Plant Finance Co-Pilot | Cost Accountant | Senior Plant/Manufacturing Accountant
Are you a cost accountant or plant accountant ready for the next step in your career? Do you love the energy of the manufacturing floor but also want a seat at the leadership table?
We are seeking a versatile Plant Finance Co-Pilot. This unique role bridges the gap between the production floor and executive leadership. You will serve as our primary Cost Accountant, manage day-to-day plant operations accounting, and act as the right-hand partner reporting to the Plant Controller. If you are bored by repetitive bookkeeping and want a dynamic role with a direct track to a Controller position, this is your next move.
Your Three-in-One Impact
The Cost Accountant
Cost Accounting & Inventory: Lead standard costing, variance analysis, labor/overhead rate calculation, cost rolls, Job/WIP monitoring, reserve analysis and cycle count/annual physical inventories.
Financial Control & Strategy: Partnered with the Controller on strategic planning, operational budgets, capital investing, and forecasting.
Reporting & Analysis: Maintained general ledgers, performed full-cycle financial reporting, and monitored KPIs to explain performance trends.
Operational Excellence: Spearheaded process improvements resolved transactional issues (AP/AR), and completed special plant management projects.
The Senior Plant/Manufacturing Accountant
Financial Management: Managed full-cycle accounting, journal entries and accruals, monthly close, account reconciliation, budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow for 3 Manufacturing plants – Accurate Specialties, Fisher Barton Blades and Fisher Barton Specialty Products.
Analysis & Reporting: Developed ad-hoc monthly performance reports, Ensure accuracy of financial statements and support schedules, Capital ROI/cost analyses, and companywide KPIs to drive executive decision-making.
Process Improvement: Spearheaded cross-functional cost-savings initiatives and standardized shared service functions (AP, AR, and Payroll).
Compliance & Operations: Annual audit, budgets and costing.
The Plant Finance Co-Pilot
Financial Leadership: Act as the backup for the Plant Controller and lead the finance team during month-end closing.
Budget & Forecast: Assist in building the annual plant budgets, cost rolls and financial forecasts.
Internal Controls: Maintain accounting policies and ensure internal/external audit compliance.
What You Bring to the Table
Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field.
Experience: 3–5 years of cost accounting / plant accounting experience strictly within a manufacturing or industrial environment.
Technical Chops: Advanced Excel skills (VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables) and deep familiarity with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Epicor). Epicor preferred not required. High Attention to detail and accuracy
Communication: The ability to speak "finance" to executives and "operation" to the team on the shop floor.
Mindset: An ambitious self-starter who looks at numbers and sees the story behind them.
Work Environment:
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Work Location: - 570 Bluemound Road | Waukesha | WI | 53188 and Secondary – Possible fluctuating between 1040 S. Twelth Street | Watertown | WI | 53094
Benefits Package: