Manager, Cost Accountant

Summary / Objective:

The Cost Accounting Manager is responsible for cost accounting, inventory valuation, standard costing, manufacturing variance analysis, and related month-end close activities for the company’s U.S. Selling Unit locations. This position serves as the primary cost accounting process owner for the Selling Unit and is responsible for ensuring accurate product costs, inventory accounting, margin reporting, and cost-related financial controls.

The role is expected to be highly hands-on in Epicor, Power BI, Excel, and data analysis. The successful candidate will partner closely with Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, Product Specialist, and IT to improve cost accuracy, strengthen controls, explain margin and cost movements, and support better business decisions. This is a senior individual contributor role with significant cross-functional influence and process ownership responsibilities.

Essential Functions:

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Cost Accounting Close and Variance Analysis

• Own monthly cost accounting close activities for the U.S. Selling Unit locations.

• Prepare, review, and analyze cost accounting journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and supporting schedules.

• Analyze and explain manufacturing variances, including material usage, purchase price variance, labor, overhead, scrap, and other cost-related variances.

• Review inventory, cost of goods sold, margin, and variance results for accuracy and reasonableness.

• Investigate unusual cost movements, low-margin transactions, unexpected inventory activity, and margin exceptions.

• Ensure cost accounting transactions are recorded in accordance with company policy, internal controls, and applicable accounting standards.

Standard Costing and Annual Cost Roll

• Own the annual standard cost roll process for the U.S. Selling Unit.

• Coordinate roll activities with Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, Product Specialist, IT, and other stakeholders.

• Review and validate key standard cost inputs, including material costs, routings, labor rates, overhead rates, burden rates, transfer prices, landed cost assumptions, and related costing data.

• Analyze year-over-year standard cost changes and explain major cost movements by product, product family, location, supplier, or cost driver.

• Ensure standard costs are accurately maintained in Epicor and aligned with approved costing methodology.

• Identify and resolve cost master data issues that may impact inventory valuation, margins, reporting, or business decisions.

Inventory Accounting, Reserves, Audit Support

• Monitor inventory valuation for raw materials, work in process, finished goods, and other inventory categories.

• Calculate and support inventory reserves for slow-moving, excess, obsolete, and impaired inventory in line with policy and accounting requirements

• Monitor compliance with company inventory reserve policies and related accounting requirements.

• Support cycle count processes for responsible locations, including review of count results, adjustments, trends, and root causes.

• Support internal and external audit requests related to inventory, cost accounting, reserves, and manufacturing variances.

• Identify recurring inventory transaction issues and work cross-functionally to improve process discipline and data accuracy.

Margin Analysis and Profitability Support

• Monitor product, customer, and transaction-level margins for unusual results or profitability concerns.

• Investigate low-margin or negative-margin transactions and identify root causes such as costing errors, pricing issues, product mix, freight, scrap, inventory adjustments, or master data problems.

• Partner with Sales, Customer Service, Product Management, Supply Chain, and Operations to explain margin drivers and recommend corrective actions.

• Support analysis related to pricing decisions, product profitability, sourcing changes, make-versus-buy decisions, and operational improvement opportunities.

• Provide clear explanations of margin trends, cost changes, and profitability drivers to finance and business leaders.

Reporting, Systems, and Process Improvement

• Use Epicor, Power BI, Excel, and other tools to develop and improve reporting for costs, variances, inventory, and margins.

• Work with large data sets to identify trends, exceptions, errors, and improvement opportunities; support reporting automation to reduce manual work and improve accuracy

• Document key processes, assumptions, and controls; identify control gaps and implement improvements to close, costing, inventory, and reporting processes.

Other duties may be assigned based on company needs and employee capabilities.

Competencies:

• Cost accounting expertise

• Manufacturing finance knowledge

• ERP and data analysis capability

• Strong accounting close discipline

• Inventory control mindset

• Business partnership

• Process improvement orientation

• Clear communication with finance and non-finance stakeholders

• Problem-solving and root cause analysis

• High attention to detail

Required Skills / Abilities:

• Strong analytical and financial reporting skills.

• Proficiency with ERP/CRM systems and Microsoft Office Suite.

• Ability to work independently and handle multiple priorities.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.

• Proven ability to identify cost savings and efficiency improvements.

Supervisory Responsibility:

This position has supervisory responsibility for the cost accounting team, including:

• Hiring, training, and evaluating staff.

• Providing ongoing coaching and performance feedback.

• Overseeing daily workflow and ensuring deadlines are met.

Work Environment:

This position operates in a professional office environment and may involve periodic presence in a manufacturing setting. The role requires routine use of office equipment such as computers, phones, and photocopiers. Exposure to forklift traffic, machinery, and noise may occur when in production areas.

Physical Demands:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

• Frequent walking, standing, and use of hands.

Cost Accounting Manager - Job Description 3

• Ability to lift up to 20 pounds frequently and up to 40 pounds occasionally.

• Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

• Occasional domestic and international travel required.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time position. Standard work hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Flexibility may be required to meet reporting deadlines and support business needs.

Travel:

Occasional travel may be required for audits, training, and company meetings (domestic and international).

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.

• 5 years of progressive accounting or finance experience.

• Significant experience in manufacturing cost accounting.

• Advanced Excel skills, including the ability to work with large data sets, complex formulas, pivot tables, lookups, and reconciliations.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills; ability to work independently and manage deadlines.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Epicor ERP experience.

• Power BI experience.

• Experience with multi-location or multi-site manufacturing operations.

• CPA, CMA, MBA, or equivalent advanced credential.

• SQL, Power Query, Power Pivot, or similar data analysis experience.

• Experience owning or supporting an annual standard cost roll.

• Experience with landed cost, transfer pricing, intercompany product costing, freight cost analysis, or imported inventory.

• Experience supporting external audits, internal controls, and inventory reserve analysis.

• Experience partnering with operations, supply chain, sales, and IT teams.