Plant Controller

Role Overview

As Plant / Business Controller, you are a key financial partner within a chemical manufacturing environment, responsible for driving financial performance, cost transparency, and profitability at plant level.

You oversee management accounting, lead month-end and year-end closings, and deliver in-depth financial and cost analysis to support operational, tactical, and strategic decisions. Working closely with plant management, operations, and central finance, you contribute to budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and lead strategic improvement projects focused on efficiency, cost optimisation, and margin improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Management Accounting & Closing

• Oversee plant-level management and cost accounting (production, raw materials, energy, maintenance, overheads)
• Lead month-end and year-end closing activities, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance
• Ensure correct cost allocation, inventory valuation, work-in-progress, and margin calculation
• Analyse and explain variances versus budget, forecast, and prior periods

Financial & Cost Analysis

• Perform detailed cost and profitability analyses (fixed/variable costs, yield, scrap, efficiency, downtime)
• Analyse production costs, energy consumption, and operational performance drivers
• Identify cost reduction and profitability improvement opportunities in collaboration with operations
• Support CAPEX evaluations, investment cases, and make-or-buy analyses

Budgeting, Forecasting & Reporting

• Collaborate with plant management on annual budgets, forecasts, and long-term financial planning
• Prepare and review monthly management reports and KPIs (cost per unit, margins, productivity)
• Provide clear, actionable financial insights to plant and business leadership

Business Partnering & Strategic Projects

• Act as a financial business partner to plant managers, production, engineering, and supply chain teams
• Lead or support strategic initiatives (cost optimisation, process efficiency, footprint improvements)
• Drive continuous improvement of financial processes, controls, and reporting standards
• Support standardisation and best-practice sharing across sites or business units

Profile & Skills

• Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or similar
• Proven experience as a Plant Controller / Business Controller in a chemical or process manufacturing environment
• Strong knowledge of management accounting, cost accounting, and industrial cost structures
• Experience leading month-end and year-end closings
• Solid experience with budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERP systems (preferably SAP)
• Strong analytical mindset, structured, proactive, and results-driven
• Hands-on attitude to work