Plant Controller - Legacy Turkey - Melrose, MN

Melrose, MN
Full Time
Manager/Supervisor
The Plant Controller is responsible for leading all accounting, financial reporting, cost accounting, budgeting, and internal control functions for a high-volume turkey processing facility. This role serves as a key business partner to plant operations, providing financial insight and analysis that drives profitability, operational efficiency, yield optimization, and strategic decision-making.
The ideal candidate possesses a strong manufacturing accounting background with extensive experience in cost accounting, inventory management, production reporting, and financial analysis within a food processing, protein, agricultural, or manufacturing environment.
Located in Melrose, MN, Legacy Turkey employs many people in a variety of roles with varying levels of expertise. We hire individuals with a strong work ethic who align with our core values.


Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Financial Leadership & Reporting
  • Direct all plant accounting activities, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting.
  • Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and management reports.
  • Analyze financial performance, identify trends, and provide actionable recommendations to leadership.
  • Lead month-end and year-end closing processes, including journal entries, reconciliations, and accruals.
  • Ensure compliance with GAAP, company policies, and regulatory requirements.
  • Support external audits, internal audits, and corporate reporting requirements.
Cost Accounting & Inventory Management
  • Maintain and oversee standard costing systems for live production, processing, packaging, and distribution activities.
  • Analyze variances related to labor, overhead, yields, material usage, and production efficiency.
  • Monitor turkey processing yields, by-product recovery, shrinkage, and waste to identify improvement opportunities.
  • Manage inventory accounting, including raw materials, work-in-process, finished goods, packaging materials, and supplies.
  • Conduct and oversee physical inventory counts and cycle count programs.
  • Ensure accurate valuation of inventories and cost allocations across products and departments.
Operational Finance Partnership
  • Partner with plant management to evaluate operational performance and drive cost improvement initiatives.
  • Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to production, labor efficiency, yields, throughput, and profitability.
  • Provide financial analysis supporting capital expenditures, process improvements, and operational investments.
  • Assist operations leadership in understanding financial impacts of production decisions and performance metrics.
  • Identify opportunities to improve margins through cost control, efficiency gains, and yield optimization.
Budgeting & Forecasting
  • Lead annual budgeting and periodic forecasting processes for the facility.
  • Develop labor, overhead, production, and capital expenditure budgets.
  • Monitor performance against budget and provide variance analysis with corrective action recommendations.
  • Support long-range planning and profitability analysis.
Internal Controls & Compliance
  • Establish and maintain strong internal controls over financial reporting, inventory, cash management, and purchasing.
  • Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable financial regulations.
  • Monitor and improve financial processes to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and accountability.
  • Evaluate risks and implement corrective measures where necessary.
Team Leadership
  • Lead and develop plant accounting staff.
  • Provide coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational partnership.
  • Collaborate effectively with corporate finance, operations, procurement, and supply chain teams.
Knowledge
  • Proficiency in logistics and inventory management systems
Abilities & Skills
  • Strong knowledge of GAAP and financial reporting requirements.
  • Advanced cost accounting expertise, including standard costing, variance analysis, yield reporting, and inventory valuation.
  • Experience with ERP systems and manufacturing reporting platforms.
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel and financial modeling skills.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
Experience
  • 5-7+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience.
  • 3+ years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, Cost Accounting Manager, or similar leadership role.
  • Manufacturing, food processing, protein processing, poultry, turkey, meat processing, or agricultural industry experience strongly preferred.
  • Extensive experience with cost accounting and inventory management in a production environment.
Education/Credentials
  • Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field required.
  • CPA, CMA preferred.
Benefits at Legacy Turkey: 
We are proud to offer a generous benefit package in addition to competitive compensation. Our benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance options, a Health Savings Account with company match, 401K plan with company match up to 4% of your compensation, PTO accrual, holiday pay, company paid short and long term disability, and company paid life insurance.

Salary Range: $107,087 - $134,309

Apply Online or to Further Inquire Contact:
Virgil Aguirre Jr. | Human Resources Manager
320-256-6938

Legacy Turkey provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race; color; sex; gender identity; sexual orientation; religious practices and observances; national origin; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; status as a protected veteran or spouse/family member of a protected veteran; or disability.
  • Applicants must not now, or at any time in the future, require employer sponsorship for a work visa.
  • Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer.
  • Must be 18 years of age or older (all plant positions)
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