Role and industry
Controller Recruiters for Manufacturing and distribution
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
Financial Headhunters: You need a controller who verifies shop floor inventory and manages manufacturing variances to stop production waste.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
You need someone to verify shop floor inventory levels. You need accurate inventory valuation and variance reporting that reflects actual production costs. They must extract ERP data for plant management reporting.
The work requires tracking standard costs versus actual costs daily. They must handle multi-entity consolidation while keeping the external audit PBC list clean. They spend time on the plant floor to see if the ledger matches the physical stock on the shelves.
Ask them: How did you calculate the scrap rate for a specific product line? What is your process for reconciling perpetual inventory against the physical counts during the year-end audit? Explain the last time you found a material variance in your overhead allocation.
You need to determine if a candidate understands how to connect general ledger balances to specific shop floor activity. Start the scope conversation by asking them to walk you through how they build a standard cost from raw material through direct labor and manufacturing overhead. If they cannot explain how they adjust that cost for scrap or yield variances, they do not possess the necessary operational grounding. You should press for details on how they verify the accuracy of the bill of materials in the ERP system before the month end close. Ask them to describe a time they identified an error in the system data that caused a mismatch between the reported inventory value and the actual physical stock. Listen for whether they talk about working directly with plant managers to fix the root cause of these discrepancies. A qualified candidate will give you a concrete example of changing a process on the floor to improve data accuracy. Do not accept answers that rely on external consultants or IT to handle all reporting issues. You need a person who manages the data inputs personally. If they only discuss spreadsheets without mentioning the source data coming from the ERP, they are likely missing the technical requirements for this plant environment. Ask how they reconcile periodic cycle counts against their perpetual inventory records and what steps they take when the results do not align. A strong candidate describes a systematic investigation into the production process rather than simply making a journal entry to write off the difference. Focus on whether they know how to explain these financial variances to a plant manager who is focused on production volume rather than accounting debits and credits.
02
What do we check before you see anyone?
- 01CPA statusWe verify active licensure and current standing with state boards.
- 02ERP fluencyWe confirm hands-on experience with specific platforms like SAP, Oracle, Epicor, Plex, or Infor.
- 03Audit historyWe look for a clear track record of managing external audit PBC lists without material adjustments.
- 04Plant presenceWe verify the candidate is willing and able to commute daily to the manufacturing site.
- 05Costing depthWe confirm they have personally managed standard costing systems and inventory valuation protocols.
- 06Technical accountingWe verify their ability to draft and support accounting memos related to revenue recognition and lease accounting.
03
Where do we find them?
We source from existing manufacturing and distribution firms, specifically those running high-volume or complex product lines. We look for accountants currently in cost or plant controller roles who are blocked by a lack of upward mobility. We also target those in public accounting practices with heavy manufacturing client portfolios who want to move in-house.
Candidates consider moving when their current plant site has reached a consolidation phase or when they want to own a full general ledger instead of just the cost accounting function. They also look for new challenges when they have maxed out the utility of their current ERP system and want to lead an implementation or significant upgrade.
04
Which hiring mistakes should you watch for?
- 01Hiring a pure corporate accountant who lacks experience with physical inventory, scrap, or standard cost variances.
- 02Focusing too heavily on theoretical GAAP knowledge while ignoring the practical reality of plant-floor data integrity.
- 03Selecting someone who views the office as a place for remote work, failing to prioritize necessary time on the production floor.
05
The search in three steps
- 01We screen candidates against your specific ERP and manufacturing accounting requirements.
- 02We present qualified prospects and arrange technical interviews that focus on their costing methodology.
- 03We support you through the offer process and reference checks once a final candidate is chosen.
06
Which related hiring decisions are worth comparing?
How your Controller search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
One sequence, from a well-defined seat to a shortlist you can judge.
Search Calibration
We start with a call about the seat, the books, the owners and the people the hire will work with. We learn what the role must fix in the first year and what would make a candidate wrong even if the resume looks right.
You get: A written search brief: scope, must-haves, deal-breakers and the pay range, agreed with you.
Market Mapping
We map the companies and institutions where the right people already work: similar size, similar ownership, similar complexity, in your market and in others.
You get: The target list of companies and institutions we will search, reviewed with you before outreach.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We find direct ways to reach the people on the map. Most are employed and not reading job boards, so reaching them takes real research.
You get: Direct routes to people who are not on job boards, researched for your search.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We call and write to people individually and follow up. Interest varies, so we discuss the actual opportunity rather than promising a particular response.
You get: One-to-one conversations about your actual role, followed up, never a mass email blast.
Live Candidate Qualification
We speak with every candidate before you do. We check scope, systems, reporting lines, compensation expectations, location and why they would move.
You get: Only candidates we have spoken with, checked on scope, systems, pay, location and motive.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You receive a short written brief on each finalist covering what they have done, where they are thin and what they want. Then we help with interviews, references and the offer.
You get: A short written brief on each finalist, plus help with interviews, references, counteroffer risk and the offer.
Questions people ask
When must we pay for finding a controller to own shop floor inventory valuation numbers?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Is this role site-based or off-site?
The position requires daily physical presence at the plant. Remote work is not viable for this controller level.
How do you distinguish this role from a corporate accounting manager?
This controller role holds specific decision rights over plant inventory valuation and shop-floor cost processes. A corporate manager typically lacks this direct operational oversight of production data.
What is the process for hiring temporary or fractional support?
We offer contract and temp-to-perm options upon request. Terms for these engagements are defined and agreed upon separately for each specific requirement.
What is the fee for a Controller search?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The fee and terms are agreed in writing before we start.
How soon will I see a Controller shortlist?
It depends on the seat, the location and the pay. We give you an honest read after the calibration call and we do not promise dates we cannot control.
What about counteroffers on a Controller hire?
We ask every Controller candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.
What is your guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your Controller job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
Start a search
Tell us about the seat.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
Not ready to start a search?
Get a practical read on the talent market or the job description. No fee or obligation.