Company Overview
Mexican Corn Products is a rapidly growing Ottawa-based food manufacturer and market leader in authentic tortilla chips, built on a family recipe inspired by generations of Mexican culinary tradition. With more than 20 years of experience, the company has grown a strong reputation for quality, authenticity, and reliability through its wholesale, private-label, and house-brand offerings. Operating from a fully integrated local production facility, Mexican Corn Products combines entrepreneurial values with manufacturing scale, serving retail and restaurant customers with a commitment to food safety, operational excellence, and long-term customer partnerships.
Position Summary
The Controller is the hands-on finance lead for Mexican Corn Products, responsible for hands-on oversight of the company's accounting, compliance, budgeting, and manufacturing cost reporting functions on a part-time, contract, or fractional basis. Reporting directly to the CEO, the Controller will play an important role in supporting disciplined growth as the business expands capacity, undertakes a major equipment purchase, and services a national retail account.
This role is well suited to a practical, experienced finance leader who can operate effectively in an owner-managed manufacturing environment without a large finance team beneath them. Working alongside an external bookkeeper using QuickBooks Online and an external accounting firm engaged at year-end, the Controller will help strengthen financial reporting, improve cost visibility, support compliance, and provide decision-ready analysis to management.
It is expected that this role will require approximately two days per week during an initial establishment phase, while cost accounting practices, budgeting processes, and financing documentation are put in place. The commitment is expected to reduce thereafter, and will be reviewed as the business scales.
Why Join Us?
Mexican Corn Products offers a dynamic and collegial work environment with an opportunity to make a lasting impact on a fast-growing and respected food industry leader. As Controller, you will have the autonomy and responsibility to strengthen the company's financial infrastructure, support operational decision-making, and contribute meaningfully to a major period of growth and investment.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Leadership and Decision Support
· Provide practical financial leadership and decision support to the CEO in a hands-on, owner-managed business environment.
· Contribute financial insight to support growth initiatives, operational planning, capital investment decisions, and long-term business planning.
· Partner with operations and leadership to improve visibility into profitability, cost drivers, and overall business performance.
Manufacturing Cost Accounting
· Lead and strengthen manufacturing cost accounting practices, with particular emphasis on standard costing in a multi-shift plant environment.
· Develop and maintain bill of materials or recipe costing models to support accurate product costing.
· Analyze yield and scrap variances, labour efficiency, and overhead absorption across multiple shifts.
· Provide regular reporting on cost per unit and margin by product and by customer.
· Translate cost findings into actionable recommendations that support pricing, margin management, and operational improvement.
Financial Management & Compliance
· Oversee timely and accurate financial reporting, including management reporting, month-end review, and coordination with external service providers.
· Take practical ownership of Canadian private-company compliance requirements, including T2, HST, WSIB, EHT, and payroll-related obligations.
· Ensure financial reporting and accounting practices are aligned with ASPE and appropriate internal controls.
· Work effectively with the external bookkeeper and year-end accounting firm to maintain accuracy, timeliness, and accountability.
Capital Equipment Financing & External Relations
· Support a significant equipment purchase and broader capacity expansion by assembling lender-ready financial packages and supporting analyses.
· Evaluate and compare financing alternatives, including term debt, leasing, and vendor financing.
· Serve as a key finance contact for lenders and financing partners as needed.
· Familiarity with BDC, the Canada Small Business Financing Program, and FedDev Ontario will be considered a strong asset.
Budgeting & Forecasting
· Build an annual budget and rolling forecast based on operational drivers and business assumptions.
· Report monthly results against budget and forecast, highlighting risks, trends, and opportunities.
· Support cash planning, capital planning, and financial decision-making during a period of expansion.
Systems & Process Improvement
· Review and improve financial processes, reporting tools, and controls to support scale and better decision-making.
· Help assess the company's future systems needs as it outgrows QuickBooks Online.
· Experience leading a migration from QuickBooks to a full ERP system would be an asset.
Qualifications & Experience
· CPA (Ontario) required.
· Strong hands-on experience in manufacturing cost accounting, including standard costing, BOM or recipe costing, variance analysis, labour and overhead absorption, and margin reporting by product and customer.
· Practical experience with Canadian private-company compliance and ASPE, including T2, HST, WSIB, EHT, and payroll obligations.
· Experience building budgets and rolling forecasts from operational drivers and reporting against them monthly.
· Experience assembling lender packages and evaluating financing options for major equipment purchases.
· Experience in owner-managed or family-owned businesses in the $5M to $50M range is strongly preferred.
· Comfort operating independently in a lean environment without a finance team beneath the role.
· Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, with a hands-on and collaborative working style.
If you have the qualifications for this role, please forward your resume for consideration.
Mexican Corn Products, Inc. welcomes and encourages applications from all diversities and backgrounds. Accommodation is available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. Artificial intelligence may be utilized as part of the selection process.
We thank all who apply; however, only those most closely matching these requirements will be contacted for an interview. Please do not contact the company directly.
Pay: $70.00-$110.00 per hour
Benefits:
Education:
- Bachelor's Degree (required)
Experience:
- Food industry: 5 years (preferred)
- Manufacturing Management: 3 years (required)
Language:
- Excellent English (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Vars, ON
