Senior Cost Accountant

Stepan Company’s Millsdale Plant (Elwood, IL; Joliet area) is seeking a Senior Cost Accountant to oversee inventory integrity and controls, ensuring accurate standard costs and collaborating closely with Operations.

Responsibilities

• Perform monthly cycle counts, investigate variances, and post adjustments.
• Ensure effective controls and accuracy over inventory movements, reporting, and production order close-out.
• Correct or follow up on SAP inventory errors reported by Operations or identified through other duties.
• Review and report on area production variances (material, shrink, and scrap); determine root causes and potential corrective actions; adjust standards as necessary.
• Prepare consigned inventory reconciliations.
• Perform bill of material and overhead standard cost reviews to ensure product standard cost accuracy; recommend updates as necessary.
• Review monthly cost explosion for reasonableness and manage exceptions.
• Analyze plant absorption and identify necessary corrections; work with Operations to implement changes.
• Prepare closing journal entries including accruals, reclasses for cost accounting, and other reporting purposes or corrections.
• Review and analyze monthly expenses to ensure alignment with expectations.
• Complete assigned General Ledger account reconciliations.
• Lead value creation and process improvement initiatives related to inventory and expense reporting.
• Act as a site change agent to streamline and improve processes in cooperation with plant staff.

Requirements

• 3-6 years of Cost Accounting experience in a manufacturing environment.
• SAP and cost management experience.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to identifying and addressing issues.
• Ability to own complex processes and deliverables with minimal supervision.
• High proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Experience developing and implementing continual improvements to systems and processes.
• Demonstrated ownership of functional responsibilities and action-oriented mindset.
• Ability to adapt to changing needs and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
• Experience working with manufacturing personnel on various accounting topics.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting; advanced certification (CPA/CMA) preferred.

Pay

$77,000 - $100,000 per year. The salary range is determined by considering factors such as skills, experience, qualifications, and location.

Benefits

• Discretionary Bonus
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401K with Match
• Profit Sharing
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability (STD / LTD)
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Adoption Assistance
• Recognition Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)