Plant Controller

**Who We Are**:
With over 11,000 employees at 43 production facilities in the US, Canada and Europe, Hearthside Food Solutions is one of the fastest growing food companies and the industry’s largest contract manufacturer. Our secret to success? Our people. We know an investment in our people is an investment in our company. By empowering employees through skill development and career advancement opportunities, we emphasize a culture of continuous improvement - both for the business and our people.

The Plant Controller will be working in our Kitchener, ON wire cut cookie plant that produces 17 million cookies per week This state of the art facility operates with 4 highly automated production lines and possess a strong team oriented culture. Kitchener-Waterloo is an ideal place to live and work, with a harmonious balance of green space and vibrant downtown activity. And with modern architecture and excellent amenities, it's the perfect community to raise a family, retire in comfort, pursue your education, or find your dream job as a young professional.

**Scope**:
The Finance Manager (often called a Plant Controller) has the functional responsibility for production/financial reporting, monitoring of actual results, forecasting, planning, and analysis. Reporting to the Director of Supply Chain Finance with a dotted line reporting to the Plant Manager, this person is responsible for leading and developing plant’s annual budget, capital spending proposals and new product costing. This position resides primarily at the plant level to assist Plant Manager and VP of Manufacturing.

**Core responsibilities**:

- Manage projects related to budgeting, audit, capital requests, and plant initiatives.
- Implement financial policies/procedures as communicated by Corporate.
- Develop local policies/procedures in support of and consistent with Corporate set policies.
- Analyze/review internal controls to ensure plant assets are safeguarded and financial reporting of such is correct.
- Manage the month end closing activities, including variance analysis and monthly reconciliation of plant balances. Ensure accruals/reserves are sufficient and review of spend for correctness and appropriateness of classification.
- Participate in annual audit requirements as necessary.
- Responsible for preparing monthly/quarterly/annual reporting packages (i.e. plant decks)
- Plan, study, and collect data to determine costs of actual business activity such as raw material purchases, inventory, labor and overhead at the plant. Analyze changes on product configuration, raw materials, manufacturing methods, or services provided, to determine the effects on product costs and internal product margins.
- Prepare and review daily/weekly/monthly/YTD variance reports on usages, labor, fixed and variable overhead. Responsible for production line performance monitoring and analysis.
- Provide proactive financial guidance to the plant management team.
- Provide plant management with reports specifying and comparing factors affecting production performance. Works with plant leadership to reduce/minimize costs.
- Assist production management with assessment of “continuous improvement” projects and processes. Measure and report progress toward planned goals.
- Develop standard costs, update and create new Bill of Materials and Routings within SAP. Maintain both the frozen and current standards within the system.
- Ensure current routing data matches playbooks.
- Analyze and reconcile monthly inventories both at plant and 3rd party warehouses.
- Ensure the accuracy of physical inventories and reported results.
- Investigate and explain book to physical adjustments. Review and approve all cycle count adjustments and dispositions in accordance with company policy.
- Review inventory details for aged stock. Advise of provision requirements as necessary.
- Produce and manage the annual financial budget for the plant. Provide weekly/ monthly forecasts
- Coordinate the new product pricing requests by working with plant management in preparation of pricing quotations for Sales & Marketing team. Reviews all inputs and comps for reasonableness. Develop accurate cost requests on a timely basis in partnership with operation/sales.
- Work with plant to ensure timely reporting of actual production cost/performances against pricing assumptions on all new product launches. (Step 4’s)
- Responsible for tracking all special billing activities for the plant. This includes the consolidation of all actual costs as it relates to tests/trials/samples/QN’s etc. and submitting to the Corporate Commercial Finance team.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.

**Requirements**:

- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance. Masters and/or CPA a plus.
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience in Cost/Managerial accounting in an industrial sector, preferably high-volume manufacturing. Plant Controller or Assistant Controller experience is a plus.
- Experience in a food man