Cost Accountant

At Tenneco, we don’t follow industry standards; we set them, and we don’t settle for being best-in-class because we hustle to be better than best-in-class. Whether it’s our Core Values – radical candor, simplify, organizational velocity, tenacious execution and win – or our Get Stuff Done (GSD) mindset, we’re determined to become the most trusted partner and best manufacturer and distributor to the transportation industry.

With a product portfolio as expansive as it is innovative, an obsessive commitment to quality and excellence, and a global presence, we’re all about getting stuff done, so we can win.

How do we make it happen? Through the Tenneco Way. Fueled by our Core Values, a winning mindset and a relentless commitment to excellence, the Tenneco Way is how we win. It’s what keeps Team Tenneco bold, driven, and unapologetically focused on pushing past limits and redefining success.

Here, you’ll work alongside a team of relentless problem-solvers who are committed to making a tangible impact. If you’re ready to break boundaries, deliver results, and enjoy the ride along the way, you’ll thrive here.

Want to learn more about who we are? Check out our website to discover the Tenneco Way

The Cost Accountant supports plant and business-unit profitability by maintaining accurate product costs, analyzing manufacturing performance, and providing timely financial insights. The role partners with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Procurement, and Finance to strengthen cost control, inventory accuracy, budgeting, forecasting, and management decision-making. This position is also responsible for contributing to a safe workplace and minimizing negative impacts by complying with the EHS policies, procedures, work instructions outlined in the EHSMS Training Assessment for this position.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintain standard costs for materials, labor, overhead, routings, and bills of material; coordinate periodic cost rolls and validate results.
• Monitor and analyze actual versus standard manufacturing costs, including purchase price, usage, labor efficiency, overhead, scrap, freight, and other production variances.
  • Prepare monthly close entries, account reconciliations, inventory reserves, absorption analysis, and supporting schedules in accordance with accounting policies and deadlines.
  • Support cycle counts and physical inventories; investigate discrepancies and coordinate timely corrective actions.
  • Partner with operations leaders to explain cost drivers, identify unfavorable trends, and develop practical cost-reduction and productivity initiatives.
  • Support the finance leader with budgets, forecasts, standard-rate calculations, and profitability analyses by product, customer, program, or production line.
  • Review new products, engineering changes, sourcing decisions, and capital projects for cost and margin impact.
  • Maintain strong internal controls and documentation, support SOX compliance where applicable, and provide schedules for internal and external audits.
  • Improve cost-accounting processes, reports, master data, and system controls while promoting consistent practices across the plant.
  • Develop recurring and ad hoc management reports using ERP data and analytical tools.

GENERAL DUTIES:

SAFETY EXPECTATIONS:

• • Promotes and actively supports a safety-first workplace culture, identifies and reports unsafe conditions, and stops work when necessary to ensure safety.
  • All team members abide by the location’s Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) policy which is enforced by the local leadership, complies with the legal and other requirements and operational controls established under its EHSMS, works towards achieving established objectives and targets, and conforms to procedures consistent with the ISO 14001 standard.
  • All team members will understand all the environmental aspects of his/her job. An employee should report, and if necessary, stop any activity that does not conform to the policy or may injure himself/herself.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS:

• • Identifies and addresses non-conforming work, materials, or procedures within a timely manner
  • Each team member has the authority to initiate action to prevent the occurrence of non-conformities relating to the product, process and quality system and has the authority to stop further work on non-conforming suspect product until the deficiency or conditions have been corrected.
  • Takes ownership of work by demonstrating accountability for results and being honest and transparent when things do not go to plan.
  • Follows 5S principles by maintaining, cleaning, organizing, and improving the areas. Also, by making suggestions to get to the next level of excellence and then doing it again.

CORE EXPECTATIONS:

• • Consistently meets high standards of safety, quality, integrity, and performance.
  • Demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
  • Maintains regular attendance and punctuality.
  • Demonstrates a willingness to hold tough conversations with others while seeking first to understand, speaking with respect, and with the purpose of making things better.
  • Supports the leadership team as needed to meet the plant and business unit objectives.
  • All other duties as assigned

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, or related field

• Accounting experience; preferably in a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of standard costing, inventory accounting, variance analysis, month-end close, and general accepted accounting principles.
• Cost accounting experience preferred including recording variances.
• Experience supporting audits, internal controls, and cross-functional business reviews preferred.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, analytical formulas, data validation, and large-data analysis.
• Experience with an ERP system such as SAP or a comparable manufacturing platform.
• Ability to extract, reconcile, and interpret general-ledger, inventory, purchasing, and production data.
• Experience with Power Query, Power BI, reporting tools, or process automation is advantageous.
• Strong understanding of bills of material, routings, work centers, production orders, and inventory movements.
• High attention to detail, accuracy, and data integrity.
• Strong analytical thinking and ability to translate financial results into clear operational actions.
• Effective communication and business partnering across finance and non-finance teams.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• • Must be able to lift, push, and/or pull up to 40 pounds occasionally.
  • On a continuous basis must be able to sit for extended periods of time.
  • Able to be on call 24/7 for customer and manufacturing sites.
  • Able and willing to work around fuel mixtures, moving parts, and electrical power.
  • Must be able to make occasional trips to manufacturing sites and customers by air and by automobile.
  • Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment responding to multiple demands.
  • Must be able to perform with accuracy and under pressure in order to meet deadlines.

Equal opportunity employer as to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities