Accountant Bookkeeper

Job DescriptionJob DescriptionAccountant / BookkeeperDepartment: Finance & AdministrationReports To: Owner / General ManagerFLSA Status: Exempt (Salaried)Employment Type: Full-TimeExperience Required: Senior-Level (5+ Years)Citizenship Status: U.S. Citizenship required or U.S. Work AuthorizationSystems Engineering & Automation Corp.15601 West Lincoln AvenueNew Berlin, WI 53151Position SummaryWe are seeking an experienced senior-level Accountant / Bookkeeper to serve as the financial backbone of our manufacturing operation. This is a standalone role with support from office personnel and department leads across the organization. The ideal candidate brings 5+ years of hands-on accounting experience in a manufacturing environment — ideally a job shop, contract machining, custom machine building, or general fabrication setting — and is comfortable managing the full accounting cycle independently.This role goes well beyond day-to-day bookkeeping. You will be responsible for cost accounting across multiple business segments, job costing for custom machining and machine building projects, financial reporting, payroll coordination, tax preparation support, and working closely with ownership to provide meaningful financial insight that drives business decisions. The right candidate thrives in a fast-paced, multi-faceted shop environment and understands that no two jobs — or months — are ever quite the same.Cost Accounting (Core Function)Cost accounting is a central and highly critical function of this role. The ability to accurately track, allocate, and analyze costs across multiple revenue streams — job shop machining, contract manufacturing, custom machine building, and general manufacturing — is essential to the financial health of the business. The following responsibilities are required:Job Costing & Work-in-Progress (WIP)Establish and maintain a job costing system to track all direct and indirect costs associated with individual machining jobs, contracts, and custom machine build projects from quote through final invoice.Track direct material costs including raw stock, hardware, purchased components, and outside processing (heat treat, plating, grinding, etc.) for each job or work order.Track direct labor costs by job, operation, and department using time tracking data from shop floor personnel; reconcile against payroll.Allocate manufacturing overhead (machine time, utilities, facility costs, tooling amortization, indirect labor) to jobs using appropriate allocation methods (machine hours, labor hours, or activity-based costing as applicable).Maintain accurate work-in-progress (WIP) schedules; reconcile WIP balances at period end to ensure all open jobs are properly valued on the balance sheet.Track and report cost variances between estimated (quoted) costs and actual costs at job close; communicate findings to management and estimating staff to improve future quoting accuracy.Monitor and report on scrap, rework, and non-conformance costs; flag trends to supervisors and ownership for corrective action.Standard Costing & Rate DevelopmentDevelop and maintain machine hourly rates, labor burden rates, and overhead absorption rates for use in estimating, quoting, and financial reporting.Perform periodic cost roll-ups and standard cost updates to reflect changes in labor rates, material costs, overhead structure, or production volumes.Assist in the development of shop rates and fully burdened cost structures for custom machine building and engineering projects, which often carry unique cost profiles compared to production machining.Analyze overhead absorption and under/over-absorption on a monthly basis; investigate significant variances and recommend adjustments.Contract & Project AccountingManage project-based accounting for custom machine build and engineering contracts, including milestone billing, percentage-of-completion revenue recognition, and change order tracking.Maintain detailed cost ledgers for long-duration projects; ensure costs are captured in the correct period and matched to corresponding revenue.Track and report on contract profitability throughout the project lifecycle, alerting management to cost overruns or scope creep early.Reconcile project costs against purchase orders, subcontractor invoices, and internal time charges.Inventory & Material Cost ControlMaintain and reconcile raw material inventory values (bar stock, sheet, tubing, hardware, consumables) using perpetual or periodic inventory methods.Perform or coordinate periodic physical inventory counts; investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies.Track material price variances between purchase order cost and standard cost; report significant variances to management.Monitor and report on slow-moving, excess, or obsolete inventory; assist with disposition decisions.General Accounting & BookkeepingAccounts Payable & ReceivableProcess and code vendor invoices for materials, tooling, outside services, utilities, and overhead expenses; ensure timely and accurate payment.Manage customer invoicing for machining jobs, contracts, purchase orders, and machine builds; ensure invoices are issued promptly upon job completion or at billing milestones.Monitor accounts receivable aging; follow up on past-due balances and communicate collection issues to management.Reconcile vendor statements and resolve invoice discrepancies with purchasing and receiving staff.Manage and reconcile company credit cards, purchase orders, and petty cash.PayrollCoordinate weekly or bi-weekly payroll processing for hourly shop personnel and salaried staff, including shift differential pay, overtime, and any applicable piece-rate