What are the responsibilities and job description for the Cost Accountant position at Magic Science Corporation?
Job: Cost Accountant
Location: Edina, MN, On-site
Type: Full Time
Salary Range: $80,000-$100,000 DOE
About Us
Magic Science Corp (MSC) is the leading manufacturer of Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) products for both personal care and surface disinfectant applications. Through its portfolio of category-defining brands—Magic Molecule, SkinSmart, and CleanSmart—MSC delivers science-backed, gentle, and effective solutions trusted by consumers and professionals alike.
We are growing rapidly across a diverse base of national retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Ulta Beauty, and Whole Foods, alongside our direct-to-consumer websites. Headquartered in Edina, MN, MSC combines the energy of a high-growth consumer products company with the rigor of a vertically integrated manufacturer. Our team thrives on collaboration, ownership, and the opportunity to scale brands that are redefining their categories.
About the Role
The Cost Accountant is a newly created position on our growing accounting team, reporting into the Controller. This role owns Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), Inventory, and Fixed Asset accounting end-to-end, while serving as a key finance partner to Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, and Commercialization leaders. This is a high-impact, hands-on opportunity for an accountant who wants to influence how a fast-scaling manufacturer measures product profitability, capitalizes investments, and brings new products to market. You will be central to our monthly close, our standard cost program, and the financial decisions behind capital projects and new product launches.
Responsibilities:
COGS & Inventory Accounting
- Own monthly COGS and inventory close activities, including standard cost setup, PPV analysis, scrap, and reserve calculations.
- Maintain and roll forward standard costs (BOMs, routings, labor, and overhead rates) and analyze variances to actuals.
- Reconcile inventory subledger to the general ledger across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods; investigate and resolve discrepancies.
- Partner with Operations on cycle counts and physical inventories; ensure controls and accuracy at MSC and 3PL/co-manufacturer locations.
- Develop SKU-level margin and cost analytics to support pricing, promotion, and channel decisions.
Fixed Assets & Capital Expenditures
- Maintain the fixed asset subledger: capitalization, depreciation, transfers, disposals, and impairment review.
- Lead the CapEx accounting process, including project tracking, AUC (assets under construction) management, and timely placed-in-service determinations.
- Partner with Operations and Project leaders on capital project business cases, ROI analyses, and post-implementationreviews.
- Ensure compliance with US GAAP capitalization policies and maintain the company’s capitalization thresholds and useful life schedules.
Business Partnership: Supply Chain, NPD & Commercialization
- Serve as the finance lead on New Product Development (NPD) initiatives—costing prototypes, validating BOMs, and modeling launch margins.
- Support Supply Chain on supplier negotiations, sourcing changes, freight/landed cost analysis, and tariff impact assessments.
- Collaborate with Commercialization on customer-specific costing, pack-out economics, and trade/promo profitability for retailer programs.
- Provide actionable cost insights that help Operations improve yield, reduce waste, and scale capacity efficiently.
Close, Controls & Continuous Improvement
- Prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, and variance commentary for assigned cost, inventory, and fixed asset accounts.
- Strengthen documentation, controls, and process workflows to support the company’s growth and audit readiness.
- Support external audits by preparing PBC schedules and responding to auditor inquiries on cost, inventory, and fixed assets.
- Identify and implement opportunities to automate and streamline costing, inventory, and CapEx processes.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or a closely related field.
- 5 years of progressive accounting experience in a manufacturingenvironment.
- At least 2 years of direct experience supporting Cost, Inventory, and Fixed Asset accounting.
- Strong working knowledge of US GAAP as applied to inventory valuation, standard costing, and fixed asset capitalization.
- Advanced Excel skills and demonstrated ability to work with large, multi-source data sets.
- Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills, with the ability to translate financial detail into business recommendations.
- Exposure to standard cost system implementation, ERP transitions, or process automation projects.
- Ability to work on-site in Edina, MN, five days per week.
Preferred Skills
- Hands-on experience with QuickBooks and Fishbowl Inventory.
- Experience in a high-growth CPG, personal care, or consumer health.
- manufacturer.CPA, CMA, or active progress toward certification.
Salary Range: $80,000 – $100,000 annually, commensurate with experience
Benefits:
- Comprehensive Benefits Offerings
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Generous Paid Time Off
- Life Insurance and AD&D
Magic Science Supply, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, or any other status protected
by applicable law.
Salary : $80,000 - $100,000