Cost Accountant

We are looking for an experienced Cost Accountant to support manufacturing finance operations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This position plays a key role in maintaining accurate product costing, strengthening inventory controls, and delivering financial insight that helps improve margins and operational performance. The ideal candidate brings strong cost accounting expertise, sound analytical judgment, and the ability to work closely with cross-functional teams across production, supply chain, engineering, and finance.

Responsibilities:
• Manage the standard costing framework by maintaining accurate material, labor, and overhead assumptions used in product costing.
• Perform detailed cost build analyses, including reviews of bills of materials and production routings, to ensure product costs reflect current manufacturing activity.
• Establish and revise costs for new items, product updates, and engineering changes while keeping standards aligned with business operations.
• Lead inventory valuation activities, including reserve assessments and reconciliation of inventory balances between accounting records and supporting systems.
• Partner with plant and supply chain teams to investigate inventory differences, support count programs, and improve overall stock accuracy.
• Evaluate purchase price, labor, overhead, and production variances, determine underlying drivers, and recommend corrective actions to reduce unfavorable results.
• Prepare manufacturing-related journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and supporting schedules required for month-end close, reporting, and audit readiness.
• Deliver margin and profitability analysis by product line and customer group to identify trends and support better business decisions.
• Collaborate with operations and leadership on pricing, sourcing, make-versus-buy evaluations, capital spending analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and ongoing process improvements.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in cost accounting within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of standard costing, product cost analysis, and manufacturing cost structures.
• Experience analyzing inventory valuation, reserves, variances, and gross margin performance.
• Ability to prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, and month-end close support related to manufacturing finance.
• Proficiency in investigating cost issues and translating findings into practical recommendations for business partners.
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across operations, supply chain, engineering, and finance teams.
• High attention to detail, solid analytical capabilities, and a commitment to accuracy and process improvement.

Compensation

$70,000.00-$100,000.00 Yearly

About Us

Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm that connects highly qualified job seekers to opportunities at great companies. We offer contract, temporary and permanent placement solutions for finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support roles.

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