Position Summary
We are seeking a hands-on, analytical Assistant Controller to join a growing Rochester-area food manufacturing company. This position will play a key role in maintaining accurate financial reporting, strengthening accounting processes and internal controls, and providing meaningful financial insight to company leadership. The ideal candidate has experience in a manufacturing or consumer packaged goods environment, understands cost accounting and inventory, and is comfortable working closely with Operations, Purchasing, Production, Sales, and senior management.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Reporting & Month-End Close
- Manage and coordinate the monthly close process, ensuring accurate and timely financial statements.
- Prepare and review journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, and adjusting entries.
- Analyze monthly financial results and explain significant variances to budget, forecast, and prior periods.
- Maintain the integrity of the general ledger and financial reporting processes.
- Prepare recurring management reports, dashboards, and financial analyses.
Manufacturing & Cost Accounting
- Maintain and analyze product standard costs, including raw materials, packaging, labor, and manufacturing overhead.
- Analyze material, labor, production, yield, and overhead variances.
- Partner with Operations to understand manufacturing performance and identify cost-reduction opportunities.
- Monitor cost of goods sold and manufacturing margins.
- Support product costing, pricing decisions, new-product launches, and profitability analysis.
Inventory Management
- Oversee accounting for raw materials, packaging, work-in-process, and finished goods inventory.
- Coordinate cycle counts and physical inventory processes.
- Investigate and resolve inventory variances.
- Monitor inventory reserves, obsolescence, shrinkage, scrap, and production yields.
- Work with Operations and Purchasing to improve inventory accuracy and working-capital management.
Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Analysis
- Assist with the annual budgeting process and periodic reforecasting.
- Develop financial analyses that help management understand profitability, costs, cash flow, and operational performance.
- Track capital expenditures and provide financial analysis for proposed investments.
- Develop meaningful KPIs for manufacturing and financial performance.
- Provide ad hoc analysis and decision support to the Controller, CFO, and ownership.
Cash Flow & Working Capital
- Assist with cash-flow forecasting and working-capital management.
- Monitor accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory, and other working-capital accounts.
- Identify opportunities to improve cash conversion and liquidity.
- Support banking and financing relationships as needed.
Internal Controls, Tax & Audit
- Maintain and strengthen accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls.
- Assist with year-end financial statement preparation and external audits.
- Coordinate information requests from outside accountants, tax professionals, auditors, and other advisors.
- Ensure compliance with GAAP and applicable company policies.
- Support sales/use tax, property tax, and other financial compliance activities as appropriate.
Leadership & Business Partnership
- Supervise, mentor, and develop accounting staff as assigned.
- Serve as a finance partner to plant and operational leadership.
- Translate financial information into practical recommendations for non-financial managers.
- Help improve accounting systems, processes, reporting, and ERP utilization.
- Take ownership of projects that improve profitability, efficiency, and financial controls.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
- Approximately 5–8 years of progressive accounting/finance experience.
- Strong understanding of GAAP and financial reporting.
- Manufacturing accounting experience, including cost accounting and inventory, strongly preferred.
- Advanced Excel skills and experience with an ERP/accounting system.
- Demonstrated experience with month-end close, reconciliations, budgeting, and financial analysis.
- Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to work independently in a hands-on, entrepreneurial environment.
Preferred
- CPA or CMA.
- Experience in food manufacturing, CPG, or other process manufacturing.
- Experience with standard costing, BOMs, manufacturing variances, and production yields.
- Experience implementing or improving ERP/accounting systems; Sage 100
- Experience in a privately held or closely held business.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Physical Setting:
Education:
Experience:
- QuickBooks: 1 year (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
