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Howmet Aerospace is searching for a Regional Controller - The Americas to join our Howmet Wheel Systems (HWS) business unit in Cleveland, OH.

Howmet Aerospace (NYSE: HWM) creates breakthrough products that shape industries. Working in close partnership with our customers, we solve complex engineering challenges to transform the way we fly, drive, and power. Through the ingenuity of our people and cutting-edge advanced manufacturing techniques, we deliver these products at a quality and efficiency that ensures customer success and shareholder value. 

Howmet Wheel Systems (HWS) is a business unit with a rich tradition and a bright future. We invented the forged wheel in 1948 and have remained the global leader in providing safe, strong, lightweight, and innovative aluminum transportation products ever since. ALCOA® Wheels are highly engineered products operating in challenging environments with significant product liability risk and wide diversity of end use applications ranging from passenger cars to heavy-duty trucks to commercial and military vehicles. HWS employs 1,900 people at 14 locations worldwide and produces over 4 million aluminum wheels globally.

Our customers trust us to deliver a wide range of great looking and dependable products that improve fuel economy and increase payload to address their customers’ business needs. Our Commercial Vehicle Wheel products lead the world in market innovation and truck, trailer, and bus customers recognize our LvL ONE®, Dura-Bright® and Ultra ONE® wheels as the current innovative products in this market. 

Job Dimensions: 

The Regional Controller, The Americas provides financial leadership and governance for North America and South America including commercial & manufacturing operations. This role oversees a team of Plant Controllers responsible for multiple manufacturing facilities and serves as the primary regional financial partner to the VP of Finance. The position is accountable for the integrity of regional financial reporting, forecasting, budgeting, internal controls, compliance and manufacturing accounting processes while driving consistency, standardization and continuous improvement across all locations. The Regional Controller collaborates closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Commercial, Corporate Finance, Internal Audit and Executive Leadership to optimize financial performance, mitigate risk and support strategic business initiatives throughout the region.

Major Activities & Key Challenges

• Provide strategic financial leadership for all North America and South America operations including Cleveland Manufacturing, Barberton Wheel Plant, Barberton Cast House, Monterey Manufacturing and Brazil, ensuring alignment with corporate financial objectives and business strategy.

• Primary partner to drive cost analysis and pricing proposals to improve profitability and cash flow.

• Lead, coach and develop a team of Plant Controllers, establishing performance expectations and driving accountability.

• Oversee the monthly close process across all North and South America locations, ensuring timely, accurate and consistent financial reporting while resolving significant issues impacting results.

• Review and consolidate regional financial results, communicating key risks & opportunities and performance trends to executive leadership.

• Lead the regional forecasting, annual operating plan and long-range financial planning processes, ensuring alignment across manufacturing, supply chain, commercial and corporate finance organizations.

• Drive forecast accuracy and financial discipline by reviewing plant forecasts, challenging assumptions and ensuring consistency across all locations.

• Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Commercial and executive leadership to identify opportunities to improve profitability, productivity, working capital and overall business performance.

• Establish and maintain standardized accounting policies, internal controls and financial processes across all North America and South America sites to ensure compliance with corporate and regulatory requirements.

• Provide governance over inventory accounting, manufacturing cost accounting, account reconciliations and financial controls while ensuring consistency across all plants.

• Ensure compliance with SOX requirements, internal control standards, ASAT completion and corporate accounting policies across the region, driving timely resolution of identified control gaps.

• Serve as the regional finance leader for Internal Audit, external audit and corporate finance activities, coordinating audit readiness and ensuring timely responses to audit requests.

• Oversee regional inventory control processes including physical inventory programs, cycle count compliance, inventory valuation and reconciliation activities.

• Monitor capital expenditures and significant financial initiatives to ensure appropriate financial controls and return on investment.

• Identify financial risks, operational challenges and emerging business trends across the region, developing action plans in partnership with Plant Controllers and operational leadership.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance financial reporting, standardize processes, strengthen controls and improve operational efficiency throughout the regional network.

• Support strategic initiatives affecting the North America manufacturing locations.

• Perform strategic financial analyses and executive-level reporting as requested by the HWS VP of Finance and senior leadership.

Basic Qualifications: Minimum education and years of experience required for this role, and citizenship requirements (bullet points):

• Bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting from an accredited institution

• Minimum of 10 years’ financial analysis experience, preferably with Plant Controllership experience

• Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States.  Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.  Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. 

Preferred Qualifications: Skills/ experience / knowledge that is preferential for this role (bullet points):

• Possess or currently working towards obtaining CPA and/or MBA
• Strong understanding of GAAP and auditing principles and practices

• Experience with data querying tools, Oracle and Hyperion

• Robust background in cost accounting and/or financial analysis within a manufacturing environment

• Strong interpersonal, communication and analytical skills, with a self-motivated, team-oriented perspective

• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office products
• Ability to learn quickly, work on multiple concurrent assignments and complete assignments in a timely and organized approach