The Morning Star Company

Ag Controller

Los Banos, CA

The Company

The Morning Star Company, and its affiliates, operate three tomato processing facilities in Central California, processing 35% to 40% of the California crop, plus tomato transplanting, farming, harvesting, and trucking operations, with employment of approximately 400 year-round and 2,500 seasonal colleagues and annual sales of approximately $900 million.  Our affiliate, Lucero Farms, works in joint ventures with other farmers to produce, principally, processing tomatoes as well as associated rotational crops. The company is known worldwide for its innovation and integrity.

The Mission and Position

The Mission for this colleague will be provide all financial and operating information required by internal and external customers for them to successfully accomplish their missions and commitments in all our agricultural supply chain enterprises.

This colleague will require a strong business, finance and accounting background, excellent analytical skills, a creative approach to problem solving, fundamental and persuasive leadership skills and extraordinary drive in order to ensure continually advancing our position within the industry. This individual will work with associated Colleagues who provide initiative for major elements of the business

Specific Responsibilities and Activities

Financial Accounting

• Personally prepare and ensure the accuracy and timeliness of monthly cash flow forecasts and budgets for Cal Sun and Lucero.
• Prepare Quarterly and Annual Financial Statements.

• Maintain timely reconciliation of key GL accounts (Balance Sheet and Income Statement).
• Develop and maintain Lucero joint venture books and records, budgets, and forecasts.
• Ensure assets and inventory are maintained and tracked within and among entities.
• Develop, document, and maintain financial processes.

Financial Analysis

• Analyze all operating and financial information and recommend and advocate changes to operations which will improve results.
• Communicate financial and operating performance to appropriate colleagues
• Partner with operating colleagues to develop responsible budgets for operations and financial performance.
• Partner with operating colleagues in performing periodic Business Unit reviews.
• Review all Cap Ex proposals and work with relevant colleagues to identify savings opportunities and calculate return on investment.
• Perform other analysis as needed or requested.

General Administration

• Ensure all contracts/contractual commitments are made properly between internal and external customers and that processes are in place to assure such results.
• Maintain and develop effective and economical information systems.
• Proactively provide information to fellow colleagues in a timely and accurate manner. Information should run through the enterprise like veins through the body.
• Work closely with related colleagues to develop and track key performance measurements for each operating unit.
• Help grow our culture of self-management incorporating the use of key information to drive financial accountability and ownership.
• Evaluate and improve business processes.
• Develop and manage Colleague relationships which support your Mission, ensuring appropriate supporting colleague talent and ensuring you have a thorough knowledge of the strategies and affairs of all responsible operations—“hear the drums beat, know what those signals mean and what their strategic, tactical and financial ramifications are.”

We are organizationally structured through a system we term Mission Focused Self-Management Our company is operated by colleagues without titles or an appointed hierarchy of authority.  Authority relative to other colleagues’ activities is lateral, with each colleague’s Mission as their guiding principle of action, and respect, influence and success having to be built based on each colleague’s competency, integrity, effort, persistence, and straight-forward persuasiveness. Although we have grown significantly, we intend to maintain a culture of individual responsibility and self-management.

The successful candidate would likely have a meaningful, formal education in Mission related disciplines, such as business administration, finance, accounting or economics with 2-5 years of relevant experience, however, competency and energy is the driver regardless of background.

Extensive experience in MS Excel (including vlookups, pivot tables) or Access is a fundamental requirement.

Experience in SQL database query language and/or Sage Accpac is a plus.

This position is for a hands-on professional who enjoys working on a peer level with talented and committed colleagues, who has the self-confidence to pursue their convictions and work independently with broadly defined work objectives.  Salary will DOQ.  The position is based in Los Banos, CA and it is expected that a candidate would live within a 45-minute commute radius.

Salary range: between $125,000 and $175,000, depending upon qualifications.