Job PurposeThe Controller, Gigafactory Project & Operations, is the senior finance leader responsible for establishing the financial foundation of the EnerSys Gigafactory project and ultimately leading the full finance function of EnerSys Gigafactory LLC. During the project phase, the Controller will lead capital and project financial management, forecasts, funding compliance, internal controls, finance-process and system design, and finance organizational readiness. As the facility becomes operational, the role is expected to evolve into Gigafactory Controller, with responsibility for the complete entity finance function, including accounting, FP&A, cost accounting, inventory, reporting, controls, cash flow planning, and financial partnership with site leadership. This is a hands-on leadership role for a full P&L entity encompassing sales, engineering, and assembly operations. The successful candidate will operate independently on a daily basis, serve as a trusted partner to project and plant leadership, and work closely with PPS Finance, the PPS Controller, Corporate Finance, shared services, and other functional teams.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities- Serve as the lead finance business partner for the Gigafactory development, construction, equipment installation, commissioning, and operational-readiness program.
- Develop and maintain integrated project forecasts covering capital expenditures, operating expenditures, purchase commitments, accruals, cash requirements, funding sources, and project contingencies.
- Monitor actual and committed spending against approved plans by workstream and funding source; identify forecast changes, risks, opportunities, and required corrective actions.
- Establish project financial governance, reporting, decision support, and escalation processes for project, PPS, and executive leadership.
- Provide financial oversight of capital authorizations, contracts, purchase commitments, vendor invoices, change orders, contingency usage, claims, and project-closeout activities.
- Oversee construction-in-progress accounting, capitalization assessments, placed-in-service readiness, fixed-asset records, and alignment between project records and the general ledger.
- Lead finance execution for Department of Energy, state, and local funding programs, including reimbursement, cost-share, incentive, reporting, audit, and documentation requirements.
- Partner with legal, tax, Corporate Finance, the PPS Controller, external advisors, and program leadership to interpret obligations, address issues, and maintain audit readiness.
- Act as the local finance process owner and business requirements lead for ERP, project accounting, fixed assets, inventory, cost accounting, reporting, planning, and related finance systems.
- Partner with IT and the broader PPS and Corporate teams on solution design, data requirements, testing, migration, controls, user readiness, implementation, and stabilization.
- Support PPS leadership in determining the appropriate allocation of activities among the local entity, PPS, Corporate functions, and shared services.
- Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes and ensure accurate, timely, complete, and supportable results in accordance with U.S. GAAP, EnerSys policies, and public-company reporting requirements.
- Implement and operate applicable SOX controls and evidence requirements; support control testing and remediate identified gaps with the PPS Controller, Corporate Accounting, and Internal Audit.
- Lead the annual budget, periodic forecasts, long-range plan, cash flow outlook, and supporting financial narrative across revenue, margin, operating expenses, working capital, and capital expenditures.
- Ground forecasts in supportable commercial and operational assumptions, including demand, backlog, pricing, capacity, material availability, staffing, engineering requirements, production ramp, and execution timing.
- Establish and own standard costing and inventory valuation for raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods, including material, labor, overhead, routings, bills of material, absorption, and inventory reserves.
- Analyze material price and usage, labor rate and efficiency, overhead, volume, absorption, scrap, rework, and other manufacturing variances; translate results into operational causes and recommended actions.
- Establish and maintain financial controls for cycle counts, physical inventories, adjustments, obsolete and excess inventory, and supporting control evidence.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related business discipline.
- At least 10 years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including prior Controller or comparable full-scope financial leadership experience.
- At least 5 years of manufacturing finance or accounting experience, including standard costing, inventory valuation, cost accounting, operational variance analysis, and financial close ownership.
- Experience in a SOX-compliant public-company environment, with strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP, financial reporting, and internal controls.
- Demonstrated ownership of accounting and FP&A, including budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, cash flow planning, and management reporting.
- Experience with major capital projects, greenfield operations, systems implementation, organizational change, or comparable business transformation.
- Demonstrated ability to partner with senior business and operational leaders, lead finance personnel, and influence cross-functional decisions.
- Strong ERP, financial reporting, data analysis, and Microsoft Excel capabilities.
- Ability to work on-site in Greenville (Piedmont), South Carolina, and travel as required, primarily to Pinellas Park, Florida, and Corporate Headquarters in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Preferred Qualifications
- Certified Public Accountant or Certified Management Accountant designation.
- Experience supporting a greenfield manufacturing facility, plant startup, or large capital expansion.
- Experience with Department of Energy grants, government funding, cost-share arrangements, state or local incentives, or related compliance and reimbursement requirements.
- Experience building a finance organization and implementing accounting, reporting, control, and planning processes from the ground up.
- Experience with ERP implementation or significant finance-process redesign, preferably in SAP.
- Experience in battery manufacturing, energy storage, chemical processing, automotive, aerospace and defense, advanced manufacturing, or another complex industrial environment.
