What are the responsibilities and job description for the Cost Accountant position at Ahlstrom?
The Cost Accountant is responsible for providing cost and inventory accounting support for the Rhinelander plant, preparing internal financial statements, participating in the monthly close process, assisting with the budgeting process, providing manufacturing personnel with data required to develop operating budgets and understand operating costs. This position is expected to assist in maximizing the efficiency of financial systems.
Cost Accountant responsibilities including the following:
- Must follow Ahlstrom’s manufacturing and hygiene processes, procedures and policies, as applicable, to the position’s areas of responsibility, in order to meet and maintain the safety, quality, and regulatory compliance requirements for each grade of paper.
- Perform month end close duties including analytics necessary for preparing journal entries related to Inventories (Raw, Storeroom and FG), Utilities, Accruals, Fixed Assets, Work Orders, and PPV Caps
- Monitor and analyze work order variances; diagnose causes of production (work order) variances; troubleshoot and correct any discrepancies
- Develop and analyze inventory reports and variances; understand/oversee transactions to ensure proper accounting of transactions; troubleshoot root causes of discrepancies
- Implement/update cost standards
- Maintain and test new branch plant locations
- Prepare and analyze daily production reports
- Lead physical inventory counts for the plant including monthly cycle counts and year end physicals
- Reconcile various balance sheet accounts to the general ledger
- Record, monitor and track fixed assets (both newly acquired and existing) in the fixed asset systems (Fatman/RAM); track the compilation of project costs into the FA accounts and close out accounts timely; perform accounting for the disposition of fixed assets; calculate depreciation; conduct analyses related to fixed assets as requested
- Assist the annual standard revision process and provide support for parts of the annual operating plan development
- Adhere to internal controls and participate in audits
- Analyze and propose potential cost saving opportunities
- Communicate cost information and analysis with manufacturing management
- All other assignments assigned by management
This is not an exhaustive list of duties or functions and may not necessarily comprise all the “essential functions” for purposes of the ADA.
Education and Experience requirements:
- Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required
- 3 years of business analysis, cost accounting and general accounting experience
- Manufacturing/Paper experience desired
- Knowledge of financial tools and systems (HFM, JDE, SAP, Optimill, Microsoft office tools)
- Advanced Excel skills preferred