or incentive pay.Ensure accurate allocation of labor costs to jobs, departments, and cost centers for cost accounting purposes.Maintain payroll records, withholding documentation, and compliance with federal and Wisconsin state payroll tax requirements.Prepare and file payroll tax returns (941, 940, Wisconsin withholding) or coordinate with a payroll service provider.General Ledger & Month-End CloseMaintain the general ledger; post journal entries for accruals, prepaid expenses, depreciation, and adjusting entries.Perform monthly bank, credit card, and loan reconciliations.Prepare monthly financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement) and present to ownership with commentary on key variances and trends.Manage fixed asset schedules including additions, disposals, and depreciation for machinery, equipment, tooling, and vehicles.Ensure proper period-end cut-off for revenue recognition, especially for jobs that span month or year boundaries.Tax & CompliancePrepare and/or coordinate annual income tax filings with the company’s CPA or tax advisor; provide organized workpapers, schedules, and supporting documentation.Manage Wisconsin sales and use tax compliance, including proper application of manufacturing exemptions on qualifying material and equipment purchases.Maintain business personal property tax records and filings.Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local financial reporting and tax obligations.Cash Flow & Financial PlanningMonitor daily cash position and prepare short-term cash flow forecasts to support operational decision-making.Assist ownership in developing annual operating budgets and capital expenditure plans.Track actual performance against budget on a monthly basis; identify and explain significant variances.Provide financial analysis and ad hoc reporting to support pricing decisions, equipment purchases, staffing changes, or new business opportunities.Required Qualifications5+ years of full-cycle accounting and bookkeeping experience, with a significant portion in a manufacturing environment (job shop, contract machining, fabrication, or similar).Demonstrated hands-on experience with job costing, WIP accounting, and manufacturing cost accounting — this is non-negotiable for this role.Proficiency with QuickBooks (Desktop and/or Online) is required, including chart of accounts setup, class/job tracking, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, bank reconciliation, and financial reporting. Experience configuring or maintaining QuickBooks in a manufacturing environment \u2014 including item lists, job costing, and inventory tracking \u2014 is strongly preferred. Familiarity with manufacturing ERP systems (such as JobBOSS, E2 Shop, Epicor, Syspro, or similar job shop management software) is highly valued; experience integrating or reconciling ERP data with QuickBooks or a standalone general ledger is a significant plus.Strong working knowledge of GAAP as it applies to manufacturing, including inventory valuation, revenue recognition, and overhead allocation.Experience with payroll processing and payroll tax compliance.Proficiency in Microsoft Excel including pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and financial modeling.Familiarity with Wisconsin sales and use tax, manufacturing exemptions, and business personal property tax.Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced shop environment.Strong communication skills; comfortable presenting financial information to ownership and non-financial staff.High level of integrity, discretion, and attention to detail.Preferred QualificationsAssociate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.CPA, CMA, or equivalent professional certification (or active pursuit thereof).Experience supporting custom machine building or engineering project accounting, including percentage-of-completion and milestone billing.Familiarity with manufacturing cost structures including tooling amortization, outside processing, and machine burden rates.Experience assisting with bank financing, equipment loans, or line-of-credit management.Background working in a small-to-mid-size manufacturing company where flexibility and wearing multiple hats is the norm.Hands-on experience implementing, managing, or transitioning between ERP or job shop management systems (JobBOSS, E2 Shop, Epicor, Syspro, ProShop, or similar); ability to evaluate system capabilities, identify reporting gaps, and work with vendors or IT staff to improve financial data flows between the shop floor and the accounting function.Work EnvironmentProfessional office environment within or adjacent to an active manufacturing facility.Primarily Monday–Friday, standard business hours; additional hours may be required at month-end, year-end, or during peak production periods.Regular interaction with shop supervisors, estimators, purchasing staff, and ownership.Occasional visits to the shop floor to gather job cost data, verify material receipts, or support inventory counts.What We OfferCompetitive annual salary of $65,000–$95,000+ commensurate with experience, qualifications, and depth of manufacturing cost accounting expertise. CPA or CMA certification may support compensation above this range.Profit Sharing.Health insurance reimbursement.Paid time off, holidays, and sick leave.Tuition reimbursement and support for professional certifications.Stable, long-term role with direct visibility into company performance and a meaningful impact on business decisions.Collaborative environment with a leadership team that values financial insight and transparency.Pay: $65,000.00 - $95,000.00 per yearBenefits:Health insurancePaid sick timePaid time off