Plant Controller

About Kennametal

With over 85 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace and defense, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Learn more at kennametal.com. Follow @Kennametal: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Job Title: Plant Finance Business Partner - Controller 

Location: La Vergne, TN
 

The Plant Finance Business Partner supports the Plant Management team in providing strategic financial leadership and financial stewardship.  This role works with all areas of the business and is intended to be a support in the delivery of services to each Business Unit Leader.  The Plant Finance Business Partner works closely with the business to accurately forecast financial results, drive data-driven decisions and work together as partners on proposals and special projects.  Performs various financial reporting and forecasting analyses in the areas of profit planning, cost containment, capital expenditures and other areas.  Support will include a focus on managed views of financials as well as understanding profitability drivers and trends, make recommendations to the business based on financial analysis and knowledge of the business.

Key Job Responsibilities

Business Partnering/Leadership Support

• Needs to be seen as Leader of the business-critical functions


• Needs to effectively communicate financial results to non-financial professionals as well as they need to foster collaboration between departments


• Is a facilitator on strategic and tactical initiatives supporting the business in achieving its strategic objectives


• Supports and challenges the business in ensuring that the chosen business actions are aligned to the strategy and are protecting, growing and optimizing the assets of the company


• Is responsible to drive improved operational results and efficiency


• The Finance Business Partner is responsible to provide meaningful, actionable insights, advice and recommendations on historic and the future financial performance to the Business’ leadership


• Develops and maintains business partner relationships across functions and regions


• Responds to customers in a timely fashion


• Shares expertise and experience to support stakeholders on effective financial management processes


• Supports the delivery of financial, operational and strategic insights across the organization


• Facilitates an openly communicative environment to promote the generation of creative thinking and commitment to business process improvement


• Act as catalyst in driving forward initiatives critical to delivering the strategy

Forecast, Planning

• Develop forecasting and planning processes as needed so that key inputs are considered


• Supports Business Unit leadership in the completion of the annual budget cycle and achievement of operating targets


• Partner with peers within and across the other business units to share ideas and collaborate on ways to improve finance routines and processes


• Conduct other financial analysis and reporting as needed

Supports Operating Budget / Performance Management / Variance Reporting Processes

• Provides analysis to support creation of the Base Budget assumptions for production volume, material, labor, and overhead costs, including expense inflation rates, the integration of organization objectives for cost savings and new program initiatives, and providing guidance to Business Unit leadership in identifying and understanding key volume and related variance drivers including areas of risk


• Actively participates in month end financial close


• Assist Shared Services and Corporate Accounting to estimate appropriate accruals


• Prepares detailed analyses of operational and financial data, trend analysis and monitoring of key financial metrics including: root cause analysis, and sharing findings and detailed explanations with the Business Leaders


• Engages leaders and provides guidance in development and ongoing monitoring of remediation and corrective action plans


• Supports analytics for Labor and Non-Labor Benchmarking activities


• Supports Business Leadership in cost management initiatives


• Attends a wide range of client-based meetings for exposure to organization

Compliance, Performance Improvement and Learning

• Guides Business Leaders in adoption and understanding of finance policies, guidelines, requirements and standard operating procedures to ensure compliance with corporate finance policies and generally accepted accounting principles


• Provides guidance and participates in performance improvement initiatives that result in improvement in Business Unit operational and financial performance


• Educates other staff inside and outside the department on financial concepts and applications, and contributes to the development of financial management

Education, Work Experience, Skills & Certificates

• Bachelors Degree in related field (Finance or Accounting preferred)


• MBA with focus in Finance is preferred


• 5 – 8 years related finance or controller experience including in-depth experience with financial statement analysis and a strong understanding of corporate finance concepts


• Excellent attention to detail, customer service orientation and timely follow through


• Ability to interface with business leaders outside of accounting/finance and comfort presenting to senior leaders of the organization


• Strong analytical skills (ability to recognize and resolve issues)


• Strategic thinking, leadership and influencing abilities


• High energy and self-motivated person


• Ability to proactively cultivate strong business partner relationships and communicate effectively with team members


• Capable of being a self-starter in a fast paced and sometimes ambiguous environment


• Strong computer skills


• Ability to travel up to 25%