Sr. Cost Accountant

Senior Cost & Inventory Accounting Specialist

Location: Charlotte Metro Area
Department: Corporate Finance

This role is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of product costing and inventory valuation across a high-volume production environment. The Senior Cost & Inventory Accounting Specialist acts as a financial partner to operations, providing clear visibility into material flows, manufacturing performance, and cost drivers. This individual plays a key part in the month-end close, supports leadership with meaningful analysis, and helps strengthen the company’s internal processes as the business continues to scale.

• Maintain detailed records of material, in-process, and finished goods inventory, ensuring all activity is properly captured.

• Validate the accuracy of cost layers, labor rates, and overhead components used in product costing.

• Review and update cost models when purchasing, production, or operational assumptions change.

• Prepare financial entries and supporting schedules tied to inventory and production-related costs during each close cycle.

• Compare operational inventory reports to the general ledger and resolve differences promptly.

• Support cost roll-ups and perform analyses that explain manufacturing and material cost movements month over month.

• Investigate deviations between expected and actual production costs, identifying underlying drivers.

• Review pricing fluctuations, usage trends, and manufacturing efficiency metrics to provide insights to operational leadership.

• Monitor items that are slow-moving or no longer needed and recommend reserve levels or adjustments as appropriate.

• Participate in periodic inventory counts and cycle-count programs, ensuring accurate execution and reconciliation.

• Assess the adequacy of inventory-related controls and ensure transactions (receipts, transfers, adjustments) adhere to policies.

• Partner with warehouse and production teams to correct discrepancies and reinforce best practices.

• Develop management reports that summarize cost trends, inventory activity, risks, and improvement opportunities.

• Provide clear communication to finance and operational leaders around cost behavior and inventory performance.

• Support internal and external audit requirements with timely reporting and supporting documentation.

• Identify areas where cost or inventory workflows can be enhanced and propose practical improvements.

• Assist with enhancements to ERP modules or reporting tools that strengthen data accuracy and transparency.

• Contribute to long-term initiatives aimed at optimizing costing methodologies and operational efficiency.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.

• 5–7+ years of experience supporting cost or inventory accounting within a production or manufacturing environment.

• Strong understanding of product costing concepts, inventory valuation techniques, and cost analysis.

• Comfortable working in an ERP environment; able to navigate complex inventory and costing modules.

• High proficiency in spreadsheet analysis and ability to interpret both financial and operational data.

• Excellent attention to detail, strong organizational habits, and consistent follow-through.

• Experience with multi-step manufacturing processes or environments with complex inventory structures.

• Exposure to process-improvement methodologies (LEAN, continuous improvement, etc.).

• Audit support experience or familiarity with internal control frameworks.

• Ability to work with data visualization or reporting tools.