Cost Accountant (Rhinelander, WI)

About Us

Ahlstrom is a global leader in combining fibers into sustainable specialty materials. Our purpose is to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. We aim to be the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company for all stakeholders. Our segments—Filtration and Life Sciences, Food and Consumer Packaging, and Protective Materials—along with the Performance Materials Cluster, address global trends with safe and sustainable solutions. In 2025, our net sales amounted to EUR 2.9 billion, and we employ approximately 7,000 people.

Responsibilities

• Follow Ahlstrom’s manufacturing and hygiene processes, procedures, and policies to meet safety, quality, and regulatory compliance requirements for each grade of paper.
• Perform month-end close duties, including analytics for journal entries related to Inventories (Raw, Storeroom, and FG), Utilities, Accruals, Fixed Assets, Work Orders, and PPV Caps.
• Monitor and analyze work order variances; diagnose causes of production variances; troubleshoot and correct discrepancies.
• Develop and analyze inventory reports and variances; oversee transactions to ensure proper accounting; troubleshoot root causes of discrepancies.
• Implement and update cost standards.
• Maintain and test new branch plant locations.
• Prepare and analyze daily production reports.
• Lead physical inventory counts for the plant, including monthly cycle counts and year-end physicals.
• Reconcile various balance sheet accounts to the general ledger.
• Record, monitor, and track fixed assets (newly acquired and existing) in fixed asset systems (Fatman/RAM); compile project costs into FA accounts and close accounts timely; account for disposition of fixed assets; calculate depreciation; conduct fixed asset analyses as requested.
• Assist the annual standard revision process and support parts of the annual operating plan development.
• Adhere to internal controls and participate in audits.
• Analyze and propose potential cost-saving opportunities.
• Communicate cost information and analysis with manufacturing management.
• Perform other assignments as directed by management.

Requirements

• Currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required.
• 3+ years of business analysis, cost accounting, and general accounting experience.
• Manufacturing/Paper experience desired.
• Knowledge of financial tools and systems (HFM, JDE, SAP, Optimill, Microsoft Office tools).
• Advanced Excel skills preferred.