Cost Accountant (Manufacturing)

LevelUP HCS; Eau Claire (WI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

LevelUP HCS seeks a Manufacturing Cost Accountant to support two Wisconsin facilities, analyzing costs, standard costing, and inventory to provide actionable financial insights to production and plant leadership.

You'll partner with Production, Supply Chain and finance to manage month-end close, budgeting, variance analysis, and reporting, while maintaining standard costing, inventory valuation, fixed assets and IFRS 16 leasing; ensure data integrity and timely communication with site management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 3+ years of cost accounting or manufacturing accounting experience.
• Experience with standard costing and inventory accounting.
• Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP; familiarity with IFRS.

Responsibilities

• Analyze actual manufacturing costs against standard costs and budgets.
• Partner with Production, Supply Chain, and plant leadership to understand variances and opportunities.
• Prepare monthly manufacturing reports and support month-end/year-end close, including journal entries and reconciliations.
• Maintain standard costing, inventory valuation, and obsolete inventory reserves.
• Support controls related to manufacturing costs, inventory, and fixed assets.

Skills

Cost accounting experience

Excel and data analysis

GAAP knowledge

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance

Tools

SAP

ERP systems

Job description

Job Title: Manufacturing Cost Accountant

Department: Finance

Reports to: Finance Manager

About the Role

We are seeking a Manufacturing Cost Accountant to support financial operations across two manufacturing facilities. This is a hands‑on role that works closely with Production, Supply Chain, and plant leadership to analyze manufacturing costs, understand operational performance, and provide financial insight that supports business decisions.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working in a manufacturing environment, enjoys analyzing data, and can clearly connect financial results to what is happening on the production floor.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze actual manufacturing costs against standard costs and budgets, identifying key drivers, trends, and variances.
• Partner with Production, Supply Chain, and plant leadership to understand cost variances and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Prepare monthly manufacturing reports and support month-end and year-end close activities, including journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and variance analysis.
• Maintain standard costing, inventory valuation, and obsolete inventory reserves.
• Support financial controls related to manufacturing costs, inventory, and fixed assets.
• Track capital expenditures and support fixed asset accounting, depreciation, and IFRS 16 lease activity.
• Assist with annual budgeting and forecasting activities.
• Support internal and external audits by providing financial analysis, documentation, and supporting schedules.
• Identify opportunities to improve reporting, processes, and financial controls within the manufacturing operation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in cost accounting, manufacturing accounting, plant finance, or a similar role.
• Experience with standard costing, inventory accounting, and manufacturing operations.
• Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP and familiarity with IFRS.
• Experience working with ERP systems; SAP experience preferred.
• Strong Excel and data analysis skills.
• Ability to work effectively with both finance and operational teams.

What Success Looks Like

• Clearly explain the drivers behind manufacturing costs and financial results.
• Build strong working relationships with plant and operational teams.
• Identify issues, investigate root causes, and follow through on corrective actions.
• Manage competing priorities across month-end close, reporting, budgeting, and audit activities.
• Bring a practical, analytical, and continuous‑improvement mindset to the role.

Travel: Periodic travel between two sites required