Senior Cost accountant​/Gov't accountant

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity set the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies and are committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet.

With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

As a Senior Cost Accountant, you’ll be at the center of cost visibility and control—ensuring accurate product costing, maintaining disciplined cost structures, analysing variances, and delivering actionable insights that improve operational performance. Your work will directly influence pricing, profitability, forecasting, and strategic decision‑making across complex aerospace manufacturing programmes.

If you’re energized by digging into the details behind product costs, understanding how manufacturing performance drives financial results, and owning the integrity of cost data from shop floor to financial statements, this role is for you.

• Oversee the accurate accumulation, classification, and allocation of direct and indirect costs
• Maintain and continuously improve cost pools (labour, overhead, G&A) and allocation methodologies
• Lead annual and interim indirect rate development, forecasting, and monitoring
• Ensure consistency and integrity in cost flow from subledger to general ledger
• Maintain standard cost structures and ensure alignment with operational realities
• Month‑end close related activities
• Ensure compliance with FAR, CAS, and U.S. Government accounting requirements across active aerospace programmes
• Support CAS‑covered contracts, maintaining consistent and compliant cost accumulation, allocation, and reporting practices
• Monitor and document compliance with key CAS standards
• Identify and manage unallowable costs in accordance with FAR Part 31

• Perform detailed analysis of labour, material, overhead, and subcontract costs
• Analyse manufacturing variances (labour efficiency, material usage, overhead absorption, purchase price variance) and partner with operations to identify root causes
• Monitor inventory valuation, WIP balances, and cost of goods sold
• Support standard cost updates, annual cost roll processes, and BOM reviews
• Evaluate cost trends and identify opportunities for efficiency and margin improvement

• Ensure cost accumulation practices comply with FAR, CAS, and government contract requirements
• Support CAS‑covered contracts with consistent cost allocation methodologies
• Identify, monitor, and segregate unallowable costs
• Prepare and support forward pricing rate proposals (FPRPs), and government submissions
• Serve as a key contributor during DCAA and DCMA audits, helping tell the story behind the numbers

• Maintain documentation supporting cost methodologies and internal controls
• Support month‑end and year‑end close processes related to inventory, reserves, and cost adjustments
• Develop clear, decision‑useful reporting for leadership
• Ensure audit readiness through disciplined process ownership and documentation

• Utilise SAP to manage cost accounting structures, standard costs, and reporting
• Support consolidation and reporting through One Stream
• Build advanced cost models, variance analysis, and dashboards using Excel, MS Office tools, and Qlik

• US Citizen.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance
• 5+ years of progressive experience in cost accounting within a manufacturing environment (aerospace preferred)
• Strong understanding of standard costing, variance analysis, and indirect rate structures
• Experience with cost roll processes in…