Controller

Job Description Controller / Finance Leader - Manufacturing Wisconsin Metal Tech | Richfield, WI | On-site Wisconsin Metal Tech is a precision manufacturing company with more than 30 years of history serving demanding customers across industrial, aerospace, medical, automation, and engineered component markets. We are looking for a hands-on Controller / Finance Leader to become the senior financial voice in the business. This person will work directly with the President and leadership team, own the financial function, and help shape how the company measures performance, improves profitability, and makes decisions. This is not a narrow accounting role. It is a leadership seat for someone who wants to work directly with the President and help shape how the business measures performance, improves profitability, and grows. For an experienced manufacturing finance leader: this is a chance to move out of corporate layers and into a business where your judgment matters every day.

For a high-performing emerging leader:

this is an opportunity to step into a broader seat and help lead the financial direction of a manufacturing company. Why This Role Matters At WMT, the Controller / Finance Leader will be part of the leadership conversation, not just the accounting process. We are looking for someone who can help us see the business with more clarity: where margin is being created, where value is leaking, which jobs and customers are performing well, which assumptions need to be challenged, and where better information can lead to better decisions. The company is small enough that your impact will be visible, but complex enough that the work will be meaningful. In our business the story behind the numbers matters. Labor, routing, cycle time, material, outside processing, burden, overhead, inventory, pricing, and customer mix all shape performance. We are looking for a finance leader who enjoys connecting those dots and turning financial detail into clearer decisions, better accountability, and stronger results. The person in this seat will help turn financial information into better operating discipline, stronger accountability, and smarter business decisions. What You Will Own Financial Reporting & Accounting Discipline Own monthly, quarterly, and year-end close processes Prepare and present financial statements and operating results Maintain the general ledger, account reconciliations, and accounting records Ensure financial reporting is accurate, timely, and consistent Strengthen internal controls and accounting processes Support tax, audit, banking, insurance, and outside advisor relationships Improve leadership reporting packages and repeatable management routines Manufacturing Costing, Margin Visibility & Operational Finance Own and improve job costing and cost accounting processes Analyze labor, material, outside processing, burden, and overhead costs Review product, customer, and job-level profitability Partner with operations to understand cost drivers and performance gaps Connect quoting assumptions to actual production results Analyze manufacturing variances and identify root causes Build dashboards and reports that make performance visible and actionable Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Planning Lead the annual budgeting process Build practical forecasts tied to real business drivers Analyze actual results against budget, forecast, and prior periods Support cash flow planning, working capital visibility, and capital spending analysis Develop financial models to support pricing, investment, hiring, and operational decisions Help translate business goals into financial plans and measurable operating targets Senior Business Partner to the President and Leadership Team Serve as the senior financial partner to the President Participate in leadership discussions and business planning Translate financial information into clear operational insight Support department leaders with cost, spending, labor, and performance analysis Bring financial discipline to pricing, quoting, capacity, inventory, and capital decisions Help shape the company's management rhythm through better reporting and performance review Team Leadership & Process Improvement Lead, coach, and develop accounting / finance team members Clarify roles, responsibilities, deadlines, and expectations Improve workflows, accuracy, and follow-through Build scalable processes as the business grows Identify opportunities to improve systems, reporting, and automation Help create a finance function that is reliable, respected, and forward-looking Who Will Be Successful Here This role could be a strong fit for two types of candidates. You may be an experienced Plant Controller, Site Controller, or manufacturing finance leader who wants a role with more direct impact and less corporate distance. You may be looking for a business where your experience can directly influence decisions, strengthen performance, and help lead the company in a practical, visible way. Or you may be an emerging finance leader - perhaps a strong Cost Accounting Manager, Accounting Manager, Assistant Controller, Senior Accountant, or Operations Finance professional in manufacturing - who has been performing above your title and is ready for a broader seat. You do not need to have held this exact title before, but you do need the judgment, ownership, technical foundation, and manufacturing curiosity to grow into the seat. Ideal Background Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field 7+ years of progressive accounting/finance experience preferred Manufacturing experience strongly preferred Strong cost accounting or job costing background Experience with ERP systems Strong Excel and financial modeling skills Experience with budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and month-end close Understanding of inventory, WIP, labor, overhead, and manufacturing cost flows Ability to work closely with operations, not just accounting Strong communication skills and good business judgment High ownership mindset, strong attention to detail, and practical problem-solving ability CPA, CMA, or MBA is a plus, but not required. Manufacturing judgment, ownership, and the ability to improve the business matter more than credentials alone. What We Value Hands-on and practical Accurate and disciplined Curious about how the business works Comfortable challenging assumptions respectfully Able to simplify complex financial information Willing to build processes, not just maintain them Strong enough to lead, but humble enough to learn Comfortable in a small-to-mid-sized manufacturing environment where people wear multiple hats Interested in helping lead the company, not just manage the accounting function Why Join WMT At WMT, this role will not be buried in a corporate structure or limited to a narrow reporting lane. You will work directly with the President and leadership team. Your work will shape how the company understands performance, improves profitability, controls risk, and makes decisions. This is an opportunity to build something meaningful: a stronger financial function, better cost visibility, better reporting discipline, and better business performance. For the right person, this role offers visible impact, professional growth, and the opportunity to become a trusted financial leader in a manufacturing business that values reliability, craftsmanship, customer partnership, and continuous improvement. Compensation & Benefits WMT offers a competitive compensation package, including base salary, performance bonus, benefits, and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the company's continued growth and operational improvement. Interested? If you are a manufacturing finance professional who wants to own the numbers, understand the business, and help lead a company with better financial visibility and discipline, we would welcome the opportunity to connect.