Cost Accountant CBQ

About Us:

Carl Buddig and Company, a respected name in the meat manufacturing industry, boasts a legacy of over 80 years. Founded as a family-owned company, we have evolved into a leading producer of premium meat products, including renowned lunchmeats, ready-to-eat cooked meats under our Kingsford, LLC division, and savory snack meats from Old Wisconsin.

As a third-generation family business, our success is anchored in our commitment to quality, innovation, and community. With a workforce of 2,500 dedicated team members spread across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, we continue to expand, driven by a vision for excellence and a responsiveness to evolving consumer preferences.

At Carl Buddig and Company, we foster a culture centered around teamwork and innovation. We strive to create an environment that values creativity and collaboration, ensuring every team member is empowered to contribute to our collective goals.

Our dedication extends beyond our business operations. We actively support charitable initiatives and community organizations through direct contributions, volunteer work, and partnerships. We aim to make a positive impact and give back to the communities that have supported us over the years.

Join us at Carl Buddig and Company, where tradition meets innovation, and where our passion for quality meat products is matched by our commitment to our people and communities.

Position Summary:

Responsible for initiating activities of product costing, product manufacturing analysis and inventory valuation. Works closely with Plant operations, R&D, Supply Chain, Financial Planning and Analysis, Sales and Marketing to enter new specs into the system. Responsible for maintenance of existing products in the Item Master. Responsible for inactivation of products no longer produced. Ensures consistency between plants and customers for comparability. Develops and maintains formulas. Responsible for generating and maintaining system formulas that roll up standard cost and batches at the plants. Reviews regularly to ensure formula accuracy. Works closely with plants to calculate and update yields, staffing and through-put rates. Works with Plant Management in updating and maintaining routings in the systems.

Assists in the development of new cost estimates for customer bids. Works closely with Controllers and Plant Managers to analyze past performance and current system. Assists Controllers and Financial Planning and Analysis in modeling and testing scenarios.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Establish Cost Accounting Processes: Design systems for tracking production costs (materials, labor, overhead) and ensure compliance in a Microsoft D365 environment. Updates item costs and maintains and updates labor routings in the system.
• Inventory and Product Costing: Oversee inventory valuation methods. Ensure accurate product costing, including direct and indirect costs. Manage / oversee physical inventory counts and reconcile with financial records.
• Cost Analysis & Reporting: Analyze costs, prepare variance reports, and provide insights to optimize profitability. Track and report standard versus actual costs to identify discrepancies and inefficiencies.
• Inventory Management: Implement controls, conduct inventory counts, understand purchasing and identify cost-saving opportunities. Maintain integrity of Inventory.
• Budgeting & Forecasting: Support FP&A in budget creation, forecasts, cost analysis, movement of inventory, understand purchasing.
• Customer Quotes: Support the development of cost estimates for customer quotes. Support pricing strategies by analyzing profit margins and cost structures.
• Compliance and Process Improvement: Ensure compliance with US GAAP. Recommend cost-control measures, improve manufacturing efficiency, and reporting accu.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with teams across Manufacturing, R&D, Supply chain, Purchasing, Sales, IT, Finance, Etc.
• Process Improvement:
  
  
  
  • Continuously assess and improve processes, identifying opportunities for automation and efficiency.
  • Lead projects related to improving Standard Costing efficiencies.
  
  
  
  
• Collaboration & Training:
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  • Work closely with cross-functional teams (Manufacturing, R&D, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Sales, IT, Finance, etc.) to ensure data requirements are met and maintained.
  • Provide training and support to users and data stewards on master data standards and best practices.
  
  
  
  

Knowledge and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in finance, Accounting, Economics or related field.
• 3-7 years of experience in Cost Accounting or Inventory Accounting or a similar role, preferably in the Consumer Product Goods Industry.
• Strong financial modeling skills using excel.
• Ability to distill complex financial information into a narrative that drives decision-making.
• Collaborative attitude with the ability to establish solid partnerships across all levels of the organization.
• Experience with ERP systems, Microsoft D365, and familiarity with planning systems.
• Prior experience working with multiple databases and pulling data from different sources.
• Proficiency in working with Microsoft D365 is a plus and Planning tools such as Planful, Hyperion etc.
• Strong critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Working Conditions:

• Long periods of sitting.
• Extended periods working on a computer.
• Periodically may have to walk into the plant where noise levels can be distracting and there may be air borne particulates.
• This is an on-site position.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Pay range for this position is $85,000 to $98,000 depending on experience.

Benefits for this role include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, FSA, HSA, 401(k) Plan with Company Match, Vacation & PTO, and Tuition Reimbursement. There is also a potential for a discretionary bonus this bonus is based on personal & company performance and is not a guaranteed bonus plan.