Senior Cost Accountant

Senior Cost Accountant & Financial Analyst

Our client is looking for a new Senior Cost Accountant & Financial Analyst that is responsible for the company's cost accounting, inventory accounting, management reporting, profitability analysis, and budgeting support activities. This role serves as a key business partner to manufacturing operations by providing accurate product costing, variance analysis, operational reporting, and financial insights that support effective decision-making.

The position works closely with the Vice President of Finance to support the annual budgeting process, periodic forecasting activities, and monthly management reporting requirements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Cost Accounting & Inventory Management

· Maintain standard costs for manufactured products and support periodic cost updates and cost rolls.

· Review bills of material (BOMs), routings, labor standards, and overhead allocation methodologies for accuracy and reasonableness.

· Analyze and explain material price, material usage, labor rate, labor efficiency, overhead spending, and overhead absorption variances.

· Monitor inventory valuation and support compliance with U.S. GAAP.

· Assist with the evaluation and documentation of reserves for excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory.

· Reconcile inventory subsidiary records to the general ledger.

· Prepare month-end journal entries and account reconciliations related to inventory and cost of goods sold.

· Support annual physical inventories and ongoing cycle count programs.

· Prepare inventory and cost accounting documentation requested by external auditors.

Financial Analysis & Reporting

· Prepare and maintain components of the monthly management reporting package.

· Perform budget-to-actual, forecast-to-actual, and prior-year variance analysis.

· Analyze sales, gross margin, customer, product line, and manufacturing performance.

· Develop and maintain financial and operational key performance indicators (KPIs).

· Prepare recurring and ad hoc reports that identify trends, risks, and opportunities.

· Communicate financial findings in a clear and actionable manner to finance and operational leadership.

Budgeting & Forecasting Support

· Assist the Vice President of Finance with the annual budget and periodic forecast processes.

· Gather and validate operational assumptions and supporting information from department leaders.

· Maintain budget and forecast models, schedules, and supporting documentation.

· Analyze trends and variances that may affect projected financial performance.

· Provide supporting analysis for revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, inventory, and capital expenditures.

Operations Finance & Business Partnership

· Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Sales to improve cost visibility and operational performance.

· Analyze labor utilization, production efficiency, machine utilization, scrap, and manufacturing throughput.

· Provide cost and margin analysis to support pricing and customer profitability reviews.

· Identify opportunities for cost reduction, process improvement, inventory optimization, and margin enhancement.

· Provide ad hoc financial analysis and decision support as requested by the Vice President of Finance.

Systems & Process Improvement

· Maintain costing structures and related financial reporting within the ERP system.

· Support ERP and reporting improvements related to manufacturing finance, inventory, and costing.

· Develop and improve reports, dashboards, and data analysis tools.

· Assist in strengthening internal controls related to inventory, costing, and financial reporting.

· Document and maintain applicable finance and accounting procedures.

Qualifications:

Education

· Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.

· CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred but not required.

Experience

· Three to five years of progressive accounting or finance experience.

· Minimum of two years of manufacturing cost accounting experience.

· Experience with standard costing, inventory accounting, and manufacturing variance analysis.

· Experience supporting budgeting, forecasting, or monthly management reporting preferred.

· Experience in a discrete manufacturing environment preferred.

Technical Skills

· Working knowledge of U.S. GAAP as it relates to inventory and cost accounting.

· Advanced Microsoft Excel skills required.

· Experience with Infor CSI (SyteLine) preferred but not required.

· Experience with Power BI, SQL, or other business intelligence tools preferred.

Key Competencies

· Cost accounting and inventory control

· Financial analysis and reporting

· Analytical problem-solving

· Manufacturing operations knowledge

· Business partnering

· Attention to detail and accuracy

· Process improvement

· Clear written and verbal communication

· Planning, organization, and deadline management