Senior Cost Accountant

Stepan Company’s Millsdale Plant (Elwood, IL; Joliet area) has an opening for a Senior Cost Accountant. This position reports to the Millsdale Sr. Finance Manager and focuses on inventory integrity, controls, and accurate standard costing.

Responsibilities

• Oversee inventory integrity and controls:
  • 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.
• Ensure proper product costing:
  • 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.
• Accounting reporting:
  • Prepare closing journal entries including accruals, reclasses for cost accounting and other reporting purposes, and corrections.
  • Review and analyze monthly expenses to ensure alignment with expectations.
  • Complete assigned General Ledger Account reconciliations.
• Value creation and process improvement:
  • Actively lead efforts to bring value through continual improvement to inventory and expense reporting processes.
  • Work 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; ability to critically assess issues, engage in proactive problem-solving, and leverage innovative thinking to drive decisions.
• Ability to own complex processes and deliverables with minimal supervision.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to develop and implement continual improvements to systems and processes through self-motivation, identifying inefficiencies, and standardizing corrections.
• Demonstrated ownership of functional responsibilities and action-oriented approach.
• Ability to adapt to changing needs and prioritize 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
• Reactions – Recognition Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)