Director of Cost Accounting / Plant Controller

This role requires candidates who are currently authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship, and C2C arrangements are not accepted. This role is onsite in Torrance, CA. Position Summary We are seeking an experienced Director of Cost Accounting / Plant Controller to lead product costing, inventory valuation, and manufacturing accounting for a complex manufacturing operation. This role will work closely with Finance, Operations, Engineering, and Supply Chain to ensure accurate cost capture, inventory reporting, and financial controls. The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing accounting leader who understands how products move through the shop floor and can translate operational activity into accurate financial information. This position will also provide leadership to the cost accounting team and support financial audits, forecasting, and continuous improvement initiatives. Key Responsibilities Lead product costing, standard costing, job costing, and inventory accounting activities. Manage work-in-process (WIP) accounting, inventory valuation, and manufacturing variances. Develop, maintain, and analyze labor, overhead, and burden rates. Review bills of material (BOMs), routings, labor reporting, scrap, and production activity to ensure accurate cost capture. Partner with Operations and Engineering to identify and resolve costing discrepancies. Monitor manufacturing variances and investigate root causes. Support job closure, project costing, inventory reconciliation, and period-end close activities. Develop and improve manufacturing accounting processes, controls, and reporting. Maintain accurate costing information within the ERP system. Support ERP implementations, upgrades, and improvements related to costing and inventory. Prepare costing and inventory documentation supporting external financial audits. Develop cost analytics, forecasts, and reporting for senior management. Support government or contract-related costing requirements when applicable. Lead, mentor, and develop cost accounting and inventory accounting staff. Partner with operational leadership to improve financial visibility and manufacturing efficiency. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field preferred. 7+ years of progressive accounting experience, with significant experience in manufacturing cost accounting. Strong knowledge of standard costing, job costing, WIP, inventory valuation, manufacturing variances, labor rates, and overhead allocation. Experience working within a complex discrete manufacturing environment. Strong understanding of BOMs, routings, production processes, and shop-floor operations. Experience managing or mentoring accounting staff. Strong ERP experience within a manufacturing environment. Experience supporting financial statement audits and maintaining strong accounting controls. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and process improvement skills. Ability to work cross-functionally with Finance, Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and executive leadership. Preferred Qualifications Experience with Epicor, Epicor Kinetic, or a comparable manufacturing ERP. Aerospace, defense, engineered-to-order, or other complex manufacturing experience. Experience with ERP implementations or transitions to perpetual inventory. Public company or PCAOB audit experience. Government contract costing, indirect rate, FAR, or DCAA exposure. MRO, repair, or aftermarket manufacturing experience. CPA or other relevant professional certification. Work Environment This is a highly hands-on role that requires regular interaction with manufacturing operations and time spent on the production floor. The successful candidate should be comfortable working directly with operational teams to understand manufacturing processes, investigate variances, and improve cost-accounting accuracy. #J-18808-Ljbffr Veritas Search Group