Sr. Plant Controller
7 days ago
Tarboro
Job Description About Sara Lee Sara Lee desserts have always stood for incredible flavor and superior value in the frozen food aisle and away from home markets. The Sara Lee Frozen Bakery collection of top brands includes Sara Lee®, Chef Pierre®, Van’s®, Bistro Collection®, Superior on Main® and Cyrus O’Leary’s®. Sara Lee Frozen Bakery is proud to take these iconic brands into a new era and to continue the evolution that transformed one small Chicago bakery into an American institution. Using carefully sourced ingredients and time-honored recipes, the company is committed to making life’s moments a little sweeter, putting its customers first and discovering new ways to make everyone’s favorite foods even better. Working for Sara Lee Our vision is to be the world’s most beloved bakery by creating irresistible foods, growing with our customers, and delivering value for all. We believe that each of us has unique points of difference and experience to offer. We will achieve success through collaboration and innovation in an environment where employees feel empowered to execute with speed. Summary: The Senior Plant Controller – Tarboro provides strategic leadership and oversight of all financial management activities at the Tarboro bakery operation. This role ensures compliance with U.S. GAAP, Sarbanes-Oxley, and company financial policies, while driving operational efficiency and profitability through financial analysis, planning, and control. The Senior Plant Controller partners with plant leadership, Finance, and Corporate stakeholders to deliver accurate reporting, forecasting, and strategic insights that enable sound business decisions. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: • Direct oversight of General Ledger, Cost Accounting, Accounts Payable, Payroll, and Fixed Assets at the Tarboro bakery., • Lead and coordinate month-end close, reporting, and consolidation of financial results; ensure accuracy and timeliness., • Develop, review, and present monthly forecasts and annual operating plans (AOP) to leadership, including detailed analysis of variances and risks., • Oversee plant-level financial analysis, including manufacturing variances, overhead allocation, labor efficiency, and material usage., • Provide leadership on costing activities including BOM maintenance, standard cost development, and SKU profitability analysis., • Ensure compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) requirements; oversee internal controls and all testing activities., • Direct and validate weekly, monthly, and quarterly performance reporting to senior leadership, including KPI scorecards and cost savings tracking., • Collaborate with R&D, Supply Chain, and Operations to analyze and validate cost impacts of new product development, packaging changes, and production improvements., • Lead annual inventory reconciliations and ensure integrity of raw material, WIP, and finished goods inventory valuations., • Partner with Operations leadership to identify cost-saving opportunities, process improvements, and margin enhancement initiatives., • Provide strategic financial insights to support investment decisions, CAPEX planning, and long-term growth strategies., • Develop and mentor plant controllers and analysts, building financial acumen and leadership capability across the Finance function., • Serve as the primary financial liaison between Corporate Finance, plant management, and senior leadership., • Ensure the Balance Sheet is accurate, current, and reconciled at all times., • Perform ad hoc analysis, modeling, and special projects as requested by the VP of Finance/CFO. Knowledge and Skill Requirements: • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required; Master’s degree preferred., • Certification: CPA or CMA strongly preferred., • Experience: Minimum 10+ years of progressive accounting/finance experience with at least 5 years in a manufacturing environment; food/bakery industry experience preferred., • Proven expertise in cost accounting, inventory management, and manufacturing financial analysis., • Demonstrated success in financial planning, forecasting, and reporting in a multi-site or complex operational environment., • Strong knowledge of SOX compliance and internal control best practices., • Experience with NetSuite or similar ERP systems; advanced skills in Microsoft Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. Behavioral and Leadership Skills: • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment with shifting priorities., • Strong change leadership and agility in solving complex problems., • Exceptional collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to build strong partnerships across Operations, Supply Chain, and Corporate functions., • High ethical standards and demonstrated integrity. Personal attributes: The Sara Lee Leader is one who: • Role Models Integrity - Creates a culture of respect and inclusion, where all team members are empowered to contribute., • Hones their Craft - Continually develops their skills and expertise to drive self, team, and company forward. Is intellectually curious, asking questions to inspire a better way., • Values Partnerships - Frames the tough issues and works productively through them. Paves the way for their team to build relationships and collaborate effectively., • Behaves Like a Business Owner - Perseveres toward a goal, despite obstacles and distraction., • Always Looks for Better Ways - Leads the charge to build capabilities, processes and systems where gaps exist. Actively coaches and mentors others. Sara Lee Frozen Bakery provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.