Senior Cost Accountant

The Senior Cost Accountant is responsible for analyzing, monitoring, and reporting manufacturing costs to support operational efficiency and profitability. This role manages standard costing, inventory valuation, variance analysis, and financial reporting for manufacturing operations. The Senior Cost Accountant partners closely with plant leadership, operations, supply chain, and finance teams to provide actionable insights that drive cost control, inventory accuracy, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Cost Accounting & Inventory Management

• Maintain and update standard costs for raw materials, labor, and overhead.
• Analyze manufacturing variances, including material, labor, overhead, scrap, and production efficiencies.
• Monitor inventory transactions and ensure accurate inventory valuation.
• Reconcile inventory accounts and investigate discrepancies.
• Support cycle count programs and annual physical inventories.
• Review and analyze inventory reserves, obsolescence, and excess inventory.

Financial Analysis & Reporting

• Prepare monthly cost accounting reports and management analyses.
• Analyze gross margin performance and manufacturing profitability.
• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities.
• Prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, and financial schedules.
• Develop and distribute key performance indicators (KPIs) and operational dashboards.
• Provide detailed cost analysis to support pricing and profitability decisions.

Budgeting & Forecasting

• Assist in developing annual budgets and monthly forecasts.
• Monitor manufacturing expenses against budget and forecast targets.
• Perform cost modeling and scenario analysis.
• Support capital expenditure planning and ROI evaluations.

Manufacturing Operations Support

• Partner with production, engineering, procurement, and supply chain teams.
• Evaluate labor efficiency, machine utilization, yield, and scrap performance.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction and process improvements.
• Support lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Analyze production data to improve operational and financial performance.

Internal Controls & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with GAAP and company accounting policies.
• Maintain strong internal controls over inventory and cost accounting processes.
• Support internal and external audits.
• Assist with ERP system enhancements and process automation efforts.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred.

Experience

• 5 years of cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong experience with:
• Standard Costing
• Inventory Accounting
• Variance Analysis
• Manufacturing Financial Reporting
• Budgeting and Forecasting
• Experience supporting high-volume manufacturing operations preferred.

Technical Skills

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, Power Query).
• Experience with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards, Epicor, Microsoft Dynamics, or NetSuite.
• Strong understanding of GAAP and manufacturing accounting principles.