Manufacturing Controller - Novanta

Build a career powered by innovations that matter!  At Novanta, our innovations power technology products that are transforming healthcare and advanced manufacturing—improving productivity, enhancing people’s lives and redefining what’s possible.  We create for our global customers engineered components and sub-systems that deliver extreme precision and performance for a range of mission-critical applications—from minimally invasive surgery to robotics to 3D metal printing.

Novanta is one global team with over 26 offices located in The Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.  Looking for a great place to work?  You have found it with a culture that embraces teamwork, collaboration and empowerment.  Come explore Novanta.

Job Summary

The Manufacturing Controller is the factory finance & accounting leader for the Apex, NC site. The primary job responsibility of this role will be to support factory operations as a day-to-day finance & accounting business partner; support ongoing factory operations with reporting, variance analysis, and problem-solving; drive improvements to factory operations & profits; help prepare forecasts and budgets for the factory; and ensure inventory and related cost of sales accounts are stated accurately and within company policy.

Primary Responsibilities

Manufacturing Performance & Process Improvement

• Collaborates with Operations Leader, Supply Chain Leader and other senior site managers to explain results, make improvements, manage projects, identify inefficiencies, understand operations and participate in strategic business discussions and decisions.
• Complete analyses and provide recommendations and initiatives for improving financial performance and decision making.
• Help site teams to deploy Novanta Growth System (NGS) tools & activities in the factory (Structured Problem Solving, Kaizen events, Daily Management routines, etc.) to support overall improvement to factory operations
• Drive automation, simplification, and process efficiency throughout the cost accounting & finance processes, including enhancing standard reporting to functional teams.
• Research solutions to improve inventory accounting & management processes; conduct analysis of all types of inventory variances (raw materials, finished goods, purchase price variance, overhead absorption, and labor rate variance)

Manufacturing Data Management

• Maintain accurate costing methodology in the ERP system, partnering with operations and engineering experts to ensure proper BOMs, routings, item masters, and vendor masters are maintained.
• Establish, implement and maintain governance relating to the quality of Novanta master data, adapting as needed to changing business trends and requirements.
• Maintain standard cost system to ensure accuracy of inventory valuation and lead annual plant manufacturing cost standard roll.

Financial Reporting, Planning & Analysis

• Prepare standard financial and operational reports, explain operational activities/related variances, and report monthly plant performance.
• Lead and support preparation of budgets and forecasts for the site, partnering with FP&A and other business teams as needed.
• Perform work order review/analysis weekly, assessing accuracy and completeness.
• Prepare financial analysis to monitor spend in key areas (scrap, warranty, rework, PPV, etc...)
• Monitor accuracy of standard costs
• Monitor intercompany transaction & accounting, and drive process improvement in this area.

Compliance & Controls

• Work with business teams to ensure accuracy of the existence of inventory through cycle counts and physical inventories and report results in compliance with internal controls.
• Execute key inventory and cost of goods sold process controls and ensure documentation of those controls adhere to audit & SOX requirements.

Required Experience, Education, Skills and Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance
• 8+ years of cost/inventory accounting experience in a manufacturing environment
• ERP standard costing/inventory implementation experience
• Ability and willingness to spend time on production floor; learn and understand manufacturing processes and products, fundamental understanding on plant and product costs
• Ability to operate comfortably at a detailed as well as a strategic level.
• Expert experience with Microsoft Excel
• Strong presentation and written communication skills.
• Project management experience preferred.

Travel Requirements           

• 10%

Novanta is proud to be an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action workplace. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, military and veteran status, disability, genetics, or any other category protected by federal law or Novanta policy.

Please call +1 781-266-5700 if you need a disability accommodation for any part of the employment process.