Cost Analyst

Job Description

Job Description

Reporting & FP&A Responsibilities

About the role

We are seeking a detail-oriented and analytical Cost Accountant to support financial operations within a food manufacturing environment. This role is responsible for helping to maintain accurate product costing, inventory controls, production reporting, variance analysis, and operational financial reporting. The ideal candidate will partner closely with operations, supply chain, and plant leadership to improve visibility into manufacturing performance and drive cost efficiencies.

Key Responsibilities

Cost Accounting & Manufacturing Finance

• Maintain and analyze standard costs for raw materials, packaging, labor, and overhead.
• Monitor manufacturing variances including yield, labor, usage, scrap, waste, and downtime.
• Perform month-end close activities related to inventory and cost accounting.
• Reconcile inventory transactions and support cycle count and physical inventory processes.
• Analyze production performance and identify cost-saving opportunities.

Reporting & Analysis

• Develop and maintain operational and financial reporting for plant leadership.
• Prepare weekly and monthly KPI dashboards including:

• Production efficiencies
• Labor utilization
• Yield and waste metrics
• Cost per pound/unit

• Analyze trends in manufacturing costs and operational performance.
• Provide ad hoc reporting and financial analysis to operations and leadership teams.
• Assist with audit requests and documentation support.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with plant managers, production supervisors, procurement, and supply chain teams.
• Help translate financial results into operational insights for non-financial stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 3–7 years of experience in manufacturing accounting or cost accounting.
• Food manufacturing or CPG industry experiencestronglypreferred.
• Strong understanding of:

• Standard costing
• Inventory accounting
• Manufacturing variances
• Financial reporting

• Advanced Excel skills required; Power BI or other reporting tools preferred.
• Ability to analyze large datasets and communicate findings clearly.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in bakery, frozen foods, protein, dairy, or other high-volume food manufacturing environments.
• Familiarity with yield analysis, ingredient loss tracking, and throughput reporting.
• Exposure to plant operations and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Understanding of inventory controls in a fast-paced manufacturing setting.