuous improvement and best practice efforts. Strong cost accounting experience necessary.

Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the Tropicale Finance, Operations and Supply Chain team to improve warehouse and plant performance and achievement of performance objectives.
• Plans, executes, and reconciles physical inventories.
• Prepares analysis of adjustments inventory activity and transaction reports
• Partners with Procurement/Manufacturing to minimize costs, improve quality and drive margin improvement.
• Direct inventory control and management and perform analysis of variance identified during inventory cycle counts and annual physical inventory to maintain inventory costs to budgeted levels.
• Supports the management of plant or warehouse inventory metrics (e.g., breakage, yields, product obsolescence, excess, and obsolete calculations) using historical data, current information, and metrics targets to minimize costs. Standardizes across entities.
• Performs other projects related to Good Manufacturing Practices, shipping, receiving, inventory management. Leads inventory valuation analysis.
• Works closely with the supply chain teams in the implementation of policies and procedures to improve the accuracy of financial and inventory reporting.
• Assist with the monthly financial close process and ensure the accuracy of system generated transactions and manual entries.
• Prepare journal entries and account reconciliations to assist in the month-end closing process.
• Compile, analyze and communicate monthly scrap and shrinkage results and identify areas for scrap reduction and margin enhancement.
• Work closely with Lubbock team to drive plant performance and achievement of performance objectives.
• Analyze financial and statistical reports that reflect plant financial position and KPIs, perform cost and operating variance analyses to identify root causes in variances and partner with other managers to identify areas for improvement.
• Lead efforts to create and facilitate more effective financial/cost consciousness in everyday business activities and enhance plants margin profiles. Review and consolidate plant level reporting into channels and regional reporting deliverables.
• Works closely with the supply chain teams in the implementation of policies and procedures to improve the accuracy of financial reporting.
• Perform periodic walkthroughs of the plant with the operations team to discuss production and costing issues. Review labor reporting and cost, material costs, manufacturing overhead, distribution cost, and inventory levels Ensure bill of material and costing accurately reflect production operations.
• Participates in the development of Tropicales standard costing process and procedures.
• Ensures bill of material structures and updates accurately reflect company inventory valuation policy and proper product costing.
• Oversee plant-wide product costing and annual standard setting process to ensure that profit margins meet company expectations for product sold.
• Important participant in driving cycle count process adherence and count result improvement.
• Produces ad hoc analysis and reports providing financial information, support and guidance to Operations and Supply Chain Teams.
• Provides budgeting/forecasting requirements at the plant and warehouse levels.
• Review, assess and refine quarterly and monthly forecasts for the Lubbock plant.
• Responsible for analyzing and interpreting financial and operational data and producing recommendations to reduce cost and improve overall company profitability.
• Ensures that there is an effective and efficient system of internal controls including SOX/GAAP compliance, data integrity, segregation of duties, data integrity and adherence to corporate policies.
• Build ROI/ business models (ST & LT) for major capital expenditures, projects, ventures, promotions.
• Direct plant-wide inventory control and management and perform analysis of variance identified during inventory cycle counts and annual physical inventory to maintain inventory costs to budgeted levels.
• Maintain a perpetual inventory for finished goods and reconcile this perpetual to production, shipping, and returns monthly.
• Monitors cash flow by analyzing inventory, payroll, and capital spending.

Experience and Education Required:

• BA/BS in Business with an emphasis in Finance or Accounting
• 5+ years of accounting experience, in a plant manufacturing environment.
• Prior experience in a supervisory role in the field of accounting within a manufacturing environment preferred.
• Exceptional knowledge of finance, accounting, budgeting, cost accounting and cost control principles, and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Advanced experience working in Microsoft tools (i.e., Excel, PowerPoint) and business intelligence software (i.e., Power BI)
• ERP System usage experience (Any Major ERP: SAP, IFS, JDE, Deacom)
• Comfortable rolling up your sleeves and conducting detailed, complex analysis.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple deliverables.
• Mindset of continuous process improvements with focus on questioning the status quo.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills and proven experience in cultivating collaborative working relationships with teams across an organization.
• Promotes a safe and inclusive work force.
• Experience with automated accounting systems is required, experience with QuickBooks and Deacom a plus.

Skills Required:

• Ability to multi-task, stay organized and prioritize competing deadlines in a fast paced and continuously changing environment.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and external entities.
• Must be dependable, responsible, self-managed and follow through with minimum direction.
• Interest and willingness to learn and develop within the day-to-day operations of a manufacturing facility.
• Thrives in a collaborative work environment with open communication with peers and supervisors.
• Excellent organizational and prioritization skills
• Superior diligence and accuracy
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills

Food Safety & Quality Requirements/Responsibilities:

• Adheres to all Food Safety/Quality SOPs
• Accurately completes required Food Safety & Quality Records
• Communicates any known or suspected Food Safety/ Quality issues to the Q.A. Manager and Department Manager
• Responsible for reporting any food safety concerns or tampering with product.
• Attending all Food Safety/Quality training sessions.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands and work environment described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs, balance; stoop, kneel or crouch; talk and hear. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to twenty-five pounds.

Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to a general office environment where the noise level is usually moderate.

Disclaimer

This position description indicates the general nature and level of work expected. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required. Employees may be asked to perform other duties as required.