Finance Director

At Dexter, we manufacture and distribute axles, accessories, and towing components primarily serving the commercial trailer, RV, marine, agriculture, and manufactured housing markets. We’re building products and systems that are rooted in a culture of safety, collaboration, and innovation.

Headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana, Dexter has manufacturing and distribution locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Employing state-of-the-art robotics, precision welding equipment, and automated machining processes, Dexter has achieved over 65 years of success through a commitment to the principles of superior quality, continuous improvement, and unparalleled customer service.

For more information about our company, access Dexter's web site at www.dextergroup.com.

The Finance Director is the senior financial leader responsible for overseeing the accounting, financial planning, cost management, internal controls, and operational finance activities for the Heavy Duty Business Unit. This role partners closely with plant managers, operations leadership, supply chain, and corporate finance to improve financial performance, strengthen controls, and support effective business decisions. It also oversees day to day accounting (general ledger, cost, accounts payable, accounts receivable) in the Canadian manufacturing ERP system, leveraging support from the US accounting shared services team as necessary.

The Finance Director is responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, predictability, and timely reporting of financial results across all assigned locations. Key responsibilities include revenue and related expense reporting, comparative financial analysis, and providing meaningful commentary to Plant Managers and Senior Leadership. The role also oversees budgeting, forecasting, capital expenditures, month-end close activities, and the maintenance of strong internal controls. The Finance Director provides financial leadership to plant management while promoting consistent processes, reporting standards, and controls across all supported sites.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Partner with the plant management and senior leadership team to drive profitability, production cost optimization and efficiencies with a continuous improvement focus.
• Provide timely financial analysis, insights, and recommendations to support manufacturing, staffing, sourcing, pricing, and investment decisions; provide timely and accurate response to requests for accounting information.
• Lead, coach, and develop a small accounting team supporting general ledger, cost accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory accounting, and related financial processes.
• Leverage an accounting shared service function to maximize performance of the team.
• Review key account reconciliations, journal entries, financial analyses, and other work prepared by the accounting team to ensure accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and appropriate supporting documentation.
• Oversee or coordinate GST/HST compliance and applicable provincial sales taxes. Coordinate with Corporate Tax and external advisors in support of Canadian corporate income-tax compliance.
• Monitor changes in Canadian tax and regulatory requirements affecting the business and work with Corporate Finance, Tax, Human Resources, and outside advisors to implement required changes.
• Provide financial oversight of Canadian customs and import activities and coordinate with Supply Chain, Corporate Tax/Trade Compliance, customs brokers, and other service providers to ensure accurate and timely accounting for imported goods.
• Provide clear explanations of significant financial variances and recommend corrective actions.
• Translate operational performance into financial results and clearly communicate key business drivers, risks, and opportunities.
• Ensure financial results are accurate, complete, and reported in accordance with company policies and applicable accounting standards.
• Analyze actual results compared with budget, forecast, prior year, and operational expectations; identify trends; recommend and drive actions.
• Participate as a member of the plant leadership teams and provide financial guidance on operational priorities and strategic initiatives.
• Monitor production costs and identify opportunities to improve margins, productivity, and cost control.
• Validate financial savings associated with operational improvement projects.
• Identify performance gaps and work with plant leadership to establish corrective-action plans.
• Prepare annual operating plans (budget) and own monthly forecast.
• Maintain, monitor and implement plant internal controls, in compliance with corporate policies, as necessary to ensure reporting integrity, safeguard assets, and identify risks.
• Prepare and/or analyze Capital Expense projects with an ROI lens and track actual vs. projected performance.
• Ensure compliance with inventory control policies and procedures.
• Coordinate annual physical inventories, cycle-counting programs, and inventory reconciliation activities.
• Partner with operations and supply chain teams to improve inventory accuracy, reduce working capital, and address unfavorable inventory trends.
• Review and approve inventory reserves for excess, obsolete, slow-moving, or damaged materials.
• Manage the maintenance and accuracy of standard costs in conjunction with Corporate Cost Accounting including BOMs, routers and purchase standards.
• Review bills of material, routings, labor standards, and overhead assumptions for financial accuracy.
• Maintain a strong and result-driven relationship with Plant Manager.
• Demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills and an ability to present complex financial information clearly to non-financial leaders.
• Maintain strong attention to detail while maintaining a broad business perspective.
• Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, accuracy, and operational partnership.
• Attend, as required, quarterly management and other plant and finance meetings.
• Coordinate with Corporate Controller on information to complete GAAP financial statements with proposed adjustments.
• Support a Continuous Improvement mindset / Lean, Six Sigma activities throughout the organization.
• Perform other ad hoc tasks or duties as required or assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Direct report to Chief Financial Officer. Indirect (dotted line) reporting to VP, Heavy Duty Business Unit. Supervisory responsibilities must be carried out in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training direct reports; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance yearly; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

Education: Requires Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or a comparable discipline and at least 10 years related progressive accounting and finance experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Significant experience in a manufacturing environment.

Strong knowledge of cost accounting, standard costing, inventory accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting.

Experience supporting multiple manufacturing locations preferred.

Strong understanding of generally accepted accounting principles and internal-control requirements.

Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel. Experience with Microsoft Power BI is preferred but not required.

Master’s Degree and/or CMA/CPA is preferred but not required.

Apply now to join an industry leader and make a difference in what we do for the customers we serve!

Dexter is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining a highly qualified, dedicated workforce. We hire and promote individuals based on their qualifications, performance, and abilities.

It is the policy of the Company to provide equal opportunity to all qualified individuals without discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, religion, veteran status, citizenship status or any other protected characteristic as outlined by applicable U.S. and Canada equal rights legislation protected by federal, state, province or local law.