Cost Accounting Manager

Cost Accounting Manager

Location:

Dallas, Texas

Employment Type:

Exempt | Full-Time

Symbiotic Services is seeking an experienced Cost Accounting Manager for a manufacturing organization in the Dallas, Texas area. This individual contributor role will lead and enhance the cost accounting function, serving as the subject matter expert for manufacturing costing, inventory valuation, product profitability, margin analysis, and operational financial performance. The position will partner closely with Engineering, Operations, Purchasing, Sales, and Finance to provide accurate costing, actionable financial insights, and support strategic business decisions.

• Lead and continuously improve the company's cost accounting function, including processes, controls, governance, reporting, and performance metrics.
• Manage the standard costing system within the ERP environment, maintaining accurate material, labor, and overhead standards.
• Serve as the primary expert on manufacturing cost accounting, inventory valuation, and product costing.
• Partner with Engineering to maintain bills of materials (BOMs), routings, labor standards, and evaluate cost impacts of engineering changes and new product introductions.
• Develop and maintain costing methodologies, documentation, and internal controls.
• Support the transition of costing ownership to Finance while evaluating financial impacts of sourcing, capital investments, and operational initiatives.

• Develop profitability and gross margin reporting across products, customers, channels, and manufacturing processes.
• Analyze margin fluctuations and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Support pricing strategies through detailed cost analysis.
• Evaluate the financial impact of material costs, labor efficiencies, sourcing decisions, and process improvements.
• Develop dashboards and KPIs that provide meaningful visibility into business performance.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities to improve profitability.

• Analyze manufacturing variances including material, labor, overhead, scrap, purchase price, and production variances.
• Develop manufacturing cost reports and performance dashboards.
• Monitor labor efficiency, material utilization, scrap, rework, and overhead absorption.
• Present financial analysis and recommendations to leadership.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and long‑range manufacturing planning.

• Ensure accurate inventory valuation in compliance with GAAP and company policies.
• Evaluate slow‑moving, excess, obsolete, and damaged inventory while recommending reserve levels.
• Support physical inventories, cycle counts, reconciliations, and inventory control improvements.

• Prepare and review journal entries related to inventory, manufacturing costs, reserves, accruals, and assigned general ledger accounts.
• Perform monthly account reconciliations and support month‑end and year‑end close.
• Assist with financial statements, management reporting, and ad hoc analysis.
• Support annual audits and maintain compliance with accounting standards and internal controls.

• Identify opportunities to improve costing methodologies, reporting, inventory accounting, and internal controls.
• Collaborate with Finance, IT, Engineering, and Operations on ERP enhancements and system implementations.
• Maintain documentation for cost accounting procedures and continuous improvement initiatives.

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

• 5–10+ years of progressive accounting experience with significant manufacturing cost accounting experience.
• Minimum 5 years supporting standard cost accounting in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience improving cost accounting processes and internal controls.
• Strong background in inventory valuation, manufacturing variance analysis, and product costing.
• Experience with profitability modeling, financial analysis, and margin reporting.
• Experience supporting month‑end close and general ledger accounting.
• Expe…