Cost Accountant

Job Description

Job Description

Cost Accountant 

Location: Madison, WI (On-site)
Department: Finance 
Reports To: Plant Controller

Position Summary

Oakhouse Bakery, a subsidiary of Keep It REAL Foods, is seeking a Cost Accountant to be responsible for ensuring accurate product costing, supporting plant financial performance analysis, and maintaining strong cost controls within our food manufacturing operation. This role works closely with production, supply chain, quality, and finance to provide insight into manufacturing costs, inventory accuracy, variances, and operational efficiency. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical ability, attention to detail, and experience in a manufacturing environment—preferably food or CPG.

Key Responsibilities

Product Costing & Analysis

• Maintain and update standard costs for raw materials, packaging, labor, and overhead.
• Support standard cost roll and ensure accuracy of BOMs and routings.
• Analyze manufacturing cost variances (material usage, labor efficiency, overhead absorption).
• Partner with operations to identify cost drivers, deviations, and improvement opportunities.
• Support cost modeling for new products, formulation changes, or co-manufacturing scenarios.

Inventory Accounting & Controls

• Reconcile inventory subledgers to the general ledger; ensure accurate valuation.
• Align with warehouse and operations to confirm inventory counts are accurate and complete.
• Review and analyze inventory adjustments, scrap, and yield variances.
• Ensure compliance with company policies related to inventory management.

Manufacturing Analytics

• Prepare daily/weekly/monthly production cost reports and KPIs.
• Analyze throughput, labor productivity, yields, and operational metrics.
• Support plant financial reviews and monthly close activities.
• Assist in budgeting and forecasting for plant operational costs.

Month-End Close & Financial Support

• Prepare journal entries for inventory, accruals, cost adjustments, and variances.
• Reconcile key accounts tied to inventory, WIP, and cost of goods sold.
• Work with the Plant Controller on cost analysis for decision support.
• Participate in internal and external audit requests as needed.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• 1-5 years of cost accounting experience in manufacturing; food/beverage experience preferred.
• Understanding of GAAP and cost accounting principles.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar).

Skills & Attributes

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to partner with production and cross-functional teams.
• Proficient in Excel and data analysis tools.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to play an important role for Oakhouse Bakery at an exciting point in its evolution. You will work cross-functionally at a growing company and play a role in its growth trajectory and partner closely with site and company management.