Senior Cost Accounting Manager

Job Description

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Senior Cost Accounting Manager to provide financial leadership for manufacturing operations in Bloomington, Minnesota. In this role, you will work closely with plant and operations leaders to strengthen cost visibility, improve production performance, and support sound business decisions through clear financial insight. The position is ideal for someone who combines strong manufacturing finance expertise with a practical, hands-on approach to operational partnership.

Responsibilities:

• Direct cost accounting activities across manufacturing operations, including product costing, inventory valuation, standard cost maintenance, and related financial controls.

• Review material, labor, and overhead variances to uncover performance trends, explain results, and recommend actions that improve margins.

• Build and refine cost models that give leadership better insight into product profitability, manufacturing efficiency, and overall cost behavior.

• Collaborate with plant management to track operational measures such as throughput, labor productivity, and plant performance against financial goals.

• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and longer-range financial planning efforts for multiple production environments.

• Prepare financial and operational reports that translate complex data into practical guidance for strategic and day-to-day decisions.

• Identify opportunities to reduce costs, improve processes, and strengthen efficiency by evaluating manufacturing workflows and performance drivers.

• Oversee inventory-related activities, including physical counts, reconciliations, month-end close support, and accuracy monitoring.

• Assess capital projects and operational improvement investments by analyzing financial impact, payback potential, and expected returns.

• Guide and develop finance team members while promoting accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in cost accounting and manufacturing finance.
• Strong knowledge of standard costing, inventory accounting, variance analysis, labor and overhead costing, and product cost structure.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with plant or operations leadership within a manufacturing setting.
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills, with experience using ERP systems such as Oracle preferred.
• Ability to manage budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting in a fast-paced production environment.
• Strong communication and leadership skills with the ability to turn financial analysis into operational recommendations.
• Familiarity with reporting and analytics tools such as Power BI is preferred.