Great Lakes Cheese

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Plant Controller (Finance)



Job Overview

The Plant Controller is a key member of the Accounting team responsible for leading all plant-level accounting and financial operations at two cheese manufacturing facilities - located in Franklinville, NY and Adams, NY. Reporting directly to the Corporate Controller, this position is responsible for ensuring accurate financial reporting, sound internal controls, robust cost accounting, and close partnership with plant operations. The candidate will have experience in dairy or food production environments and will bring a hands-on approach to plant finance, coupled with strong SAP expertise and a deep understanding of manufacturing cost drivers.

Job Responsibilities

Financial Reporting & Close

  • Lead all month-end close activities for both Franklinville and Adams facilities, ensuring timely and accurate reporting of financial statements, journal entries, and balance sheet reconciliations.
  • Maintain integrity of financial results through adherence to GAAP and corporate policies.
  • Provide monthly variance analysis against budget and forecast, highlighting key cost drivers and operational insights.

Cost Accounting & Inventory Control
  • Manage standard cost models for all raw materials (milk), WIP, and finished cheese products.
  • Track and analyze variances in milk yield, ingredient usage, labor, and overhead.
  • Ensure accurate accounting for by-products and co-products (e.g. whey, cream).
  • Conduct physical inventory counts and cycle counts, ensuring proper valuation and reconciliation.

Financial Planning
  • Support the development of annual budgets and rolling forecasts for each facility in partnership with plant management, Accounting, and the corporate FP&A team.
  • Identify risks and opportunities within plant operations that may impact financial performance.

Operational Business Partnership
  • Act as a strategic partner to Plant Managers, Production, Quality, and Supply Chain teams by providing real-time financial insight and recommendations to drive plant efficiency and profitability.
  • Participate in daily or weekly plant meetings to ensure alignment between operations and finance.
  • Support capital project evaluations and post-project ROI tracking.

Internal Controls & Compliance
  • Design and maintain strong internal controls over inventory, procurement, and production cost tracking.
  • Ensure alignment with corporate SOX/internal control standards.
  • Support plant-level audit readiness and participate in internal or external audit activities.

Systems & Data Integrity
  • Serve as the SAP subject matter expert for plant finance functions.
  • Ensure all transactions are properly captured, costed, and reported through SAP.
  • Partner with IT and plant personnel to resolve system or data integrity issues as needed.

General
  • All GLC employees are expected to perform any assignment or job task according to the stated safety policies and procedures.
  • All GLC employees are expected to produce our products in a manner that exceeds the quality and value expectation of our customers and consumers by adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices, Policies and Procedures outlined in our Safe Quality Food Program.
  • Other duties as assigned by the manager.

Required Education and Experience

  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
  • Minimum 6 years of progressive experience in manufacturing accounting, preferably in dairy or food production.
  • SAP ERP experience is required
  • Strong background in cost accounting, inventory control, and financial reporting.
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to distill large data sets into actionable insights.
  • High attention to detail, accuracy, and internal control compliance.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills, capable of engaging with plant personnel and corporate leadership alike.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional. relationships across finance and operations.
  • High level of independence, initiative, and ownership of results.

Preferred Education and Experience

  • 8-12 years of progressive experience in manufacturing accounting, preferably in dairy or food production.
  • Active CPA license.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in an office setting.

• Occasional exposure to industrial operations including: temperature extremes from approximately 35°F to 100°F; noise levels in excess of 85 dB; moisture and moving machinery.

EEOC & Disclaimer

Great Lakes Cheese is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer. Apply

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