Senior Cost Accountant

Stepan Company’s Millsdale Plant (Elwood, IL; Joliet area) has a job opening for a Sr. Cost Accountant. This position reports to the Millsdale Sr. Finance Manager and is responsible for overseeing inventory integrity & controls at the site and ensuring the accuracy of our standard costs. Working closely with Operations, this position will lead inventory cycle counting and production variance reporting (material, OH, shrink, & scrap), as well as champion identified corrective actions and recommended process changes.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills will be utilized daily.

Responsibilities:

OVERSEE INVENTORY INTEGRITY AND CONTROLS

• Perform monthly cycle counts, investigate variances, and post adjustments.
• Ensure effective controls & accuracy over inventory movements, inventory reporting, and production order close-out.
• Correct or follow-up on SAP inventory errors as reported by Operations, or as identified throughout other duties.
• Review & report on area production variances (material, shrink, & scrap);
  Determine root causes and potential corrective actions;
  Work to 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 & other reporting purposes, corrections.
• Review and analyze monthly expenses to ensure alignment with expectations.
• Complete assigned General Ledger Account reconciliations.

VALUE CREATION / PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

• Be an active leader in looking for ways to bring value through continual improvement to the organization as it pertains to inventory and expense reporting processes.
• Work as a site change agent to streamline and improve processes in cooperation with plant staff.

• 3-6 years of Cost Accounting experience in a manufacturing environment
• SAP and cost management experience
• Highly focused on problem identification and solving;
  Takes a critical look at issues and challenges and engages in proactive problem solving;
  Utilizes facts and innovation to build reasoned arguments and leverages innovative thinking to promote decisions
• Ability to own complex processes and deliverables and work with minimal supervision
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Excel
• Ability to develop and implement continual improvements to systems and processes through self-motivation, identifying waste loops and correcting through standardization
• Demonstrated ownership of functional responsibilities and action-oriented towards those responsibilities
• Ability to adapt to changing needs and prioritize to meet deadlines
• Experience working with manufacturing personnel on various accounting topics

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

Pay Range: $77,000 - $100,000

The salary range for this position is determined by considering a variety of factors such as skills, experience, qualifications, and the location of the position.

At Stepan Company our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Discretionary Bonus
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401K with Match
• Profit Sharing

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Established in 1932, Stepan Company is a major manufacturer of basic and intermediate chemicals including surfactants,…