What are the responsibilities and job description for the Cost Accountant position at Enchem America INC.?
Position Summary: We are seeking a detail-oriented Job Cost Accountant to oversee and manage the cost accounting processes for our chemical manufacturing facility. This role is critical in analyzing manufacturing variances, valuing inventory, and ensuring accurate tracking of raw materials, labor, and overhead. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of process and batch manufacturing environments and will partner directly with the production team to identify cost-saving opportunities and improve operational efficiency.
Key Responsibilities:
- Cost Tracking & Analysis: Track and analyze costs associated with raw materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead for specific chemical batches and production runs.
- Variance Reporting: Investigate and explain manufacturing variances (yield, material usage, labor, and overhead absorption) against standard costs or historical job costs. Partner with production managers to resolve discrepancies.
- Inventory Valuation: Monitor inventory levels, oversee cycle counts, and ensure accurate valuation of raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP), and finished goods.
- Bill of Materials (BOM) & Routing: Regularly review and update BOMs (chemical recipes) and routing steps within the ERP system to ensure standard costs align with actual production processes.
- Month-End Close: Prepare journal entries, reconcile inventory and cost of goods sold (COGS) accounts, and assist with the month-end and year-end financial close processes.
- Process Improvement: Analyze production data to identify inefficiencies, scrap/waste issues, or bottlenecks, and recommend actionable cost-reduction strategies to plant leadership.
- Financial Reporting: Generate weekly and monthly job profitability and production cost reports for management.
Qualifications:
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field.
- Experience: 3 years of progressive cost accounting experience, specifically within a manufacturing environment (chemical, pharmaceutical, or process manufacturing experience is highly preferred).
- Technical Skills: Strong proficiency in manufacturing ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite) and advanced Excel skills (PivotTables, VLOOKUPs, complex formulas).
- Analytical Skills: Demonstrated ability to analyze complex financial data, understand chemical production yields, and translate numbers into actionable operational insights.
- Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with both finance teams and plant floor personnel.