Plant Controller - Contract

Northbrook, Illinois Temporary USD63 - USD95 per hour View Job Description
The Plant Controller serves as the senior finance partner to plant leadership, driving financial performance, cost control, and operational insight. This role owns plant-level accounting, forecasting, reporting, and compliance within a complex manufacturing environment.
  • High-impact leadership role in plant finance
  • Strong career advancement within a global business

About Our Client

Our client is a large, publicly traded industrial manufacturing organization within the chemicals sector, operating multiple production facilities across North America. The company is known for strong financial discipline, sustained growth, investment in talent, and clear internal career progression opportunities.

Job Description

  • Act as a strategic finance partner to the Plant Manager and operations leadership
  • Analyze plant performance: cost, productivity, yield, scrap, and margins
  • Support pricing decisions, capital investments, and continuous improvement initiatives
  • Participate in plant staff meetings and operational reviews
  • Own monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes
  • Prepare financial statements, variance analysis, and management reports
  • Ensure compliance with US GAAP, corporate policies, and SOX controls
  • Coordinate internal and external audits
  • Lead annual operating plan (AOP) and forecasting cycles
  • Track KPIs, cost reduction initiatives, and financial risks
  • Oversee standard costing, BOMs, routings, and labor rates
  • Analyze PPV, usage, absorption, and overhead variances
  • Lead inventory processes: physical counts, cycle counts, and valuation
  • Improve inventory turns, working capital, and obsolescence management
  • Develop and mentor the plant accounting team

MPI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or based on an individual's status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local law. MPI encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants.

The Successful Applicant

  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance
  • Proven experience as a Plant Controller or senior plant finance leader
  • Strong background in manufacturing, cost, and inventory accounting
  • Ownership of month-end close and plant-level reporting
  • Prior people management experience
  • Public company experience strongly preferred
  • CPA highly desirable
  • ERP experience (SAP preferred)
  • Industry experience in chemicals, energy, oil & gas, or heavy manufacturing is a plus
  • Stable and progressive career trajectory



What's on Offer

  • Exposure to a large, publicly traded organization
  • Strong internal mobility and career progression
  • Strategic, high-visibility role partnering with operations leadership
  • Hybrid work model flexibility
  • Competitive compensation (implied based on level and scope)



Contact
Sarah Richards
Quote job ref
JN-062026-7049149

Job summary

Sector
Engineering & Manufacturing
Sub Sector
Production, Manufacturing
Industry
Industrial / Manufacturing
Location
Northbrook
Contract Type
Temporary
Consultant name
Sarah Richards
Job Reference
JN-062026-7049149