Cost Accountant

The Cost Accountant is responsible for maintaining accurate product costs, analyzing manufacturing performance, and providing financial insights that support operational and business decisions. This position plays a key role in standard costing, inventory valuation, manufacturing variance analysis, month-end close, and financial reporting.

The Cost Accountant partners closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Finance to understand cost drivers, identify opportunities for improvement, and ensure the integrity of manufacturing and inventory-related financial information.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintain and analyze standard costs for materials, labor, and manufacturing overhead.
• Develop and update product cost models, bills of material costs, labor rates, overhead rates, and other costing assumptions.
• Analyze manufacturing variances, including material price and usage, labor efficiency, overhead, scrap, rework, and production variances.
• Investigate significant cost variances and partner with operational leaders to identify root causes and corrective actions.
• Support month-end closing activities, including journal entries, account reconciliations, accruals, and manufacturing-related financial analysis.
• Maintain accurate inventory valuation and support reconciliation of raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods inventories.
• Participate in physical inventory counts and cycle-count processes; research and resolve inventory discrepancies.
• Analyze excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory and assist with establishing appropriate reserves.
• Monitor actual manufacturing costs against standards, budgets, forecasts, and prior-period results.
• Prepare recurring and ad hoc reports related to product costs, manufacturing performance, margins, inventory, and operational trends.
• Support annual standard cost updates and periodic cost-roll processes.
• Assist with development of the annual budget and forecasts for manufacturing costs, inventory, labor, and overhead.
• Partner with Operations and Engineering to evaluate cost impacts associated with new products, engineering changes, sourcing decisions, and process improvements.
• Provide product and customer profitability analysis as needed to support business decisions.
• Identify opportunities to improve costing processes, reporting accuracy, internal controls, and financial visibility.
• Support internal and external audits by preparing documentation, reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Ensure costing and inventory activities comply with company accounting policies and applicable accounting standards.
• Perform other financial analysis and accounting responsibilities as assigned.

Key Working Relationships

The Cost Accountant works collaboratively with:

• Manufacturing / Operations
• Supply Chain and Purchasing
• Engineering
• Inventory and Materials Management
• Finance and Accounting
• Commercial/Sales teams, as appropriate

Education and Experience

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 3+ years of accounting experience, preferably within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with cost accounting, inventory accounting, standard costing, or manufacturing financial analysis.
• Strong understanding of general accounting principles and financial statements.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and ERP/accounting systems.

Preferred

• CPA, CMA, or progress toward professional certification.
• Experience in a discrete manufacturing environment.
• Experience with ERP systems and manufacturing costing modules.
• Experience supporting physical inventory and cycle-count programs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Solid understanding of manufacturing cost accounting principles.
• Ability to analyze large amounts of financial and operational data and identify meaningful trends.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Ability to investigate variances and translate financial information into actionable business insights.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, formulas, and data analysis.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate financial concepts effectively to non-financial leaders.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across departments.
• Continuous-improvement mindset with the ability to identify and implement process efficiencies.
• High degree of integrity and ability to appropriately handle confidential information.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to perform work in a professional office environment.
• Ability to periodically work within a manufacturing environment and observe production and inventory processes.
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods and use standard office equipment.
• Occasional travel may be required.