Plant Controller

About the Job:

• Own plant financial reporting, month-end close, and analysis of manufacturing performance.
• Maintain and review standard costs, bills of materials, labour rates, and overhead allocations.
• Analyse material usage, purchase prices, labour efficiency, yield, waste, and production variances.
• Oversee inventory accounting, reconciliations, stocktake results, and provisions for slow-moving or obsolete stock.
• Lead plant budgets and forecasts, explain performance against targets, and recommend corrective actions.
• Partner with operational teams to identify cost-saving opportunities and track financial benefits.
• Support capital expenditure proposals and monitor project spending and returns.
• Identify and implement AI and automation opportunities across recurring reports, reconciliations, data consolidation, variance analysis, and forecasting.
• Build repeatable workflows and dashboards that reduce manual work, improve data quality, and deliver timely insights.
• Use AI tools to support analysis and draft financial commentary, validating outputs against source data and applying sound financial judgment.
• Maintain appropriate approvals, audit trails, and data confidentiality across automated processes.

• A degree in Accountancy, Finance, or a related discipline.
• At least five years of relevant experience in manufacturing finance, plant accounting, or cost accounting.
• Strong knowledge of standard costing, inventory valuation, variance analysis, and month-end reporting.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience using an ERP system.
• Hands-on experience using AI tools and automation to improve finance processes, with examples of time saved, errors reduced, or reporting improved.
• Experience with tools such as Power Query, Power BI, Power Automate, or equivalent reporting and workflow platforms.
• The ability to investigate discrepancies, challenge assumptions constructively, and explain financial results to non-finance colleagues.
• Strong ownership, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently in a remote environment.
• Availability to work agreed hours that overlap with the New Zealand operations team.

• CPA, CA, CMA, or an equivalent professional qualification.
• Experience in food, FMCG, or process manufacturing.
• Experience supporting New Zealand operations or working across countries.
• Familiarity with SQL, Python, or low-code tools for financial analysis and automation.
• Experience connecting ERP data to automated reports and dashboards.