Manager, Cost Accounting

Manager, Cost Accounting

The Manager, Cost Accounting will own and lead the cost accounting and inventory accounting functions within the Accounting team. This role will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of manufacturing costs and inventory balances, supporting the month-end close and budgeting processes, and providing financial insights to support operational and business decision-making.

Reporting directly to the Controller, the Manager, Cost Accounting will work closely with the broader Finance and Accounting team and partner cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and other teams throughout the organization.

We are looking for someone with strong cost accounting and manufacturing experience who can both manage day-to-day accounting activities and help develop and scale our processes as the organization grows. The ideal candidate is highly analytical, comfortable working with detailed operational data, and able to translate complex cost information into meaningful financial insights. Experience with in aerospace & defense, automotive, or another complex manufacturing environment is preferred.

Responsibilities:

• Own all manufacturing cost accounting activities, including month-end close, inventory accounting, cost maintenance, labor and overhead absorption, and related account reconciliations
• Develop and maintain effective cost accounting processes, policies, controls, and documentation to support accurate and timely financial reporting
• Perform and communicate manufacturing cost and variance analyses, including purchase price, material usage, labor, overhead, work order, cost revaluation, and invoice-to-PO variances
• Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, and Engineering to develop a strong understanding of manufacturing processes, inventory flows, cost drivers, and operational performance
• Partner with Operations and Finance to evaluate labor and overhead rates, absorption, utilization, and other manufacturing cost drivers
• Work closely with the inventory and operations teams to monitor and improve cycle count processes, physical inventory procedures, and overall inventory accuracy
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of cost and inventory information within the ERP system through detailed analysis and coordination with inventory, purchasing, receiving, production, and work order processes
• Identify and lead improvements to cost accounting and ERP processes as the Company's manufacturing operations and reporting requirements continue to scale
• Partner with Engineering and Operations to support the accuracy of bills of material, routings, work orders, and other inputs impacting product costs
• Collaborate with FP&A to identify key cost drivers and provide cost accounting data and analysis to support budgeting, forecasting, and business planning
• Provide financial analysis and insights to support cost reduction initiatives, sourcing decisions, manufacturing efficiency, and other operational decision-making
• Support the design and execution of internal controls over inventory and cost accounting
• Support financial statement audits and other compliance activities related to inventory, manufacturing costs, and cost accounting
• Support and develop members of the Accounting team involved in cost and inventory accounting activities

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• 5+ years of progressive experience in cost accounting, inventory accounting, or manufacturing accounting

Required Skills and Experiences:

• Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP applicable to inventory and manufacturing cost accounting
• Experience working with ERP systems and analyzing detailed transactional and operational data
• Experience with physical inventories, cycle counts, inventory reserves, and inventory-related internal controls
• Experience developing and maintaining labor and manufacturing overhead rates, allocation methodologies, and cost pools
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Engineering

Preferred Skills and Experiences:

• Experience with in aerospace & defense, automotive, industrial…