Graham Packaging is a people, planet and values-based company and a leader in sustainable packaging manufacturing. From the kitchen to the laundry room, Graham Packaging is part of your everyday life.

For employees at Graham, our Blue Culture is part of their everyday lives, too. In other words, Blue is how we do things here.

At Graham, we are united by a clear vision. We know our part and help those around us know theirs, encouraging one another to continuously improve. We create a safe, challenging environment to innovate by supporting creative ideas and new ways of thinking. We take the initiative to cultivate our individual growth and help others do the same, while keeping ourselves and one another accountable. And we actively promote cooperation, collaboration, integrity and respect across regions and teams to foster an engaged, diverse and connected workforce.

We value our employees, and a Blue Culture allows for the most rewarding employee experience as part of the Graham family. Blue is how we feel about what we do—together—to create a better tomorrow. Working at Graham means you lead constructively with clear goals, use diverse thinking to drive excellence, accountability, innovation, as well as demonstrating collaboration, embracing learning, and taking action for continuous improvement and growth.

Join Graham Packaging’s newest manufacturing facility in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of a start-up operation. This is a unique opportunity for a hands-on finance leader who enjoys partnering with operations, building processes, influencing business decisions, and driving performance from the ground up.

 

As a key member of the Plant Leadership Team, the Plant Controller will help establish and maintain financial controls, reporting processes, inventory management practices, performance management tools, and strategic decision-support capabilities that will drive long-term operational success.

 

The Plant Controller reports directly to the Regional Controller and serves as the primary finance business partner for the Lee’s Summit manufacturing facility.

 

The ideal candidate is a proactive finance professional who can translate financial data into actionable business insights, drive accountability for operational performance, and ensure strong financial controls and reporting discipline. This individual will work closely with plant leadership to improve profitability, productivity, inventory performance, and capital investment decisions while supporting the facility’s continued growth.

 

This role is organized around three key areas of responsibility:

• Insight & Business Partnership
• Financial Controls & Compliance
• Planning, Forecasting & Reporting

Insight & Business Partnership

• Serve as a key member of the Plant Leadership Team, providing financial leadership and strategic support for operational decision-making.
• Act as a trusted business partner to the Plant Manager and operational leaders, identifying opportunities to improve profitability, productivity, and cash flow.
• Identify and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) that impact conversion costs and operational efficiency.
• Analyze manufacturing costs, labor productivity, and operational performance to identify improvement opportunities and drive corrective actions.
• Support and promote continuous improvement initiatives, including A3 processes, waste reduction, productivity enhancement, and cost optimization efforts.
• Lead financial analysis and business case development for capital projects, maintenance initiatives, and cost-savings opportunities (AFEs).
• Evaluate plant profitability at the customer, product, SKU, and mold levels to support business decisions.
• Provide financial insights and recommendations that influence spending decisions, staffing levels, and resource allocation.
• Develop and deliver financial training to plant leadership and operational teams to improve understanding of cost drivers, financial performance, and operational levers.
• Support broader plant operations and cross-functional initiatives as business needs require, including safety, quality, and operational excellence programs.

 

Financial Controls & Compliance

• Maintain effective financial and operational controls that ensure compliance with company policies, SOX requirements, and internal control standards.
• Partner with internal and external auditors and support all audit-related activities.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of standard costs and cost accounting processes.
• Lead inventory control efforts to improve inventory accuracy, minimize variances, reduce obsolescence, and optimize working capital performance.
• Oversee monthly cycle counts, annual physical inventory activities, and inventory reconciliation processes.
• Coordinate and support successful execution of annual tagged physical inventories.
• Maintain fixed asset records and ensure completion of annual fixed asset verification and audit requirements.
• Monitor compliance with inventory management practices, including FIFO methodologies and inventory governance procedures.
• Identify and implement process improvements that strengthen financial controls and operational effectiveness.

 

Planning, Forecasting & Reporting

• Lead the monthly financial close process and ensure timely, accurate reporting of plant financial results.
• Analyze monthly operating results and communicate key drivers, risks, opportunities, and performance trends to plant and executive leadership teams.
• Develop and maintain annual operating budgets, monthly forecasts, and long-range financial projections.
• Partner with plant leadership to identify and execute actions required to achieve financial commitments.
• Perform detailed manufacturing variance analysis, including labor, material, overhead, and conversion cost performance.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve standard costing methodologies and processes.
• Review and approve product standard costs to ensure alignment with operational realities and cost expectations.
• Serve as the financial scorekeeper for labor, variable spending, and plant productivity metrics.
• Ensure plant leadership has the reporting tools and performance measures necessary to manage daily operations effectively.
• Support special projects, operational analyses, and strategic initiatives as required.

 

Key Areas of Focus

Success in this role will be measured by performance in the following areas:

• Conversion cost management
• Labor productivity improvement
• Inventory accuracy and control
• Forecast and budget accuracy
• Working capital performance
• Capital project execution and return on investment
• Cost savings delivery
• EBITDA improvement
• Financial control compliance
• Operational partnership and business support

 

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience, preferably within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of cost accounting, inventory management, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of the organization.
• Proven ability to work independently while partnering effectively with both finance and operations teams.

Preferred

• Experience serving in a Plant Controller, Senior Cost Accountant, Operations Finance, or Manufacturing Finance role.
• Experience with SAP and enterprise financial systems.
• Experience with Business Warehouse (BW), HFM, Power BI, or similar reporting and data visualization tools.
• Experience supporting continuous improvement, Lean Manufacturing, or operational excellence initiatives.
• Experience in a startup, greenfield, expansion, or high-growth manufacturing environment

The expected salary range for the position described in this posting is made in accordance with the legal mandates of certain jurisdictions within the United States. The final agreed-upon compensation is based on individual qualifications and experience.

Benefits include medical, dental, vision and basic life insurance. Employees are able to enroll in the company’s 401K Employee Saving Plan and may participate in its Employee Wellness Program. Employees will also receive paid time off in accordance with company policy and state law requirements.

Graham Packaging is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, religion, creed, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.