Plant Controller Job in Hampshire PO93QL, Southern UK
Eaton Aerospace Group, located in Bedhampton, has an opening for a Plant Controller to play a key role on the plant leadership and division finance teams.
The position reports directly to the Power and Motion Control Division Controller and has a dotted line to the Bedhampton plant manager. This role is instrumental to manage the financial performance of Bedhampton Power Motion Controls, including analysis of forecasts and actual performance, business drivers, and operational metrics, and will develop forward-looking insights to drive management decision, actions and improve operational and financial results.
The Plant Controller provides proactive leadership around issues and opportunities, requiring the individual to drive short term actions to achieve current results while supporting the deployment of progressive strategies which result in a sustainable competitive advantage and strong financial return on investment.
The Plant Controller provides technical competency to ensure compliance with corporate financial policies, legal requirements and GAAP. This individual is responsible for administrative process improvements within the plant and division, creates and implements procedures to improve the internal control environment, streamlined efforts and provide increased transparency of financial results.
This position is responsible for building organisational capability within the finance function by hiring and developing finance personnel. The position also ensures assets assigned by the corporation are adequately protected and provide operations management with financial guidance necessary to produce the expected return on those assets.
The Plant Controller will lead and manage a team of three people and will have responsibility for:
• developing and coordinating plant profit plans, strategic plans, monthly forecasts, goals objectives, financial reconciliations, reports and analysis for plant management, including variance analysis and cost control reporting and recommendations;
• advising and counselling plant manager and plant leadership team on financial implications of operating strategies, cost control actions and decisions;
• managing, analysing, evaluating and interpreting plant financial forecasts and operating results. Informing management of results and recommending corrective actions to address unfavourable variances;
• reviewing, analysing and evaluating financial data and information for accuracy, consistency and transparency. Maintaining integrity of financial reports prepared by the plant;
• interpreting, implementing and monitoring corporate policies and procedures, ensuring financials are reported in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles and local statutory requirements;
• developing and implementing budgeting and financial reporting systems to provide timely and relevant information to plant, region/division, and corporate management and cost control. Controlling and maintaining adequate product costing systems for valuation and cost estimating activities;
• taking ownership of account reconciliation process to maintain integrity of plant general ledger and its supporting sub-systems. Assessing adequacy of reserves and overall financial reporting. Ensuring adequate training and oversight is provided to all finance personnel to ensure account reconciliations meet Eaton’s requirements. Provide leadership and support for the Balance Sheet Review process;
• establishing, monitoring and maintaining a system of internal controls that safeguards company asset and provides for integrity and propriety of financial transactions and activities. Compliance with corporate policy, including SOX;
• evaluating and approving plant capital appropriation requests prior to division and corporate management approval. Monitoring and reporting purchase commitments and spending for all capital programs. Conducting follow-up audits to ensure compliance for all significant capital investments;
• managing hiring, training and development of plant financial staff. Establishing a work environment that encourages individual career development and growth in order to provide adequate and qualified financial professionals opportunity for advancement;
• managing the deployment of cost saving and other programs to provide operating economies and improve profitability. Monitoring and providing opportunities to support continuously improving Plant Productivity / Gross Utilization. Supporting other Operations initiatives including EBE, MESH, ELSS and other BPI efforts;
• performing special financial Projects such as make vs. buy, product transfers, cost improvements;
• ensuring that the appropriate plant quality policy and system are thoroughly implemented in the finance function. Ensuring all finance responsibilities are defined and communicated throughout the plant with specific responsibilities and appropriate timing. Ensuring the deployment of finance standard work;
• ensuring compliance with local GAAP, statutory and fiscal requirements, as required.
• providing leadership to ensure adequate cost accounting processes are in place, including standard cost updates, physical inventory verification, periodic cycle counts, etc;
• supporting the development of government rates and ensure compliance with specific government accounting standards, as applicable including the development of Disclosure Statements, FPRs (as applicable)
• leading ad hoc projects as required including appropriate ERP implementations and system upgrades, business development initiatives such as new business opportunities (and possibly financial review of development contracts and appropriate revenue recognition and project accounting as applicable).
The successful candidate will:
• be educated to degree level, or higher, in Finance or Accounting. CIMA/ACCA preferred;
• have significant professional experience, preferably in a manufacturing environment;
• be able to demonstrate sound working knowledge of GAAP, Sarbanes Oxley and local statutory requirements;
• have knowledge understanding of corporate, regional, divisional and plant reporting policies;
• possess the technical capability to prepare, analyse and interpret financial and operational data/reports;
• demonstrate superior analytical and thinking skills;
• have intellectual rigor and curiosity;
• have proven problem-solving capability;
• possess an understanding of global business issues, including foreign currency impacts, effective hedging protocols and local customs and duty requirements.
