Controller, Finance

Description

At Franklin Electric, Finance plays a pivotal role in accelerating business performance and strengthening organizational health. The Controller of Finance for Energy Systems is accountable for financial integrity and operational rigor across the segment—leading the monthly close, ensuring accurate and timely reporting, strengthening internal controls and governance, and partnering with business leaders to drive profitable growth. Reporting to the Director of Finance, this role blends controllership (accounting, compliance, audit readiness) with commercial and operational partnership to improve P&L and working capital outcomes.

Responsibilities include leading the segment close and consolidation processes; delivering accurate management and statutory reporting; establishing and maintaining effective internal controls, policies, and governance; coordinating internal/external audit support; and driving process improvements that increase automation, strengthen data quality, and improve cycle times. The role also provides financial leadership for strategic initiatives and proactively advises Energy Systems leaders on corrective actions to ensure long-term achievement of key strategic priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the monthly close for Energy Systems: drive timely, accurate results, ensure appropriate accruals/reserves, and maintain clear linkage between actuals, forecasts, and outlooks.
• Lead segment consolidation and reporting requirements for actuals, forecasts, AOP, LRP, and Risk/Opportunity analysis; ensure consistency of assumptions and strong variance explanations for leadership.
• Establish, document, and continuously improve accounting policies, processes, and internal controls; ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards and corporate governance expectations.
• Coordinate internal and external audit requests; partner with Corporate Accounting/Tax/Treasury as needed to support statutory reporting, tax filings inputs, and balance sheet governance.
• Provide decision support to commercial and operations leaders through margin/mix analysis, cost-to-serve insights, working capital analytics, and business case modeling (NPD, restructuring, cost reductions, and M&A evaluation).
• Drive automation and standardization of reporting and close workflows by leveraging ERP and BI tools; improve data quality, reduce manual effort, and shorten cycle times.

People Leadership

• Invests time in individual development and engagement of finance team, ultimately developing future successors.
• Leads and oversees team members, ensuring strong leadership and alignment across the team.
• Responsible for interviewing, training, planning, assigning, and directing work; evaluating performance; and administering rewards or corrective actions as needed. Handles employee concerns and resolves issues in a timely, professional manner.
• Partners closely with Human Resources to address employee matters and ensure alignment with organizational policies and practices.

Governance, Controls & Operational Excellence

• Strengthen internal controls, close discipline, and balance sheet governance; ensure processes are documented and audit ready.
• Increase self-service capabilities and streamline close/reporting to reduce manual work, improve controllership visibility, and accelerate decision-making.
• Create concise, executive-ready insights on results, drivers, and risks; clearly communicate accounting impacts, estimates, and assumptions.
• Effectively collaborate with multinational teams in a matrixed, functionally diverse environment.

Enterprise Transformation & Strategic Projects
Key Performance Indicators

• Deliver a timely and accurate monthly close with clear variance analysis and actionable executive commentary.
• Maintain strong internal controls and audit readiness; proactively identify and remediate control or process gaps.
• Ensure reporting integrity across P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow; improve transparency into reserves, estimates, and key accounting judgments.
• Drive measurable improvements in working capital and close/reporting efficiency through standardization, automation, and effective business partnership.

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, finance, or a related field required, master’s preferred. 5+ years of progressive experience in accounting, finance, or a related field(required).
• Proficiency with accounting and business systems, including advanced skills in JDE (preferred), data entry, spreadsheets, and word processing; intermediate capability with presentation tools such as PowerPoint, and Microsoft Business Intelligence.
• Proven ability to influence senior executives and translate insights into business decisions.

Franklin Electric is a global leader in water and energy systems, committed to continuous improvement and innovation to meet the diverse needs of our customers. Our founders in 1944 named the company after America’s pioneer electrical engineer, Benjamin Franklin, which lives on today in our culture to drive us to push boundaries and create meaningful change. We offer a comprehensive range of pumps, motors, drives, and controls for residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, and municipal applications.

More than just a workplace, Franklin Electric is a vibrant and inclusive community of forward-thinkers, united by our mission to drive positive impact worldwide. Our culture fosters career growth and personal development, with a focus on promoting from within and nurturing talent. Our recent awards in “America's Most Responsible Companies”, “Most Trusted Companies” by Newsweek, “America’s Climate Leaders” and “Indiana’s Best Places to Work” attest, we're dedicated to upholding the highest standards of corporate responsibility.

At Franklin Electric, we believe that everyone deserves to be treated fairly and respectfully, and that our diversity of thought, culture and experience makes us a stronger company. Our commitment to social responsibility is evident in programs like the Franklin Women's Network and our philanthropic efforts through the Franklin Wells for the World Foundation. Through these endeavors, we've provided clean water to over 284,000 people in 12 countries, addressing the global water crisis head-on,

Locally in our communities, the Franklin Electric Charitable and Educational Foundation (FECEF) supports causes close to our hearts, such as United Way, Boys & Girls Club, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Our dedication to excellence extends beyond our products and services, shaping a brighter future for both our employees and the communities we serve. Join us in driving meaningful change and making a difference with Franklin Electric.