Cost Accountant

Job Description

We are seeking a Cost Accountant to support inventory accounting, landed cost tracking (freight & duty), and manufacturing cost analysis for an agricultural chemical manufacturing business. We use ERP to manage purchasing, inventory, production, and sales transactions (including raw material cost tracking), while Quick Books serves as our accounting system. This role is responsible for ensuring cost data integrity and supporting the end-to-end cost accounting process across ERP and Quick Books, with a strong emphasis on learning ability, ownership, and hands‑on execution.

Work location can be in Willowbrook, IL, or at the plant in Champaign, IL.

• Inventory & Cost Accounting (Quick Books and ERP)
  • Maintain accurate inventory valuation (raw materials, WIP, finished goods) and support monthly inventory reconciliation.
    • Track and allocate landed costs (freight, duty, brokerage fees) to inventory and COGS in accordance with company policy.
    • Support production cost accounting, including cost tracking, journal entries, and variance analysis to ensure accurate inventory valuation and COGS.
• Month‑End Close, COGS & Variance Analysis
  • Prepare month‑end entries related to inventory, COGS, manufacturing variances, and accruals.
    • Perform variance analysis (purchase price, usage, freight/duty variance) and provide clear explanations to management.
• ERP–Quick Books Integration & Reconciliation
  • Maintain accurate mapping between ERP operational flows (PO / Receipt / Production / Delivery) and Quick Books accounting entries (Inventory, AP accruals, COGS).
    • Reconcile key balances between ERP and Quick Books, including:
      • Inventory valuation (raw materials / WIP / finished goods)
      • COGS and landed cost allocation (freight, duty, brokerage)
      • Production consumption vs. inventory adjustments
    • Support month‑end close by ensuring timely cut‑off and accurate accruals based on ERP transactions.
• AP Support (COGS related)
  • Review and accrue vendor bills and duty statements; ensure timely accruals and accurate coding.
    • Coordinate with AP to confirm proper cut‑off and documentation.
• Cycle Count / Physical Inventory
  • Manage cycle count program and annual physical inventory; investigate variances and prepare adjustment support.
    • Build audit‑ready documentation (count sheets, variance explanations, approvals).
• Process Improvement
  • Help design and improve inventory and cost accounting workflows in Quick Books and ERP.
    • Develop simple templates/reports for cost tracking and inventory analysis to improve operational visibility.
    • Assist in improving the workflow, reporting, and controls related to ERP costing and Quick Books accounting.

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance (CPA preferred).
• 1–3 years of accounting experience, preferably including inventory or manufacturing exposure (cost accounting experience is a plus).
• Proficiency in Quick Books and knowledge of SAP is beneficial.
• Hands‑on experience with ERP or inventory systems; ERP experience highly preferred.
• Strong analytical skills and high learning agility; able to understand business processes and translate them into accounting outputs.
• Excellent communication and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
• Must be a self‑starter.
• Although not required, fluency in Mandarin is a plus.

Rainbow is a global crop protection company, offering a business platform of flexible and cost‑effective solutions to meet the diverse needs of our partners. With new and expanding facilities in Willowbrook, IL, Champaign, IL and Houston, TX, Rainbow is looking for talented leaders with a bias for action, who are ready to drive real change in the industry.