Senior Accountant - Cost Savings & Process Improvement

PERLICK CORPORATION•Milwaukee, WI

36d•Hybrid

About The Position

SUMMARY: Reporting to the Vice President, Finance, the Senior Accountant – Cost Savings & Process Improvement strengthens the organization’s financial performance by leading cost‑reduction initiatives, enhancing processes, and applying strong accounting expertise. Working closely with Operations, Plant Leadership, and cross‑functional teams, the role identifies, quantifies, and tracks savings opportunities while improving financial transparency across the enterprise. Although a dedicated Cost Accountant already supports the team, this position provides broader financial leadership, acting as a key liaison between accounting and the business to drive sustainable improvements and support better decision‑making. Beyond cost‑savings and process‑improvement efforts, the role delivers core senior‑level accounting responsibilities, including daily operational accounting, monthly journal entries, general ledger reconciliations, and support for the financial close. The Senior Accountant manages fixed‑asset accounting, prepares key balance‑sheet reconciliations, and communicates financial insights to non‑finance stakeholders. The position is also responsible for identifying internal‑control weaknesses, recommending improvements, and serving as a subject‑matter expert on cross‑functional initiatives involving operational, regulatory, or business changes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance
5+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience, preferably in a manufacturing or operations‑focused environment
Strong understanding of cost drivers, operational finance, and process improvement concepts
Demonstrated ability to identify and quantify cost savings or efficiency improvements
Advanced Excel skills and strong financial analysis capabilities
Ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to non‑finance stakeholders
Experience with ERP systems and system/process implementations

Nice To Haves

CPA or CMA designation
Experience working closely with plant operations or manufacturing leadership
Exposure to continuous improvement, Lean, or operational excellence initiatives

Responsibilities

Identify, evaluate, and support cost savings initiatives across plant operations, supply chain, and overhead functions, in partnership with Operations, Engineering, Procurement, and Plant Leadership
Independently analyze spending, operational processes, and financial data to surface opportunities for efficiency and cost reduction
Quantify, validate, and track cost savings initiatives to ensure accuracy, sustainability, and alignment with financial results
Support continuous improvement efforts by streamlining financial and operational processes, reducing manual work, and improving data quality
Develop and maintain financial models and analyses to support business cases, ROI assessments, and prioritization of improvement initiatives
Partner with the Cost Accountant to ensure alignment between standard costing, operational insights, and realized savings without duplication of effort
Identify and implement a minimum of $200,000 in annualized cost savings each year.
Own fixed asset accounting, including capitalization, depreciation, disposals, physical inventory coordination, and reconciliation to the general ledger
Prepare and review complex balance sheet account reconciliations and ensure timely resolution of reconciling items
Support monthly close activities, including journal entries, variance analysis, and financial review
Ensure compliance with accounting policies, internal controls, and audit requirements
Support external and internal audit requests related to assigned areas of responsibility
Develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) for accounting functions, ensuring consistency and best practices.
Collaborate with the Cost Accountant through structured cross‑training and knowledge sharing to support continuity of key cost‑accounting processes, ensuring appropriate coverage, documentation, and understanding of workflows during planned absences, transitions, or business needs.
Prepare and present clear, actionable financial information to business owners and non‑finance leaders
Translate financial data into operational insights that support decision‑making at the plant and functional level
Partner with leadership to explain variances, trends, and cost drivers in a concise and business‑focused manner
Support enterprise initiatives related to data integrity, system improvements, cloud migration readiness, and AI enablement
All other duties and projects as assigned.