Opportunity Snapshot

This position offers you the opportunity to make a significant impact as you restructure and manage the accounting and finance function at a new acquisition. You will oversee day-to-day operations, of course, but we'll also look to you to add value by providing strategic input to the company's decision makers. The company at present is relatively small but has solid growth potential, and as you contribute to that growth you will be in a position to take advantage of the "upward draft" of opportunity it creates.

Leading a small staff, you will assess the current situation and then develop and implement controls and processes to ensure we have US GAAP standards in place; in some cases this will involve building new processes altogether. To be a good fit for this opportunity you will have at least seven years of finance and accounting experience, including manufacturing environments, and three to five years of experience working with a US company in Korea. We're looking for a professional with strong management and leadership skills, including a demonstrated ability to drive positive and lasting change. In addition to solid knowledge of US GAAP, you'll need bilingual English and Korean skills.

Celgard is a recognized global leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing battery separators that are used in high performance lithium battery markets. Celgard battery separators are polypropylene and/or polyethylene electrolytic membranes that offer excellent product uniformity, strength, chemical stability, and energy performance. While other manufacturing sectors are contracting, we have posted double-digit growth year over year for the past several years. We have aggressive strategic plans to double sales, revenue, and our bottom line over the next five years, backed by strong cash flow and a highly profitable business model.

What Else You'll Bring to the Table

In addition to the qualifications detailed above, you'll need:

• A bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance.
• Cost accounting and cash management experience.
• The ability to communicate in English both orally and in writing.
• The ability to meet deadlines and understand the critical needs of the financial users

Preferred but not required:

• A CPA.
• Experience developing and implementing systems, controls, and/or processes

What's in It for You

High impact -- you will have the satisfaction of knowing that the finance and accounting systems and controls are based on best practices because you'll implement them. While these systems and controls will be extensions of our corporate ones, we'll look to you to ensure there is a good fit between them and the new company's operations.

Strategic role -- this is more than a mere transactional role, as you will act as subject matter expert and consultant to operations leaders in the manufacturing plant. As your own staff grows, you'll bring on top talent to build a best in class accounting and finance function.

Career development -- your position will evolve as business expands, providing you with a steady stream of new challenges and opportunities. In addition, we take a proactive approach to helping our people develop professionally, and you might take your career in a number of directions within Celgard or Polypore International, Inc, our $537 million parent corporation.

Excellent compensation -- in addition to a competitive salary and bonus incentive program, we offer a comprehensive benefits package.

More About Your Role

Polypore International, through Celgard, recently signed a definitive purchase agreement to purchase Yurie-Wide Corporation, a South Korean company for approximately $23 million in cash. The company expects to complete the acquisition in May 2008. Yurie-Wide has developed technology for the manufacture of polyethylene separators for lithium-ion batteries, and the acquisition of Yurie-Wide will bring this membrane process technology to Polypore's expanding lithium-ion product portfolio -- already the broadest in the industry -- as well as a manufacturing base in Asia. This acquisition will strengthen the company's ability to continue supplying the major Asian battery manufacturers, enhance its ability to service its worldwide customer base, and provide opportunities to serve new customers.

Reporting to our Division Controller, you will assume direction of a small staff of Accountants. Your first objective will be to assess the current state of accounting and finance at the acquisition and lay out a plan to integrate it into our systems. This will include implementing US GAAP standards, including educating the staff as they are not familiar with them. In some cases you will help Yurie-Wide adopt Celgard systems (for example, you'll lead the conversion from Excel-based processes to ERP-based ones), and in some cases you'll need to develop local processes specific to Yurie-Wide.

At the same time you will ensure that the department operates effectively on a daily basis, even during the changes. The activities and processes you'll oversee include:

• Monthly closing.
• The preparation of all financial statements for internal and external reporting.
• The monthly financial report, which also will include a tax report as per local tax regulations.
• Cost accounting including inventory management, BOM, etc.
• Transfer pricing.
• Cash management.
• Monthly P&L, balance sheet, and cash forecast.
• Acting as liaison with outside auditors, and performing the communications between local regulation and American requirements.
• Managing Sarbanes Oxley compliance.
• Other tasks may be added according to future operations.

Throughout the transition process we'll look to you to take a collaborative approach in order to facilitate as smooth a transition as possible. This will lay the groundwork for you, moving forward, to assume the role of business partner to the department leaders in Yurie-Wide.

Keys to Success

In order to be an outstanding Controller, you will have solid change management skills plus the ability to bridge Korean and US business cultures. In addition, you will:

• Combine a clear vision of the future state with solid execution abilities, including innovative problem solving skills.
• Bring excellent teamwork and interpersonal skills, including both the ability to influence others and the ability to be assertive when necessary.
• Demonstrate initiative in driving to goals.
• Remain flexible and patient, but also keep processes moving forward.

If this sounds like the right mix of challenge and opportunity for you, and you meet the minimum qualifications, we want to hear from you!

Who We Are

Proprietary Celgard trilayer membranes are a leading industry standard in rechargeable lithium battery applications. They are typically used in electronic applications such as notebook computers, cellular telephones, digital cameras, and other high performance devices.

In addition, Celgard is the global leader in supplying battery separators for disposable lithium batteries used in photographic equipment, medical devices, and various military applications. Other energy storage technologies that use Celgard battery separators include vented nickel-cadmium aircraft batteries, zinc-air hearing aid batteries, and supercapacitors.

Celgard is part of Polypore International, Inc, a global high technology filtration company specializing in microporous membranes. Polypore's flat sheet and hollow fiber membranes are used in specialized applications that require the removal or separation of various materials from liquids, primarily in the ultrafiltration and microfiltration markets. Based in Charlotte, NC, Polypore International, Inc has manufacturing facilities or sales offices in nine countries serving six continents.