Project controller Jobs in Naperville, IL

Site Controller

Position: Site Controller

Business Unit: Crane Nuclear

Segment: Process Flow Technologies

Location: Bolingbrook, Illinois

Reports To: Vice President of Finance

Department: Finance

Crane (NYSE: CR) is a leading global provider of mission-critical, highly engineered products and solutions, with differentiated technology, respected brands, and leadership positions in the Process Flow Technologies and Aerospace & Electronics markets. Today, Crane has approximately 7,000 associates in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia, with 2025 net sales of more than $2 billion.

With strict adherence to the Crane Business System (CBS), Crane is a highly process focused organization. CBS has been, and will continue to be, a critical driver of Crane's consistent execution and long-term success, driving a performance-based culture with a strong focus on accountability and results. Through the years, Crane has excelled in serving its customers, employees, investors, and communities in which they operate by focusing on the following principles:

• Unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity.
• Focus on philanthropy.
• Customer focus.
• A disciplined cadence of execution built on clear objectives and metrics, detailed action plans and a repeatable process to drive execution and profitable growth.
• Emphasis on continuous improvement in all that we do.
• Development of our people, who are process focused and thrive on executing strategy and profitable growth through a disciplined cadence of execution.

Opportunity

The Site Controller will support the VP/GM and other key managers at the Bolingbrook location. Supporting the leadership team with a strategic mindset and a hands-on approach to financial leadership.

The Site Controller will have primary responsibility for the day-to-day financial operations, including accounting, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance for approximately 45 associates at the Bolingbrook, IL location. They will collaborate with the VP/GM to understand the strategy of the business and ensure the financial infrastructure is aligned to support key deliverables and profitable growth. They will also manage the Staff Accountant, and Accounting Clerk, and own the IC process for their team.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership, Operational Excellence & Growth

• Partner with the VP of Finance and VP/GM to align financial strategy with business objectives and drive profitable growth.
• Lead the development and execution of financial plans, including budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning.
• Provide financial insights and recommendations to support strategic decision-making and operational efficiency.
• Championing the Crane Business System by enforcing standard work, driving kaizen activities, and ensuring financial processes support continuous improvement.
• Serve as a key advisor to the site leadership team, offering financial guidance and challenging assumptions to ensure sound business decisions.

Intellectual Capital

• Crane has a rigorously defined Intellectual Capital (IC) process and cadence. This top finance role will own the IC process for the business's finance function and hold managers accountable for the Strategy -> Structure -> People approach to achieving operational excellence and talent outcomes.
• Crane's Intellectual Capital (IC) process covers the entire associate development life cycle, including Talent Recruitment & Onboarding, Associate Development, Performance Management, Compensation Planning & Recognition, and Retirement. The IC Process is underpinned by a comprehensive Intellectual Capital Review which is conducted at multiple points during the year to ensure that associates are being developed for future roles and that the organization is achieving its talent goals. A core responsibility of the Controller is to lead and manage the finance team's IC process to achieve business performance objectives and provide growth and development for our associates.

The following highlight these critical components of IC:

• Recruiting, Selection and Onboarding
  • Anticipate future trends and respond to the evolving needs of the finance organization by planning, creating, implementing, and evaluating innovative tactics to recruit top financial talent.
  • Master Crane's recruiting and onboarding processes and provide ongoing reinforcement of Crane's interview methodology; accountable to ensure finance leadership understands and properly executes the process, resulting in sound hiring decisions.
• Compensation, Benefits and Recognition
  • Ensure accurate market pricing of finance roles, working with the corporate Compensation team and appropriate external survey sources to ensure fairness.
  • Oversee and provide input to offers and salary assessments for finance team members to ensure competitive and equitable offerings aligned with company policies and market trends.
  • Lead the development and execution of incentive and bonus programs that drive individual and team performance within the finance function.
  • Stay abreast of market trends in finance compensation and benefits for consideration in future program designs.
  • Ensure meaningful recognition of finance associates, whether it be for milestone anniversaries, retirements, or other Business Unit celebrations.
• Performance Management & Development
  • Oversee the training and completion of quality documentation and conversations for both mid-year and year-end performance assessments within the finance team.
  • Implement and facilitate training and development programs tailored to the needs of the finance function in conjunction with standard offerings and training requirements for Crane.
  • Ensure appropriate actions are taken when individual performance levels are not achieved or sustained.
  • Cascade Corporate-wide programs, such as Culture of Equality workshops, facilitate rich discussions in partnership with finance leadership.
• Intellectual Capital Reviews
  • The Controller, with the VP/GM and VP of Finance, will run the BU quarterly IC review cadence with their team, as well as participate in Annual IC Deep Dive with the Corporate Executive Team. Additional IC touchpoints are also included in all business meetings, Strategy Reviews, Annual Operating Plan, and Vertical reviews to ensure alignment with agreed actions and responsiveness to new learning.
  • The Annual IC Deep Dive with corporate goes beyond a traditional Talent Review/Succession Planning discussion. These reviews are holistic in nature and require updates on everything from Turnover and Equality metrics to talent requirements, contingent workforce, campus recruiting, as well as critical salaried and hourly information regarding compensation and benefits to market and any other items the Exec Team should be aware of.
  • The Controller is responsible for teaching, coaching, and training their finance team and management on the IC processes and provide continual reinforcement.

Financial Reporting & Compliance

• Oversee all accounting operations, including general ledger, cost accounting, accounts payable/receivable, and financial reporting.
• Ensure timely and accurate monthly, quarterly, and year-end closings in accordance with GAAP and corporate policies.
• Maintain strong internal controls and ensure compliance with SOX, tax regulations, and other financial requirements.
• Lead external audit preparation and coordination, ensuring timely and accurate responses to auditor inquiries.

Team Leadership & Development

• Manage and develop a high-performing finance team, including Staff Accountant and Accounting Clerk.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and operational excellence.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to team members, ensuring alignment with Crane's Intellectual Capital (IC) process and talent development goals.

Cost Management & Analysis

• Oversee cost accounting functions, including standard labor cost development, variance analysis, and inventory valuation.
• Collaborate with operations and supply chain to monitor cost performance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Analyze financial data and KPIs to support business decisions and drive cost containment initiatives.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Lead ERP system enhancements and ensure financial systems support accurate reporting and efficient operations.
• Identify and implement process improvements to streamline financial workflows and enhance data integrity.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including leadership roles.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, internal controls, and financial reporting standards.
• Proven experience in cost accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across functions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage multiple priorities, and drive results in a dynamic environment.