Detroit Salt is a historic organization with a rich legacy spanning over 100 years, originating in 1906 as a salt producer for leather and food processing. Since 1997, Detroit Salt has supplied local and national customers with tons of rock salt and premium ice melter formulations. The fruit of this labor is apparent in the salt city 1,200 feet beneath the city of Detroit, spanning more than 1,500 acres and containing over 100 miles of underground roads. We take pride in upholding the highest standards of safety for our staff and the surrounding community. As a member of the team at Detroit Salt, you will contribute to maintaining our company’s efficient mining process and enriching our workforce. Detroit Salt Company is proud to operate under one umbrella with other iconic salt companies including Morton Salt, Windsor Salt, and more.
Job Summary
The Senior Accountant supports site-level accounting and finance activities at the Detroit Salt mine, with a strong focus on payroll processing and plant accounting operations. This role is highly hands-on and operational, while also providing increased support for month-end close, inventory and production accounting, and financial analysis.
The position works closely with site leadership and Corporate Finance to ensure accurate financial reporting, compliance with internal controls, and adherence to Morton Salt financial policies. In addition to day-to-day accounting responsibilities, this role is expected to take on more advanced plant accounting activities over time and develop a deeper understanding of cost, inventory, and capital processes. This position is fully onsite and critical to daily mining and operational activities.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Process bi-weekly payroll for approximately 100 employees, including timecard review, exception handling, bonus calculations, payroll reporting, and issue resolution; maintain strict confidentiality and ethical standards; required onsite presence during payroll cycles.
- Serve as primary onsite payroll resource and coordinate closely with Corporate Payroll and HR.
- Support month-end close activities, including journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and reporting, with heightened workload and required onsite presence during the first 5–10 days of each month (move up to this).
- Prepare supporting schedules and assist with analytical reporting for site and Corporate Finance.
- Perform inventory and production accounting, including daily production entries, inventory tracking, and reporting.
- Partner with operations to ensure accurate reporting and support cycle count and inventory verification processes.
- Manage accounts receivable activities, including deposits, lockbox postings, cash application, and issue resolution.
- Prepare daily bank reconciliations and support cash reporting to Corporate Finance.
- Assist with local banking and cash management activities as required.
- Track fixed assets and capital projects, including depreciation and related reporting.
- Support capital authorization requests and project tracking.
- Assist with internal, external, and tax audits by preparing documentation and serving as a site-level finance contact.
- Prepare daily bank reconciliations and support cash reporting to Corporate Finance.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Required
- Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Finance
- 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, 2+ years in mining or manufacturing environment
- Experience processing payroll and timekeeping
- Strong Microsoft Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, reporting)
- Experience with general ledger accounting and reconciliations
- High attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and strong business ethics when handling sensitive payroll information
Preferred
- Professional accounting certification (CPA or CMA) preferred - manufacturing, mining, or industrial accounting experience
- ERP Understanding (i.e. Great Plains, SAP) – Currently using Microsoft Dynamics NAV
- Detailed-oriented work style; highly organized and process-driven
At Detroit Salt Company, we work best when we work as a team, when we treat one another with dignity and respect, and value the unique contributions of others. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, national origin, sex, religion, color, disability, marital status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law.
