Manufacturing Controller

Accounting & auditing Manufacturing controller

MANUFACTURING CONTROLLER.

mankato, minnesota Posted 4/10/2026 Closes 5/13/2026 Job details Summary Spherion $125,000 - $150,000 per year Permanent 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Industry accounting & auditing (Business and Financial Operations Occupations) Reference number S_174544 We are seeking a detail-oriented and analytical Manufacturing Controller with strong experience in heavy manufacturing environments. This role will focus on gross margin analysis, overhead allocation methodologies, standard costing, and cost control initiatives. The ideal candidate has deep knowledge of plant operations, cost drivers, complex allocation structures, and can translate operational data into actionable financial insights. This is a Direct Hire opportunity offers competitive pay with great benefits!

Salary:

$125,000 - $150,000

Benefits:

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, Long-tern and Short-term Disability. Paid holidays, PTO, 401K plus 4% match

Responsibilities:

Maintain and analyze standard cost systems in a heavy manufacturing environment. Perform monthly cost roll-ups and update standard costs (materials, labor, overhead). Monitor and reconcile inventory, WIP, and finished goods balances. Analyze manufacturing variances (material, labor, overhead, yield, scrap, absorption). Ensure proper cost absorption and compliance with GAAP. Analyze gross margin by product line, plant, customer, and project. ... Identify margin erosion drivers (material inflation, labor efficiency, overhead absorption). Partner with operations and sales to improve pricing and margin performance. Support quoting and pricing models with accurate cost input. Provide actionable recommendations to improve profitability. Develop, maintain, and refine overhead allocation methodologies. Analyze plant overhead pools and allocation drivers (machine hours, labor hours, throughput, etc.). Monitor fixed vs. variable cost behavior. Evaluate capacity utilization and its impact on cost absorption. Support annual budget and standard overhead rate development. Prepare monthly manufacturing cost reports and KPIs. Conduct trend and variance analysis for plant leadership. Assist in budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning. Support audits (internal and external) related to inventory and cost accounting. Maintain strong internal controls over cost processes. Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Finance teams. Support continuous improvement initiatives (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen). Assist in ERP enhancements related to costing modules.

Qualifications:

5+ years of cost accounting experience in heavy manufacturing (steel, machinery, industrial equipment, automotive, etc.). Strong expertise in standard costing systems, gross margin analysis, overhead absorption and allocation methodologies, and variance analysis. Possesses extensive experience with ERP systems (Epicor Kinetics and/or Microsoft Great Plains), advanced Excel skills???including pivot tables, financial modeling, and variance modeling???and strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. today to advance your finance career to the next level! Spherion has helped thousands of people just like you find work happiness! Our experienced staff will listen carefully to your employment needs and then work diligently to match your skills and qualifications to the right job and company. Whether you're looking for temporary, temp-to-perm or direct hire opportunities, no one works harder for you than Spherion.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Age, Genetic Information, Disability, Protected Veteran Status, or any other legally protected group status. At Spherion, we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please contact Callcenter@spherion.com. Pay offered to a successful candidate will be based on several factors including the candidate's education, work experience, work location, specific job duties, certifications, etc. In addition, Spherion offers a comprehensive benefits package, including: medical, prescription, dental, vision, AD&D, and life insurance offerings, short-term disability, and a 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility). Show more key responsibilities Maintain and analyze standard cost systems in a heavy manufacturing environment.

Perform monthly cost roll-ups and update standard costs (materials, labor, overhead).Monitor and reconcile inventory, WIP, and finished goods balances.

Analyze manufacturing variances (material, labor, overhead, yield, scrap, absorption).Ensure proper cost absorption and compliance with GAAP.Analyze gross margin by product line, plant, customer, and project.

Identify margin erosion drivers (material inflation, labor efficiency, overhead absorption).Partner with operations and sales to improve pricing and margin performance.

Support quoting and pricing models with accurate cost input.

Provide actionable recommendations to improve profitability.

Develop, maintain, and refine overhead allocation methodologies.

Analyze plant overhead pools and allocation drivers (machine hours, labor hours, throughput, etc.).Monitor fixed vs. variable cost behavior.

Evaluate capacity utilization and its impact on cost absorption.

Support annual budget and standard overhead rate development.

Prepare monthly manufacturing cost reports and KPIs.

Conduct trend and variance analysis for plant leadership.

Assist in budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning.

Support audits (internal and external) related to inventory and cost accounting.

Maintain strong internal controls over cost processes.

Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Finance teams.

Support continuous improvement initiatives (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen).Assist in ERP enhancements related to costing modules. experience 1-4 years skills Cost accounting expertise. education Bachelors share this job. send via e-mail print it Get in touch. We are here to help you with your questions. MT Makela, Tracey traceymakela@spherion.com