Cost & Finance Accountant

MANUFACTURING COST ACCOUNTING EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED About the Role Haulotte Bil‑Jax is seeking an experienced, hands‑on Cost & Finance Accountant to lead financial controlling activities for our Scaffolding Division. This is a highly operational finance role requiring strong manufacturing cost accounting experience. The Cost & Finance Accountant will work closely with Operations, Production, Supply Chain, Sales, and Finance to understand manufacturing costs, inventory, margins, pricing, forecasts, and overall business performance. The ideal candidate is comfortable working beyond traditional financial reporting and can connect financial results to what is happening on the manufacturing floor. Key Responsibilities Manufacturing Cost Accounting Own and maintain the division's standard costing system. Analyze actual manufacturing costs compared with standards and investigate significant variances. Analyze material, labor, overhead, purchase price, and production variances. Monitor and analyze Purchase Price Variance (PPV). Review manufacturing overhead rates and cost allocations. Perform and review standard cost rolls for new and existing products. Partner with Operations and Production to understand manufacturing cost drivers and identify improvement opportunities. Analyze product costs and profitability to support operational and commercial decisions. Review Bills of Material, routings, labor standards, and manufacturing assumptions from a financial perspective. Inventory & Manufacturing Controls Oversee financial controls related to raw materials, Work in Process (WIP), and finished goods inventory. Reconcile perpetual inventory records to the General Ledger. Review inventory adjustments, write-offs, and manufacturing transactions. Analyze slow-moving and obsolete inventory and support inventory reserve calculations. Coordinate and review cycle counts and physical inventory activities. Investigate inventory discrepancies and work with Operations to determine root causes. Ensure appropriate accounting treatment for manufacturing and inventory transactions. Month-End Close & Financial Reporting Lead the monthly financial close process for the Scaffolding Division. Prepare and review journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, and account analysis. Review Cost of Goods Sold and manufacturing-related accounts. Analyze monthly financial results and significant variances. Prepare management reporting and monthly financial presentations. Provide clear explanations of financial performance and underlying operational drivers. Maintain strong financial controls and support internal and external audit requirements. Forecasting & Business Planning Lead financial forecasting activities for the division. Partner with Sales, Production, and Operations to develop realistic financial and operational forecasts. Analyze forecast versus actual performance and identify significant trends. Support the annual budgeting and long-range planning processes. Develop financial models to support capacity, production, pricing, and investment decisions. Sales, Margin & Profitability Analysis Analyze sales, gross margin, contribution margin, and product profitability. Support pricing and quotation analysis. Evaluate customer and product profitability. Analyze customer discounts and their impact on margins. Analyze freight expense versus freight recovered from customers. Review backlog, sales trends, customer performance, and commercial KPIs. Support sales commission reporting and accruals. Provide financial analysis for major customer opportunities and strategic commercial decisions. Develop and maintain financial and operational reporting using Excel, Power BI, and ERP data. Improve reporting and automate recurring financial analyses where practical. Support and test finance-related changes within Epicor ERP. Identify opportunities to strengthen financial controls and improve manufacturing-cost visibility. Lead or participate in continuous-improvement projects involving Finance and Operations. Provide ad hoc financial and operational analysis to management. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field. 5+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience. Manufacturing cost accounting experience is required. Strong knowledge of standard costing, inventory accounting, WIP accounting, manufacturing variances, Purchase Price Variance, manufacturing overhead, Cost of Goods Sold, and gross-margin/product-profitability analysis. Experience supporting or leading month-end close. Experience working directly with manufacturing and operational teams. Ability to analyze financial results and explain the operational drivers behind them. Preferred Qualifications Controller, Plant Controller, Cost Accounting Manager, or Senior Cost Accountant experience within a manufacturing environment. Experience with Epicor ERP or another manufacturing ERP system. Experience with Power BI or similar business‑intelligence tools. CPA, CMA, MBA, or other relevant professional certification is a plus. Experience supporting pricing, forecasting, and commercial profitability analysis. What We're Looking For Strong in cost accounting: Understands how manufacturing costs flow through inventory and the income statement. Hands‑on: Comfortable investigating transactions, inventory movements, variances, and operational issues. Analytical: Goes beyond reporting results to explain why they happened. Operationally focused: Builds strong relationships with Production, Operations, Supply Chain, and Sales. Business‑oriented: Uses financial information to help management make better decisions. Proactive: Identifies issues, risks, and improvement opportunities early. Detail‑oriented: Maintains strong accounting discipline without losing sight of overall business performance. A strong communicator: Can translate complex financial information into practical recommendations. Why This Role Matters The Controller will be a key financial partner to the Bil‑Jax Scaffolding Division, with visibility across the complete business cycle - from purchasing and manufacturing through inventory, costing, pricing, sales, margin, forecasting, and profitability. This role is ideal for an experienced manufacturing finance professional who wants to have a direct impact on operational and financial performance. Why Join Haulotte? Growth Opportunities: We offer continuous learning and development opportunities to help you grow in your career. Innovative Environment: Be part of a forward-thinking company that values innovation and excellence. Supportive Team: Work with a collaborative and supportive team that values your contributions. Competitive Benefits: Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package Medical Vision Vacation Sick 401k Long-Term & Short-Term Disability Life Insurance Tuition Reimbursement **Haulotte US Inc is an EEO organization. ** #J-18808-Ljbffr Haulotte US, Inc.