Job Openings
Plant Controller
About the job Plant Controller
Plant Controller
Location: Waterloo, Iowa
Employment Type: Direct Hire | Full-Time
Work Arrangement: Hybrid (Local candidates only)
Compensation: $80,000 – $100,000 base + performance bonus
Reports To: Chief Financial Officer
Direct Reports: 2
Position Overview
HireNow Staffing is confidentially partnering with a manufacturing organization in the Waterloo region seeking a seasoned Plant Controller to lead financial oversight at the plant level while serving as a strategic partner to operations leadership.
This role requires a financially disciplined leader with strong cost accounting expertise, manufacturing exposure, and a stable career progression. Candidates with frequent short-term employment history will not be considered. The successful candidate must demonstrate the ability to translate financial data into actionable operational insight.
This position follows a hybrid schedule but requires consistent onsite presence and local residency within commuting distance.
Core Responsibilities
Financial Leadership & Oversight
-
Direct all plant-level accounting functions including general ledger oversight, reconciliations, accruals, and close processes.
-
Ensure financial reporting accuracy in compliance with GAAP and internal policies.
-
Maintain and strengthen internal controls to protect company assets and ensure regulatory compliance.
-
Serve as the primary liaison for internal and external audit activity.
Cost Accounting & Manufacturing Analysis
-
Lead standard costing processes, variance analysis, and inventory valuation oversight.
-
Investigate discrepancies in labor, material, overhead, and scrap reporting.
-
Analyze operational performance data including yield, production efficiency, and cost drivers.
-
Provide financial clarity around production performance and recommend corrective actions.
Budgeting & Strategic Planning
-
Partner with plant leadership to develop annual operating budgets and forecasts.
-
Conduct capital expenditure analysis, ROI modeling, and financial scenario planning.
-
Evaluate financial impact of automation investments, new product introductions, and process changes.
-
Identify cost reduction opportunities and track realized savings.
Cross-Functional Partnership
-
Collaborate closely with production, supply chain, and engineering teams to align financial and operational goals.
-
Provide financial interpretation of plant performance metrics to non-financial leaders.
-
Support tax compliance activities including property, sales/use, and corporate filings as applicable.
Team Leadership
-
Supervise and develop accounting staff.
-
Ensure workload allocation, training, and performance management of direct reports.
-
Promote a culture of accountability, data accuracy, and continuous improvement.
Required Qualifications (Non-Negotiable)
Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, or related field.
-
Minimum 3+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience.
-
Minimum 2+ years of cost accounting exposure within a manufacturing environment.
-
Strong working knowledge of GAAP, internal controls, and audit processes.
-
Demonstrated ERP system experience.
-
Advanced proficiency in Excel including financial modeling.
-
Proven employment stability with consistent tenure in prior roles.
-
Ability to work hybrid while maintaining regular onsite presence in Waterloo, Iowa.
Preferred Qualifications (Strongly Emphasized)
-
CPA, CMA, or MBA.
-
Prior experience reporting directly to executive leadership.
-
Manufacturing environment with standard costing and variance management experience.
-
Leadership or supervisory experience overseeing accounting staff.
-
Demonstrated success partnering with operations to reduce cost and improve margin performance.
Candidate Profile
We are seeking professionals who:
-
Operate as both financial steward and operational partner.
-
Are comfortable challenging assumptions with data-backed insights.
-
Understand manufacturing cost structures deeply.
-
Communicate effectively across finance and plant leadership.
-
Value long-term stability and growth within a manufacturing organization.
Deal Breakers
-
No manufacturing cost accounting experience.
-
Public accounting background without plant-level exposure.
-
No ERP system experience.
-
Unstable work history with multiple short-term roles.
-
Unwillingness to work onsite on a consistent basis.