What are the responsibilities and job description for the Cost Accountant position at IFab Corporation?
Cost Accountant
Location: Gastonia, NC (On-site across 4 local facilities)
Job Type: Full-time | Exempt
Shift: First Shift (Mon–Fri)
Benefits: 401(k) Matching, Health, Dental, Vision, Paid Time Off (PTO), Life Insurance
Why Join IFAB Corp.?
IFAB Corp. operates across four dynamic manufacturing facilities in Gastonia, North Carolina (Central, Main, Alpha, and Paint). Our capabilities span high-complexity processes including stamping, forming, press brakes, laser cutting, welding, machining/CNC, tube bending and cutting, coating, and assembly. We are seeking a hands-on Cost Accountant who enjoys stepping onto the shop floor to bridge production activity with financial strategy and true product profitability.
Position Summary
The Cost Accountant owns product costing, inventory valuation, and manufacturing variance analysis for our multi-plant metal fabrication operations. Reporting directly to the Controller, this role partners closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Production Control to establish accurate standard costs, explain manufacturing variances, and drive operational performance.
Key Responsibilities
Product Costing & Standards: Develop, maintain, and audit standard costs across all manufactured parts; maintain bills of material (BOMs) and routings alongside Engineering; calculate burden rates by work center; lead annual standard cost rolls; perform should-cost analysis and margin modeling for new business quotes.
Variance Analysis & Reporting: Prepare monthly variance analysis (PPV, usage, labor efficiency, machine utilization, overhead absorption, scrap); analyze gross margins by plant, product line, customer, and part number; walk the floor with supervisors to investigate variance root causes; build cost dashboards for leadership.
Inventory & Month-End Close: Own inventory valuation (raw materials, WIP, finished goods); reconcile perpetual inventory to the general ledger; coordinate physical inventories and cycle counts across all 4 plants; prepare cost-related journal entries and support external audits.
Analysis & Continuous Improvement: Provide financial analysis for capital expenditures (payback, ROI); quantify savings from Lean and continuous improvement projects; partner with Supply Chain on freight and landed costs; support annual budgeting/forecasting.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
3 to 5 years of cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated working knowledge of standard costing, bills of material (BOMs), routings, work orders, and manufacturing variance analysis.
Experience with inventory valuation and physical or cycle-count inventory processes.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, and large dataset analysis.
Experience working in an ERP system with manufacturing and inventory modules.
Ability to explain financial results clearly to non-financial plant and operations personnel.
Willingness to spend regular time on the production floor to validate data and understand processes.
Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and follow-through to resolution.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in metal fabrication, stamping, welding, machining, or coating operations.
Experience with Sage 500 or a comparable mid-market manufacturing ERP.
Multi-plant or multi-facility costing experience.
CMA, CPA, or active progress toward certification.
Exposure to Lean manufacturing or Six Sigma, including cost validation of improvement projects.
Experience supporting quoting, should-cost analysis, or new program launches.
Reporting and visualization experience with Power BI, Tableau, or similar tools.
Bilingual in English and Spanish.
Physical & Work Environment Requirements
Ability to move throughout manufacturing facilities regularly, including standing, walking, and climbing stairs.
Ability to work in an industrial environment with exposure to noise, heat, machinery, forklifts, welding operations, and metal fabrication processes.
Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE) while on the production floor.
Ability to travel between IFAB's Gastonia-area facilities as needed.
Availability to support extended hours during month-end close and physical inventory periods.
Key Performance Measures
Standard cost accuracy and completeness of the annual cost roll.
Timeliness and accuracy of monthly variance reporting and margin analysis.
Inventory record accuracy and reconciliation of perpetual inventory to the general ledger.
On-time completion of assigned month-end close deliverables.
Documented cost savings identified, validated, and realized.