Plant Controller

Sound United was founded in 2012 with a simple mission - to bring joy to the world through sound. Today, we’re one of the world’s largest portfolio audio companies and home to several legendary audio brands - Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Classé, Definitive Technology. Each brand boasts its own philosophy and unique approach to bringing home entertainment to life.

Our **Bowers & Wilkins** award-winning headphones, loudspeakers and wireless audio systems combine engineering innovation and harmonious design that delight music lovers around the world. At the forefront of high-performance audio technology for more than 50 years, Bowers & Wilkins has earned countless awards and accolades from some of the most influential and important publications, musicians, recording studios, and music labels including Abbey Road Studios, Skywalker Studios, BMI, and Hollywood Records. Our valued relationships with BMW, McLaren Automotive, Maserati and Volvo Cars, has allowed us to push the boundaries of premium in-car audio systems. We have also delivered award-winning sound performance with Philips TV in their range of OLED+ televisions.

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Main purpose of the Job: *
Sound United is seeking a Plant Controller to support our premier Bowers & Wilkins UK manufacturing site in Worthing, West Sussex. The plant manufacturers Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Diamond and Nautilus loudspeakers. The Plant Controller will be the key Finance business partner to the Plant Manager and will be the go-to person for all things Manufacturing Finance for the Worthing site. This is a highly visible role and is a valued member of the global finance organization at Sound United.

**Key Responsibilities**:
**Spend Analysis and Control**
- Review production variances (materials & labor) with plant management and assist in driving to root cause.
- Create and distribute weekly and monthly spending reports, by department, highlighting opportunities for improvement. Support analysis and commentary of drivers behind variances, month to month vs. prior year, and forecast and budget.
- Track labor efficiencies by department and work closely with plant management to attain higher labor productivity.
- Track material PPV, scrap, inventory adjustments, and subcontractor waste and work closely with procurement and plant management to attain higher material productivity. Perform make vs. buy analysis to identify if particular processes merit in-sourcing or outsourcing.
- Working across the organization and offering training as needed, ensure correct G/L codes are utilized for all expenses, in line with Chart of Accounts.
- Ensure robust financial controls are in place and are following corporate financial policies and DOA.
- Monitor spending on key categories to include maintenance, supplies, and consumables, and support company initiatives to reduce spending.
- Work with plant management team to develop a database of cost out opportunities.
- Develop and publish tracking reports to monitor cost out activities and progress to plan.
**Actuals, Forecasts, and Annual Budget**
- Provide Actuals based monthly reporting, including load, spend by category, and manufacturing cost variances.
- Work closely with General Accounting to ensure that all required accruals and capitalizations are performed at each financial Close.
- Utilizing Actuals and S&OP data, update monthly forward-looking Forecast and provide to management.
- Support preparation of annual budget, including updates to labor and overhead rates, standard cost by unit, and work closely with engineering and plant management to contemplate any changes to standard times on the financials. Develop annual Capex plan, as well as Inventory Plan for the facility. Update COGS allocation schema for any changes in shared service support for plant operations.
- Cost any new products and perform quarterly review by SKU of cost per cost element, standard versus actual YTD.
**Inventory, Fixed Assets, Working Capital**
- Ensure performance of regular inventory cycle counts and period-end physicals in line with corporate instructions, document results, and suggest improvements.
- Perform fixed asset physical in line with corporate instructions.
- Collaborate with procurement, plant management, and supply chain to identify areas for working capital improvements.
- Develop capital expenditure budget together with plant management and publish monthly tracking report to show progress to plan. This includes by project cost tracking, and attention to compliance to corporate DOA for any over-runs, ensuring that proper approvals are granted pre-spend.
Areas of accountability:

- Spend Analysis and Control
- Actuals, Forecasts, and Annual Budget
- Inventory, Fixed Assets, Working Capital
Required Skill Sets:

- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance; audit experience or MBA also desirable.
- Minimum of 5-8 years prior manufacturing company experience as a plant controller
- Manufacturing ERP (SAP) experience p