Cost Accountant

Michigan Sugar Company•Bay City, MI

18h•Onsite

About The Position

At Michigan Sugar, the purpose is Making Life Sweeter, and the mission is Creating Growth and Opportunity. Michigan Sugar Company has an immediate full-time opportunity for a Cost Accountant, located at the Corporate Office, 122 Uptown Dr., STE 300, Bay City, MI 48708. The Cost Accountant is responsible for supporting inventories, costs, and other activities related to sugar and coproduct operations. Working closely with the Inventory Specialist and collaborating cross-functionally, the Cost Accountant will promote accurate and complete financial reporting, maintain strong internal controls, support company initiatives, and improve accounting processes. Michigan Sugar Company was founded in 1906 when six smaller sugar companies merged their operations. In 2002, Michigan Sugar Company became a grower-owned cooperative and in 2004, it merged with Monitor Sugar Company to form the company that exists today. Michigan Sugar Company is headquartered in Bay City and has sugarbeet processing facilities in Bay City, Caro, Croswell and Sebewaing, Michigan. Its nearly 900 grower-owners plant and harvest up to 160,000 acres of sugarbeets each year in 20 Michigan counties, as well as Ontario, Canada. Those beets are sliced at the factories and turned into about 1.3 billion pounds of sugar annually. That sugar is sold to industrial, commercial and retail customers under the Pioneer and Big Chief brands. Michigan Sugar Company has 930 year-round employees and an additional 1,100 seasonal workers. It is the No. 1 employer in Huron County, the No. 2 employer in Bay and Sanilac counties and the No. 3 employer in Tuscola County. The company’s annual payroll is more than $65 million and its annual local economic impact is about $500 million. Michigan Sugar Company is the third largest of nine sugarbeet processing companies in the United States and Michigan is one of 11 states where sugarbeets are grown in the country. Michigan Sugar Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered
Minimum of three years of experience in an accounting or cost accounting environment
Working knowledge of inventory accounting, cost accounting, and general ledger processes
Experience with ERP systems and accounting software
Proficient in Microsoft Excel (including reconciliations and data analysis)
Experience with Outlook and Word required
Attention to detail with a high degree of accuracy
Analytical mindset with the ability to identify discrepancies and recommend solutions
Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines
Understanding of internal controls and strong documentation practices
Effective written and verbal communication skills
Ability to work collaboratively on-site, in a team-oriented environment
Flexibility and adaptability to work across multiple systems, processes, and departments
Desire to learn and utilize education and experience to improve processes

Nice To Haves

Experience with PeopleSoft (ERP systems)
Experience with Microsoft Copilot or similar AI tools a plus

Responsibilities

Ensure complete and accurate inventory reporting, including valuing sugar and coproducts, analyzing results and explaining deviations from comparable periods and forecasts, and supporting physical counts
Prepare month-end inventory reconciliations and intracompany coproduct reconciliations
Review packaging inventory transactions, including inventory receipts and charge-outs
Process and confirm non-standard invoices, ensuring accuracy of quantities and prices
Process and confirm outside storage location invoices for shipments, storage, and handling costs
Perform period-end close activities, including journal entries, reconciliations, and supporting schedules
Help with coordination and execution of year-end physical inventory counts
Support the Inventory Specialist and collaborate with that role and other departments to improve inventory and cost accounting processes
Assist with fixed asset accounting and updates
Support internal controls by adhering to established policies and procedures
Address audit requests by preparing documentation, explanations, and supporting schedules
Perform other accounting and finance-related duties as assigned