Assistant Controller
Zeal
Accounting & Finance
Little Rock, AR, USA
Posted on Mar 30, 2026
Summary:
The Assistant Operations Controller supports a complex manufacturing operation by overseeing product costing, analyzing production performance, developing operational metrics, and delivering financial insights that support sound, data-driven decisions. This role partners closely with operations, supply chain, and senior leadership to improve transparency, cost control, and overall financial performance. The position offers meaningful exposure to leadership and opportunities for professional growth and advancement.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
• Maintain the standard cost system, including cost rolls and inventory revaluations as needed. Ensure product costs accurately reflect bills of material, routings, labor, overhead, and related manufacturing expenses.
• Improve visibility and understanding of product costing across the organization.
• Analyze manufacturing variances, identify root causes, and support operations with corrective actions.
• Perform detailed cost analyses to identify improvement opportunities and support the development and execution of cost-reduction initiatives.
• Provide value-added financial and operational analysis through clear interpretation of results.
• Influence improved decision-making through actionable insights and strong working relationships with operations leadership.
• Participate in key operational initiatives such as operational excellence efforts, supply chain optimization, strategic projects, and integration activities.
• Develop, monitor, and analyze operational KPIs to identify trends and support strategic and financial improvements.
• Design and enhance financial analysis tools to improve operational insight and reporting efficiency.
• Monitor inventory levels, including analysis of excess and slow-moving inventory.
• Develop and support product costing and assumptions for the annual budgeting process.
• Support capital expenditure planning, including preparation of business cases and post-implementation reviews to assess ROI and payback.
• Manage and maintain fixed asset records for internal accounting purposes.
• Understand internal controls and assess local policies, procedures, and risk mitigation practices.
• Support preparation of financial statements and related activities across monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting cycles, including preparing and posting journal entries.
• Coordinate with internal and external audit partners as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Skills and Abilities:
• Strong knowledge of cost accounting systems and operational metrics within a manufacturing environment.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage at all organizational levels.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and presentation skills.
• Solid understanding of core accounting functions.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple priorities.
Education and Experience:
• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, or Finance required. CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred.
• Minimum of five years of experience in accounting or finance roles.
• At least three years of cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment, preferably within extrusion and/or injection molding operations.
• Experience supporting ERP implementations or conversions preferred.
• Experience with large-scale ERP systems, including SAP, preferred.
• Experience with Power BI or similar reporting and automation tools preferred.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing principles preferred.
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:
• Combination of office and manufacturing environments with potential exposure to temperature variations in production areas.
• Majority of work performed in a climate-controlled setting.
• Frequent use of computers and visual display terminals.
• Regular sitting, standing, walking, bending, and use of hands for keyboarding and handling documents.
• Occasional lifting of materials up to approximately 40 pounds.