Director, Finance, Operations | Primient

About Primient

Primient is a century old company with an entrepreneurial spirit. We are a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources. We deliver value through deep technical, commercial, and operational excellence that is backed by our long-standing corn wet milling heritage. Wherever we are in the process, from field to customer, our priorities are focused on ensuring we produce the safest, highest quality products through practices that uphold both our responsibility and commitments to the challenge and drive for excellence, our people and our planet. We are a privately held company with locations across the US, Mexico, Poland, and Brazil. We’re investing in our plants and people to unlock our potential in the industrial and food sectors. Guided by our values of Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Growth, we’re focused on growing our business, our reputation, and the career of every teammate.

About the Role

The contribution of our Finance teams is vital to the performance, profitability, and continued growth of the Primient business. Across Finance, we are exploring new and better ways to harness data, improve decision-making and add value – while optimizing the investment we are making in our plants and people.  

The Director, Finance, Operations will drive the budgeting, forecasting, capital spending and product costing functions for the organization, establishing systems, processes, procedures, and supporting leadership in decision making through regular financial reporting and ad-hoc analysis and insights. This person will also help challenge the current systems and tools of cost structure and allocation, data collection and protocol, and impacts to financial statements to modify and refine reporting and ensure the expectation of accountability and credibility within the organization. They will also partner with key stakeholders across the organization to execute on various initiatives and leverage current understanding of manufacturing drivers, cost of goods, inventory, and operating expenses.  This position will report to the VP of Operations Finance and be based in Schaumburg; Primient employees are currently working a hybrid schedule.

This is an exciting opportunity to come into a private equity-backed, market leading industrial manufacturer with a history of success and a strong reputation in the market. It has a long track record of success, a reputation for superior capabilities, and a diversified and marquee customer base for whom it creates mission critical products.

Key responsibilities: Director, Finance, Operations

 

Flawlessly deliver on core Operations Finance responsibilities & help improve the function

Strategy and Leadership 

• Partner with the VP Operations Finance  to develop and implement the global manufacturing operations strategy aligned with the company’s overall objectives. 
• Provide strong leadership, guidance, and direction to plant controllers, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define and execute initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, standardize processes, and improve financial results. 

Financial Planning and Control 

• Provide analytical support and rigor to strategic decisions, while helping the VP of Operations Finance and other Sr. leaders
• Help VP of Operations Finance explain key drivers of performance and underlying details and help translate this understanding into actionable priorities for the Company
• Help improve the Annual Operations Planning (AOP) process, 5 year plan, and Product costing cycle

Cost Management, Productivity, and Optimization 

• Drive cost management and productivity initiatives across manufacturing operations, identifying opportunities for cost reduction and operational efficiency improvement. 
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity, streamline processes, and optimize resource allocation. 
• Manage, standardize and improve the analysis of key performance indicators
• Collaborate with Accounting, Sales, and other management regarding existing product mixes, general cost and labor requirements for specific products, product demand and production schedules, product yields, and existing capacities

Compliance and Risk Management 

• Quickly develop a detailed understanding of the business and market, including products/services, business segments,