Cost Accounting Manager

Cost Accounting Manager

Newlight Technologies, Inc. is seeking a Cost Accounting Manager to work in a highly collaborative environment, supporting the Company's financial management.

The Cost Accounting Manager is a subject matter expert who records, analyzes, and reports all costs associated with manufacturing products, including standard costing, forecasting, and profitability analysis.

The position will partner with Manufacturing, Inventory, and the Finance team to ensure integrity and consistency in reporting and communication.

This is a hands-on individual-contributor role responsible for owning the company’s cost accounting processes. The position does not currently have direct reports.

Cost Accounting & Product Costing

• Drive annual product costing roll and costing new products, including rate development.
• Ensure accurate classification of direct materials, direct labor, manufacturing overhead, period expenses, and capital expenditures in accordance with company policy and GAAP
• Analyze manufacturing cost variance and drive data-driven improvements.
• Analyze costs of raw materials and other supplies and create cost-benefit analyses for changing vendors where advantageous.
• Own quarterly estimates for plant costs based on production plan and proactively communicate risks/opportunities and detailed variance explanations in a timely manner.

Inventory Accounting & Financial Close

• Prepare detailed account analysis and reconcile sales, cost, inventory, and liabilities.
• Ensure timely submission, accuracy, and validity of inventory and gross margin schedules to management.
• Maintain internal documentation controls for inventory and cost of goods sold.
• Assist in month-end closing, prepare journal entries as necessary, analyze inventory evaluation, and inventory roll forward.

Financial Analysis & Reporting

• Prepare, analyze, and report weekly, monthly, and quarterly gross margin analysis by brand and by customer type.
• Support and assist internal department reporting requirements such as audit schedules, tax schedules, and others.

Business Partnership & Operational Support

• Track and influence optimal performance (cost, fulfillment, quality, cash) and profitability within the supply chain and company-wide.
• Partner with the Production Manager to support operational decision-making and track key performance indicators to understand issues and develop solutions together.

Process Improvement & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Engage with teams to determine process implementation and improvements.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.
• Minimum of 3-4 years of experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of 6 years of progressive overall experience.
• Strong cost systems background.
• Excellent analytical skills, detail-oriented with strong problem-solving skills and follow-through.
• Sound understanding of cost accounting principles.
• Strong Excel skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate complex analysis in a simple way.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• Demonstrated successful experience working as a member of a high-performance team.
• Continuous improvement philosophy.
• Best business practices mindset.
• Demonstrated expertise in standard costing, inventory accounting, manufacturing variances, and month-end close processes.

• Experience using ERP systems.
• CMA or CPA preferred; MBA is a plus.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment

This position is required to work onsite in an office/manufacturing environment. In the general office spaces, there is a low-average noise level, reasonable in office settings. In the laboratory, operations, and production areas, the noise level is often high, and temperatures vary depending on the type of work performed and the season.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, hear, and operate computer software. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time exempt position, requiring overtime, as needed to complete assigned work.