Controller
Department: Finance
Reports To: President
Location: Shreve, Ohio
Position Summary
The Controller is responsible for leading all accounting, financial reporting, internal controls, budgeting, cost accounting, and financial analysis functions for a growing industrial manufacturing company with two manufacturing plants and a corporate headquarters. This role serves as a key business partner to senior leadership, plant management, and the Board of Directors, providing financial leadership that supports both operational excellence and long-term strategic growth.
The Controller must be equally comfortable operating at both a tactical and strategic level. The position requires hands-on management of day-to-day accounting operations while also driving financial planning, business analysis, system improvements, and process transformation initiatives.
A significant initial focus of this role will be leading the transition from manual spreadsheets, disconnected processes, and non-integrated reporting systems into a more efficient, scalable, and controlled ERP-driven environment. Experience with manufacturing ERP systems is required, with Syspro ERP experience a plus.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Leadership & Strategy
- Serve as a trusted financial advisor to senior management and the Board of Directors.
- Provide meaningful analysis and recommendations regarding profitability, cash flow, capital investments, working capital, and operational performance.
- Participate in strategic planning, forecasting, and growth initiatives.
- Develop financial models and business cases supporting investments, acquisitions, pricing decisions, and operational improvements.
- Present financial results, trends, risks, and opportunities to executive leadership and the Board.
Financial Reporting & Accounting
- Manage all accounting operations including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, fixed assets, inventory accounting, and month-end close.
- Ensure timely and accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
- Maintain compliance with U.S. GAAP and company accounting policies.
- Lead year-end audit activities and serve as primary liaison with external auditors.
- Manage banking relationships and support financing activities.
- Prepare and monitor annual budgets and periodic forecasts.
Cost Accounting & Manufacturing Finance
- Lead all manufacturing cost accounting activities across two production facilities.
- Develop and maintain accurate product costing methodologies, labor standards, overhead allocations, and inventory valuation procedures.
- Analyze manufacturing variances including:
- Labor efficiency
- Material usage
- Scrap and yield
- Overhead absorption
- Inventory adjustments
- Partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Plant Leadership to identify cost reduction and productivity improvement opportunities.
- Drive visibility into key manufacturing performance metrics and profitability drivers.
- Establish financial accountability throughout the manufacturing organization.
ERP Systems & Process Improvement
- Serve as the financial lead and business owner for accounting and financial systems.
- Drive optimization and utilization of the ERP system across accounting, inventory, purchasing, manufacturing, and reporting functions.
- Lead initiatives to eliminate manual processes, duplicate data entry, and spreadsheet-dependent workflows.
- Develop a roadmap for migrating critical financial and operational processes into the ERP environment.
- Partner with IT and operational stakeholders to improve system functionality, data integrity, reporting capabilities, and process controls.
- Support future ERP enhancements, upgrades, and reporting tool implementations.
- Leverage Syspro ERP capabilities to improve visibility, efficiency, and decision-making.
- Establish best practices for data governance, system controls, and process standardization.
Financial Analysis & Business Intelligence
- Develop and maintain executive dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Design and automate financial reporting tools that improve decision-making.
- Utilize advanced Excel and business intelligence tools to analyze operational and financial performance.
- Create reporting packages for executive leadership and Board presentations.
- Improve reporting speed, accuracy, and accessibility throughout the organization.
Internal Controls & Compliance
- Maintain strong internal controls and financial governance processes.
- Ensure compliance with company policies, audit requirements, and regulatory obligations.
- Assess business risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
- Develop and document financial procedures and controls.
- Support continuous improvement of financial processes and control environments.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
- CPA designation strongly preferred.
- MBA is a plus.
Experience
- 7 - 10 years of progressive accounting and finance experience.
· Minimum 3 years in a manufacturing controller or senior accounting role..
- Prior Controller, Assistant Controller, or Senior Finance Leadership experience preferred.
- Strong cost accounting and inventory management experience.
- Experience supporting multiple manufacturing locations preferred.
- Proven experience implementing or optimizing ERP systems.
- Experience leading process improvement and business transformation initiatives.
Technical Skills
- Manufacturing ERP experience required; Syspro ERP experience strongly preferred.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills required, including:
- Pivot Tables
- Power Query
- Complex formulas
- Financial modeling
- Data analysis
- Dashboard development
- Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL-based reporting tools, or similar business intelligence platforms preferred.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing costing systems and inventory accounting.
- Knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes.
Leadership Competencies
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Strategic thinking combined with strong execution skills.
- Ability to operate effectively at both executive and detailed transactional levels.
- Strong business partnership skills with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams.
- Exceptional communication and presentation skills.
- Confidence interacting with senior executives and Board members.
- Ability to influence decisions through data and financial analysis.
- Continuous improvement mindset.
- Strong organizational and project management skills.
- High level of integrity, professionalism, and accountability.
Job Type: Full-time
Base Pay: $85,000.00 - $160,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Referral program
- Relocation assistance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
