The Role
Lead plant accounting and financial reporting for a high-volume turkey processing facility. Oversee cost accounting, inventory valuation, month-end close, budgeting, forecasting, internal controls, and KPI development. Provide operational finance partnership to improve yields, reduce costs, support audits, and lead a small accounting team.
Summary Generated by Built In
The Plant Controller is responsible for leading all accounting, financial reporting, cost accounting, budgeting, and internal control functions for a high-volume turkey processing facility. This role serves as a key business partner to plant operations, providing financial insight and analysis that drives profitability, operational efficiency, yield optimization, and strategic decision-making.
The ideal candidate possesses a strong manufacturing accounting background with extensive experience in cost accounting, inventory management, production reporting, and financial analysis within a food processing, protein, agricultural, or manufacturing environment.
Located in Melrose, MN, Legacy Turkey employs many people in a variety of roles with varying levels of expertise. We hire individuals with a strong work ethic who align with our core values.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
We are proud to offer a generous benefit package in addition to competitive compensation. Our benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance options, a Health Savings Account with company match, 401K plan with company match up to 4% of your compensation, PTO accrual, holiday pay, company paid short and long term disability, and company paid life insurance.
Salary Range: $107,087 - $134,309
Apply Online or to Further Inquire Contact:
Virgil Aguirre Jr. | Human Resources Manager
320-256-6938
Legacy Turkey provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race; color; sex; gender identity; sexual orientation; religious practices and observances; national origin; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; status as a protected veteran or spouse/family member of a protected veteran; or disability.
The ideal candidate possesses a strong manufacturing accounting background with extensive experience in cost accounting, inventory management, production reporting, and financial analysis within a food processing, protein, agricultural, or manufacturing environment.
Located in Melrose, MN, Legacy Turkey employs many people in a variety of roles with varying levels of expertise. We hire individuals with a strong work ethic who align with our core values.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Financial Leadership & Reporting
- Direct all plant accounting activities, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting.
- Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and management reports.
- Analyze financial performance, identify trends, and provide actionable recommendations to leadership.
- Lead month-end and year-end closing processes, including journal entries, reconciliations, and accruals.
- Ensure compliance with GAAP, company policies, and regulatory requirements.
- Support external audits, internal audits, and corporate reporting requirements.
Cost Accounting & Inventory Management
- Maintain and oversee standard costing systems for live production, processing, packaging, and distribution activities.
- Analyze variances related to labor, overhead, yields, material usage, and production efficiency.
- Monitor turkey processing yields, by-product recovery, shrinkage, and waste to identify improvement opportunities.
- Manage inventory accounting, including raw materials, work-in-process, finished goods, packaging materials, and supplies.
- Conduct and oversee physical inventory counts and cycle count programs.
- Ensure accurate valuation of inventories and cost allocations across products and departments.
Operational Finance Partnership
- Partner with plant management to evaluate operational performance and drive cost improvement initiatives.
- Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to production, labor efficiency, yields, throughput, and profitability.
- Provide financial analysis supporting capital expenditures, process improvements, and operational investments.
- Assist operations leadership in understanding financial impacts of production decisions and performance metrics.
- Identify opportunities to improve margins through cost control, efficiency gains, and yield optimization.
Budgeting & Forecasting
- Lead annual budgeting and periodic forecasting processes for the facility.
- Develop labor, overhead, production, and capital expenditure budgets.
- Monitor performance against budget and provide variance analysis with corrective action recommendations.
- Support long-range planning and profitability analysis.
Internal Controls & Compliance
- Establish and maintain strong internal controls over financial reporting, inventory, cash management, and purchasing.
- Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable financial regulations.
- Monitor and improve financial processes to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and accountability.
- Evaluate risks and implement corrective measures where necessary.
Team Leadership
- Lead and develop plant accounting staff.
- Provide coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
- Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational partnership.
- Collaborate effectively with corporate finance, operations, procurement, and supply chain teams.
- Proficiency in logistics and inventory management systems
- Strong knowledge of GAAP and financial reporting requirements.
- Advanced cost accounting expertise, including standard costing, variance analysis, yield reporting, and inventory valuation.
- Experience with ERP systems and manufacturing reporting platforms.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel and financial modeling skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- 5-7+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience.
- 3+ years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, Cost Accounting Manager, or similar leadership role.
- Manufacturing, food processing, protein processing, poultry, turkey, meat processing, or agricultural industry experience strongly preferred.
- Extensive experience with cost accounting and inventory management in a production environment.
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field required.
- CPA, CMA preferred.
We are proud to offer a generous benefit package in addition to competitive compensation. Our benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance options, a Health Savings Account with company match, 401K plan with company match up to 4% of your compensation, PTO accrual, holiday pay, company paid short and long term disability, and company paid life insurance.
Salary Range: $107,087 - $134,309
Apply Online or to Further Inquire Contact:
Virgil Aguirre Jr. | Human Resources Manager
320-256-6938
Legacy Turkey provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race; color; sex; gender identity; sexual orientation; religious practices and observances; national origin; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; status as a protected veteran or spouse/family member of a protected veteran; or disability.
- Applicants must not now, or at any time in the future, require employer sponsorship for a work visa.
- Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer.
- Must be 18 years of age or older (all plant positions)
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field
- CPA or CMA
- 5-7+ years progressive accounting and finance experience
- 3+ years in a Controller, Assistant Controller, Cost Accounting Manager, or similar leadership role
- Advanced cost accounting expertise (standard costing, variance analysis, yield reporting, inventory valuation)
- Experience with ERP systems and manufacturing reporting platforms
- Proficiency in logistics and inventory management systems
- Advanced Microsoft Excel and financial modeling skills
- Strong knowledge of GAAP and financial reporting requirements
- Manufacturing, food processing, protein/poultry/meat processing, or agricultural industry experience
- Experience managing inventory accounting and physical/cycle inventory counts
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The Company
What We Do
Legacy Turkey is a turkey processing company based in Melrose, Minnesota, formed following the acquisition of whole-bird turkey assets from Hormel Foods by Life-Science Innovations. The company continues an 80-year heritage of stewardship and innovation, focusing on the production and processing of turkey products. It operates a production facility and feed mill, serving growers, customers, and consumers with a commitment to quality and long-term partnership in the poultry industry.
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