Cost Accountant

Overview
The Plant Cost Accountant is a highly hands-on role responsible for driving accurate standard costing, labor and material reporting, and waste reduction. This position works directly on the plant floor with production, lab, and packaging teams to ensure cost integrity, material traceability, and operational efficiency.

The role is critical in identifying waste, resolving material discrepancies, and improving processes in support of both financial performance and compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

Standard Cost Ownership (Highly Hands-On)

• Maintain and continuously improve standard costs for labor, materials, and packaging processes.
• Validate and update bills of materials (BOMs), and routings through direct observation on the floor.
• Ensure standards reflect actual production conditions.

Labor Reporting & Efficiency

• Monitor daily labor reporting for accuracy (direct vs. indirect, job assignment, rework tracking).
• Work directly with supervisors and operators to correct misreporting in real time.
• Analyze labor efficiency and identify gaps between standard and actual performance.

Material Reporting & Traceability

• Ensure accurate material issuance, consumption, and backflushing in a regulated environment.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies, including misplaced, unaccounted-for, or improperly staged materials.
• Partner with quality and operations to ensure material traceability aligns with compliance requirements.

Waste Reduction & Scrap Control

• Actively identify sources of scrap, rework, and packaging waste on the production floor.
• Track and report waste metrics by product line, shift, and process.
• Drive corrective actions with operations to reduce material loss and improve yield.

Inventory Accuracy & Control

• Lead cycle count programs and participate in physical inventories.
• Investigate root causes of inventory variances, including process breakdowns and material handling issues.
• Implement and enforce controls to prevent misplaced or lost inventory.

Variance Analysis & Actionable Insights

• Perform detailed analysis of material, labor, and overhead variances.
• Translate data into clear, actionable recommendations for plant leadership.
• Follow through on corrective actions to ensure sustained improvement.

Compliance & Process Discipline

• Ensure cost accounting practices align with regulatory expectations (e.g., traceability, documentation, audit readiness).
• Support internal and external audits with accurate and well-documented cost data.
• Reinforce disciplined processes around material movement and labor tracking.

Floor Presence & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Maintain a consistent presence on the production floor (daily engagement).
• Build strong relationships with production, lab, quality, and warehouse teams.
• Train operators and supervisors on proper reporting and inventory procedures.
• Validate and update bills of materials (BOMs), and routings through direct observation on the floor.
• Ensure standards reflect actual production conditions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• 3–7 years of cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment (medical device, pharma, or regulated industry preferred)
• Strong knowledge of standard costing, BOMs, and variance analysis
• Experience with ERP systems (Sage x3)

Preferred Experience:

• Familiarity with traceability requirements and audit environments
• Exposure to lean manufacturing or continuous improvement initiatives

Key Skills:

• Hands-on, floor-oriented mindset (not desk-bound)
• Strong attention to detail and process discipline
• Ability to challenge and influence operations teams
• Root cause analysis and problem-solving
• Clear and practical communication style
• 3–7 years of cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment (medical device, pharma, or regulated industry preferred)
• Strong knowledge of standard costing, BOMs, and variance analysis
• Experience with ERP systems (Sage x3)

Pay: $70,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance
• Work from home

Work Location: In person

Salary : $70,000 - $85,000