Ascension Search Partners has been exclusively engaged to recruit a high-impact Regional Plant Controller for a rapidly growing, private equity–backed manufacturing company. This is a key leadership role supporting the company’s largest facility (Tyler/Longview region) as well as two nearby sites. The Regional Controller will serve as the finance lead and strategic business partner to the Plant General Manager and operations leadership teams, helping drive performance, profitability, and operational excellence across multiple plants.

This opportunity is ideal for a hands-on, operations-focused finance leader who thrives in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced environment and wants to play a meaningful role in scaling a high-growth manufacturing platform.

Why This Role Is Compelling

• Make a measurable impact in the company’s most critical manufacturing region.

• Partner directly with plant and executive leadership in a highly visible position.

• Join a PE-backed company with a significant runway for growth, improvement, and value creation.

• Bring best-in-class financial rigor to a business where your ideas and insights will actually influence decisions.

• Perfect for someone who enjoys being both a strategic operator and hands-on accounting leader.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Finance & Business Partnership

• Serve as the lead financial partner to Plant GM and operational leaders; provide insights to improve profitability, cost efficiency, and cashflow.

• Collaborate with local and regional leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and long-term planning.

• Provide financial advice supporting operational decisions, capital projects, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Plant Controllership & Operational Accounting

• Oversee and execute all accounting functions for three plants, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely financial reporting.

• Lead plant and product costing, margin analysis, variance reviews, and balance sheet reconciliations.

• Manage daily, monthly, and quarterly close processes and consolidate financial data across all sites.

• Maintain strict adherence to GAAP, corporate accounting policies, and tax compliance.

Manufacturing Costing, Inventory & Operational Analysis

• Monitor, analyze, and optimize inventory levels; recommend improvements to reduce carrying costs and strengthen controls.

• Oversee and maintain product cost standards, bills of materials (BOMs), routings, and overhead rates within SAP S/4HANA.

• Perform detailed cost analysis regarding design changes, raw materials, labor efficiency, scrap, absorption, and throughput.

• Generate and interpret variance reports, presenting findings and recommendations to plant leadership.

Process Improvement & Financial Systems

• Build and enhance repeatable, scalable accounting processes across all sites.

• Lead implementation and continuous improvement of policies, internal controls, and standard operating procedures.

• Support and guide AP, AR, and payroll activities as needed to ensure smooth financial operations.

• Drive SAP S/4HANA utilization and accuracy across plants.

Compliance, Audits & Reporting

• Prepare and review monthly/quarterly/annual financial statements and operational reporting packages.

• Manage internal and external audits in partnership with corporate accounting.

• Support corporate finance requests, PE reporting requirements, and special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required; CPA strongly preferred.

• 10+ years of progressive plant accounting/controllership experience, including multi-site oversight.

• Deep experience in manufacturing environments and cost accounting.

• Strong SAP S/4HANA experience required; advanced Excel skills a must.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to partner with plant teams and senior leadership.

• High attention to detail, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Self-starter mentality, strong work ethic, and willingness to “roll up your sleeves” when needed.

• Ability to thrive in a PE-backed, high-change, operationally focused environment.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will:

• Quickly become a trusted advisor to plant and corporate leaders.

• Bring structure, professionalism, and rigor to the controllership function.

• Improve costing accuracy, inventory control, and financial visibility.

• Help drive profitability improvement and operational efficiency across the region.

• Position the company for continued growth as a scalable, best-in-class manufacturing platform.