COST ACCOUNTANT I

Paul Mueller Company; Springfield (MO); Hybrid; USD 54,000 - 81,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

401k matching

Paid Time Off

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Paul Mueller Company is seeking a Cost Accountant I to maintain detailed costs, analyze cost data, and support financial reporting. You will review inventory, reconcile cost reports, and coordinate with internal partners to ensure accurate cost allocations.

The role emphasizes accuracy, cross-functional collaboration, and timely journal entries, with opportunities for career growth and a mix of office and shop floor exposure.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years accounting experience required, manufacturing environment preferred.
• Associate degree preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Revalue and analyze purchase parts weekly and coordinate corrections.
• Process sales updates for all orders invoiced daily with proper account coding.
• Advance ship direct orders with correct account coding in the system.
• Analyze work order variances with operations to verify accuracy and correct as needed.
• Act as accounting liaison to create warranty orders and accumulate warranty expenses.
• Monitor monthly warranty reserves and record appropriate journal entries.

Skills

Cost accounting

Financial analysis

Excel

Communication

Attention to detail

Microsoft Office

Education

Associate degree preferred

Job description

The Cost Accountant I position is responsible for maintaining detailed costs in the system and providing cost analysis to support the company. This position reviews inventory to control and analyze standard costs, prepares and reconciles analysis cost reports, and interfaces with internal customers through verbal and written correspondence

Essential Job Functions

• Revalue and analyze purchase parts on a weekly basis and work with appropriate departments to oversee corrections as necessary.
• Review and process sales updates for all orders invoiced daily, making sure account coding for each sales order is correct and appropriate so the entries are created properly.
• Review and advance ship direct orders in the system, making sure account coding has been done properly.
• Analyze work order variances and activity and work with appropriate operations personnel to verify accuracy and complete corrections as necessary and close work orders as appropriate.
• Accounting liaison for business unit personnel to create warranty orders in the system to allow for the accumulation of warranty expenses.
• Establish, review and evaluate the monthly warranty reserves company-wide and create the appropriate monthly journal entry to record activity. This includes following up with business unit personnel to ensure we are increasing the reserves as necessary or closing out remaining reserves timely when warranty work is complete.
• Track applicable revenue for the warranty plans with foreign dealers, calculate the appropriate credit totals and accrue them monthly. Annually prepare and submit for approval the appropriate credit totals by dealer.
• Complete labor and burden re-class journal entries.
• Evaluate intercompany transactions on a daily basis to ensure effective and correct processing of such transactions. Monthly, reconcile appropriate intercompany accounts and make appropriate entries to correct issues.
• Manage monthly intercompany revenue and cost of sales transactions with the subsidiary entities and create appropriate journal entries to eliminate such activity for consolidated company financials.
• Track non-employee commissions for third party representatives and ensure that appropriate amounts are accrued and paid monthly are appropriate with the rep agreements.
• Manage the company accrued freight accounts through coding freight invoices, working with the business units on appropriate adjustments for freight invoicing and reconciling the balance sheet accounts for accuracy and completeness.
• Maintain and reconcile the monthly backlog data for the business units and prepare the journal entry to record backlog in the system.
• Complete and maintain monthly reconciliations and complete research including working with cross-functional coworkers to resolve issues during this process.
• Create and process other monthly journal entries as required.
• Assist in quarterly and year end audits by pulling appropriate back-up documentation.
• Leverage knowledge of Cost Accountant II, III and Manager regarding cost accounting methodology, skills, and processes. Establish and maintain procedures.
• Ensure lessons learned applied to future efforts.
• Collaborate with other professional disciplines throughout the business on technical inquires and needs.
• Complete other duties and special projects as assigned.
• Regular, in-person attendance due to necessary teamwork and personal interactive nature of this position

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (Competencies)

• Basic knowledge of cost accounting principles.
• Excellent communication skills both orally and written.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in financial reporting.
• Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with individuals at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to efficiently utilize Microsoft Office.
• Strong analytical, problem solving and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently or collaboratively with a team.
• Ability to understand and apply basic accounting principles relating to Cost Accounting.
• Knowledge and proficiency of general ledger transactions and reconciliation.
• Ability to analyze and evaluate procedures and work processes and to exercise appropriate judgment in establishing priorities and work methods.

Education And Experience

• One (1) to three (3) years of accounting experience required with preference in a manufacturing environment.
• An associate’s degree is preferred but not required.

Base Compensation Range

$25.94 - $38.91 per hour

Variable Compensation Range

Incentive bonus eligibility up to 12% of gross annual salary base on company performance.

Health and Ancillary Benefit Overview

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance with low employee premiums
• Free off-site medical clinic
• Company paid Life Insurance & Short-Term Disability
• 401k - Employer match of up to 4.0% for coworker contributions of 8.0% or more
• Company covers tuition costs up to $5,250.00 annually, contingent on course completion and grades
• Paid Time Off and Sick, Family & Parental Paid Time Off
• Ten (10) Paid Holidays
• Four-day work weeks, varied shifts, and flexible remote work options depending on position
• Career progression program for advancement
• Free in-house welding, grinding & machine operation school
• In-house training program

Professional office environment with some time spent in a manufacturing shop. Use of standard office equipment (computers, phones, copiers, and filing cabinets, etc.). Frequent presence on the manufacturing floor as well as field operations. Exposure to conditions, such as: dust, fumes, noise and high-degree varying seasonal temperatures.

Applicants for Paul Mueller Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

Paul Mueller Company is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.

EEO Employer/Disabled/Protected Veteran