Finance Director

We are proud of what we do and where we are going at Dexter/DexKo, and we know that our great people are what makes us so exceptional. It is important to us that the people we invite onto our team are a good fit both technically and culturally. 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.

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.

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.
• Lead, coach, and develop a small accounting team supporting general ledger, cost accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory accounting, and related financial processes.
• 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.
• Monitor changes in Canadian tax and regulatory requirements affecting the business.
• Provide financial oversight of Canadian customs and import activities.
• 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.
• Prepare annual operating plans (budget) and own monthly forecast.
• Maintain, monitor and implement plant internal controls, in compliance with corporate policies.
• Coordinate annual physical inventories, cycle-counting programs, and inventory reconciliation activities.
• Manage the maintenance and accuracy of standard costs in conjunction with Corporate Cost Accounting.
• Demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, accuracy, and operational partnership.
• Attend quarterly management and other plant and finance meetings.
• Support a Continuous Improvement mindset / Lean, Six Sigma activities throughout the organization.

Qualifications

• Requires Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or a comparable discipline and at least 10 years related progressive accounting and finance experience.
• Significant experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of cost accounting, standard costing, inventory accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
• Master’s Degree and/or CMA/CPA is preferred but not required.

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.