Senior Accountant

Kaiser Aluminum is known around the world for its superior quality. Our secret is what we put into it—innovative thinking, industry-leading reliability, and a world-class commitment to customer service. In short, the same qualities we look for in our people. We are looking for a Senior Accountant to join Kaiser Aluminum onsite in Franklin, Tennessee!

The Senior Accountant will serve as a key finance partner for payroll and benefits accounting, workers’ compensation, and supporting close process for certain plant locations out of the corporate office. This role owns the accuracy and timeliness of payroll-related general ledger entries and reconciliations, partners with HR/Payroll and Operations on process improvements and drives consistency and control in plant-level accounting. The ideal candidate is hands-on, analytically strong, and comfortable working across functions in a multi-entity, multi-state environment.

What you will work on:

Payroll & Benefits Accounting (40–50%)

• Own monthly accounting for payroll, bonuses, commissions, and benefits (medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA, 401(k), life, disability), including accruals and true-ups.
• Prepare and reconcile payroll-related balance sheet accounts (e.g., payroll clearing, taxes payable, benefits withholding, 401(k) liabilities) with documented support.
• Coordinate with HR/Payroll to ensure tax filings (e.g., 941/940/W-2), garnishments, and multi-state setup are accurate; investigate and resolve discrepancies.
• Prepare quarterly analytical review of companywide payroll expense
• Reconcile 401(k) contributions, loan repayments, and employer match.
• Manage vendor invoice reviews and allocations to cost centers/plants.

Plant Accounting & Cost (25–30%)

Partner with plant controllers/operations to manage month-end close activities, including preparation of journal entries and account reconciliations including:

• Prepare and review utilities accruals; reconcile estimates to usage/meter data and supplier invoices, and true-up in the following period.
• Coordinate and record plant-level payroll and bonus accruals in alignment with HR/Payroll feeds and approved compensation plans.
• Metal accounting under weighted-average cost (WAC): maintain and reconcile metal quantities and costs, validate WAC calculations/layers, and analyze impacts on PPV and inventory valuation.

Workers’ Compensation (15–20%)

• Maintain workers’ compensation accruals and reserves; reconcile to third-party reports.
• Track and analyze injury/claim trends; partner with HR/EHS to monitor experience and forecast premium impacts.

Close, Controls & Compliance (10–15%)

• Lead preparer of journal entries, account reconciliations, and flux analysis for assigned areas; meet all close deadlines.
• Maintain strong internal controls and documentation (SOX or SOX-like), including narratives and evidence.
• Support external and internal audits for assigned areas; respond to audit requests and implement remediation where needed.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Drive automation and standardization across payroll/benefits and plant accounting processes.
• Identify and implement process improvements that reduce cycle time and error rates.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with HR/Payroll, Benefits, Operations, AP, and FP&A; communicate clearly and proactively on deadlines, issues, and solutions.
• Provide training and guidance to junior accountants or plant admins as needed.

What you will bring to the role:

• Bachelor’s in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• Four to seven plus (4 to 7+) years of progressive accounting experience, including multi-state payroll/benefits accounting and one or more of: workers’ compensation, cost/plant accounting, or inventory.
• Strong understanding of GAAP, period-end close, and account reconciliation best practices.
• Hands‑on experience with BlackLine (or similar financial close and reconciliation platforms), including preparation and ownership of account reconciliations, journal entries, and close task management.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or leading automation and/or AI‑enabled finance initiatives, such as workflow automation, system integrations, rules‑based reconciliations, or technology‑driven process improvements.
• Hands-on experience with ERP (Oracle,) and payroll platforms (UKG, Workday).
• Advanced Excel (lookups, pivots), strong analytical and communication skills, and proven cross-functional collaboration.
• 100% in-office role.

Preferred

• CPA or CPA-track; or equivalent manufacturing accounting experience.
• Exposure to 401(k) reconciliations, and workers’ comp reserve analysis.
• Experience supporting audits (external, internal, payroll/benefits, workers’ comp, inventory).

No third-party candidate submissions are being accepted at this time for this opening.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered based on job-related qualifications and abilities.  There shall be no discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

About Kaiser Aluminum: Talented people join our team because we are a company passionate about environmental sustainability, employee growth, contributing back to our communities and championing an inclusive culture.