Senior Manufacturing Accountant

Job Description

Job Description

Senior Accountant Project & Cost Accounting (Manufacturing)Position Overview

We are seeking a Senior Accountant with strong project and cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment. This role will play a critical part in managing work-in-progress (WIP) accounting, project profitability analysis, month-end close, financial reporting, and process improvement initiatives.

WIP reporting is a core responsibility of this position. Candidates must have hands-on experience developing, maintaining, and analyzing WIP schedules and be comfortable building WIP reporting processes from the ground up. This is not a transactional accounting role; we're looking for someone who understands how costs flow through projects and manufacturing operations and can provide meaningful financial insight to leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and manage all aspects of Work-in-Progress (WIP) accounting and reporting for manufacturing and project-based operations.
• Develop, maintain, and improve WIP schedules, including building WIP reporting processes from scratch when needed.
• Perform percentage-of-completion accounting and analyze project profitability, earned revenue, and project costs.
• Partner with operations and project teams to ensure accurate job costing, labor allocation, inventory valuation, and project cost tracking.
• Maintain and reconcile the general ledger and ensure the accuracy of project and cost accounting transactions.
• Lead month-end close activities, including journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, and financial statement preparation.
• Prepare and analyze financial reports, including balance sheet reconciliations, income statement reviews, margin analysis, and project performance reporting.
• Research and resolve complex accounting issues, reconciling discrepancies and implementing corrective actions.
• Support manufacturing accounting functions, including cost analysis, inventory accounting, and variance reporting.
• Develop and improve accounting procedures, internal controls, SOPs, and reporting processes.
• Provide technical accounting guidance and review the work of junior accounting staff as needed.
• Utilize ERP systems, including Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, to support accounting and reporting initiatives.
• Leverage advanced Excel skills to analyze large datasets, build reporting tools, and support business decision-making.
• Drive continuous improvement efforts across accounting and finance processes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience with a focus on project accounting, cost accounting, manufacturing accounting, or a combination of these areas.
• Demonstrated experience owning WIP reporting and accounting functions.
• Experience creating, building, and maintaining WIP schedules from the ground up is required.
• Strong understanding of percentage-of-completion accounting, job costing, project profitability analysis, and revenue recognition.
• Experience within a manufacturing, industrial, engineered-to-order, fabrication, construction, or project-driven environment.
• Hands-on experience with month-end close, general ledger accounting, account reconciliations, and financial reporting.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP and internal controls.
• Advanced Excel skills, including complex formulas, pivots, lookups, and financial analysis.
• ERP experience required; Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central experience is highly preferred.
• Proven ability to work independently, identify issues, and implement practical solutions.

Preferred Experience

• Manufacturing cost accounting and inventory accounting experience.
• Experience supporting project-based manufacturing operations.
• Exposure to standard costing, variance analysis, and operational performance reporting.
• Experience improving accounting systems, controls, and reporting processes in a growing organization.
• Prior experience mentoring staff or serving as a Senior resource within an accounting team.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is a technically strong accountant who can confidently step into a manufacturing environment and take ownership of the company's WIP accounting processes. They should be comfortable working with incomplete information, building structure where needed, and partnering with operational leaders to ensure project and production costs are accurately captured and reported. Strong analytical abilities, attention to detail, and a proactive mindset are essential for success in this role.

Must-Have: Proven experience managing WIP reporting and the ability to build and maintain WIP schedules from scratch in a manufacturing or project-based environment.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Pasadena, TX.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $39.42 - $62.50/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Pasadena,TX.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 8, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.