Terminal Automation Jobs in Madison, WI (NOW HIRING)

At Kruger Family Industries, parent company of Penda Corporation and TriEnda Holdings, our passion is to bring great products to life through an exceptional area of thermoformed solutions. We are the North America leader in heavy gauge thermoformed plastics. We are committed to delivering highly engineered, high quality material handling products and automotive accessories that reduce the weight and cost of traditional composite, fiberglass, wood and metal products, making this an opportunity to work in an innovative environment during an exciting growth phase.

The Senior Cost Accountant is responsible for maintaining and improving KFI’s standard costing processes, supporting manufacturing performance analysis, and ensuring the integrity of cost and inventory data within KFI’s cloud-based ERP system (NetSuite). This role works closely with Operations, Finance, and Engineering to enhance visibility into product costs, improve costing accuracy, and support data-driven decision-making across the business. KFI operates in a modern, cloud-based, and increasingly automated finance environment; the ideal candidate pairs a strong foundation in cost accounting and GAAP with genuine curiosity about technology — someone who has used AI and automation tools, is comfortable with business intelligence and reporting platforms, and is eager to grow as the finance function continues to automate. The successful candidate is a self-starter with strong Excel skills, a solid command of accounting principles and standard costing, experience in a manufacturing environment, and openness to a changing technological landscape.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Maintain and enhance the Company’s standard cost structure, including machine rates, labor, and material costs
• Analyze and report manufacturing cost variances (e.g., purchase price, labor, overhead, and usage variances)
• Review and update bills of material (BOMs) and routings in collaboration with operations and engineering
• Perform cost roll-ups, cost copy procedures, and support product re-costing initiatives
• Assist in month-end close processes including journal entries, cost of goods sold adjustments, and inventory reconciliations
• Prepare and analyze overhead spending compared to budget and support root-cause analysis of variances
• Lead efforts to improve cost visibility and transparency, including building dashboards (e.g., Power BI) and automating recurring cost and variance reporting
• Support annual budgeting and forecasting activities, including standard cost updates and projected variance modeling
• Provide auditors and internal stakeholders with inventory and cost-related data as requested
• Partner with the Finance and cross-functional teams, on COGS variance analysis, financial reporting, and system process improvements
• Leverage Excel, Power Query, and NetSuite Planning & Budgeting to build costing models and streamline reporting efficiency
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives in cost accounting practices and ERP usage
• Identify opportunities to automate manual, repetitive accounting tasks and apply AI-assisted tools to accelerate the month-end close and improve data accuracy
• Champion the adoption of modern finance technology — automation, dashboarding, and AI-assisted workflows — to continually raise the efficiency and reliability of cost accounting processes

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in accounting, with at least 3 years in cost accounting
• Prior experience in a manufacturing or product-based environment required
• Experience with NetSuite ERP and/or NetSuite Planning and Budgeting highly preferred
• CPA or CMA certification is a plus, but not required
• Exposure to modern finance technology — business intelligence/reporting tools, data automation, and AI tools — with a demonstrated willingness to learn and adopt new systems
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (e.g., XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, INDEX/MATCH, pivot tables, conditional formatting)
• Experience building reports and dashboards in Power BI (DAX knowledge a plus) — strongly preferred
• Comfort with data-automation tools such as Excel Power Query; familiarity with scripting (e.g., Python) is a plus but not required
• AI fluency — has used AI tools in a work setting and is genuinely open to a rapidly evolving, automation-forward finance environment. No coding or terminal expertise required; curiosity, adaptability, and sound accounting judgment are what matter
• Strong knowledge of GAAP and standard costing methodology
• Ability to interpret and analyze large data sets and translate them into actionable insights
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across departments
• High attention to detail and a continuous improvement mindset
• Comfortable working in a hybrid financial/operational role

The work environment characteristics described in this section are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The majority of time will be spent in the office area; however, the employee will spend time in the production areas.

The production area temperatures can fluctuate significantly based on the time of year. The noise levels can be moderate to high. The use of hearing protection and safety eyewear is required while on production floor. The use of additional specific safety equipment may be required. The noise level in the office is usually quiet. The noise level in production is usually moderate.

Must have the ability to work all shift schedules, periodic overtime and be available for periodic weekend work.

KFI is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

This is a direct-hire opportunity with KFI. KFI is interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas.