Cost Accounting Manager

Our client is a worldwide manufacturer and distributor. Their high-quality products are made up of several well-known brands. Their business operation in Southern California is recruiting for an operationally focused Cost Accounting Manager. This individual will be a collaborative business partner with both the Operations and Manufacturing Director.

The Cost Accounting Manager is responsible for maintaining and improving upon the existing cost accounting functions in support of manufacturing operations and supply chain management for the US manufacturing plant. Scope of activities includes significant involvement in the monthly close process, general ledger entries and account reconciliation/analysis related to inventory and cost of goods sold accounts.

This is an opportunity for a motivated manufacturing financial professional seeking longer term growth to a Business Unit Controller position or as a pathway into a Senior level manufacturing operations support role. Both are viable career pathways.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Maintain accurate costing methodology in the ERP system (SAP B1)

• Development of the costing methodology and KPI reporting for inventory & management cost reporting (P&L)
• Maintain standard cost system to ensure accuracy of inventory valuation and lead annual manufacturing cost standard updates and analyzes variances to standards.

  - Monitor inventory transactions and processes including scrap, inventory, and COGS to ensure accuracy and compliance with corporate policies.

  - Monthly manufacturing and overhead variance research, analysis, and reporting, including labor/overhead absorption by product lines and

  - Prepare and analyze department expense variances (actual to budgets/forecasts), monthly revenues & associated gross margin analysis.

• Run bi-weekly production order review reporting and meetings.
• Run monthly and quarterly meeting to review non-standard variances and gross margin analysis with senior management.
• Assists senior management teams in understanding costs, variances, and other operating measures, including product/SKU level margins through key strategic reports.
• Responsible for providing and verifying product costs in support of all cost-based pricing contracts, intercompany transfer pricing.
• Identify potential issues and coordinate issue resolution/problem solving with other functional teams.
• General ledger reconciliation responsibility all inventory and cost of goods sold accounts.
• Coordinates with Materials Management on required inventory reserves and ensure compliance with periodic cycle counts and physical inventory and reconcile results.
• Provide support to FP&A team by forecasting/modeling quarterly absorptions based on production plan as well as purchase price variances, scrap rates, material variances and other relevant factors.
• Participates in the annual budgeting process, including preparation of standard costs.
• Drive the development of procedures and controls that ensure meaningful and reliable product costs and accurate inventories.
• Prepare for and participate in internal and external reviews and audits.
• Involved, as time permits, in FP&A and general ledger support as well as special projects.
  

Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree, major in accounting, with a depth of skills in accounting (both financial and managerial), reporting, analysis, financial supply chain processes and procedures is necessary.
• Knowledge of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) is key to success in this role.
• Robust internal controls understanding and documentation of all financial processes and transactions is attractive.
• 5 plus years cost accounting experience in a process manufacturing environment and a general understanding of discrete manufacturing; prior experience in a 50–100-million-dollar business operation is desired.
• SAP or a comparable ERP technology tool experience is necessary.
• Understanding ERP capabilities throughout the business operation is critical to success in the role.
• Expert knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, Excel and other data analytical tools is a must.

Desired Attributes:

• Strong communication skills, ability to present financial information in a meaningful understandable way and a capability to understand the “big picture” in terms of the Company’s business process is important.
• Self-motivated with an ability to work independently and collaboratively and strong organizational skills are all essential.
• Good team building skills including trust, professionalism, the ability to garner consensus across diverse groups; ability to think strategically; yet have the desire to be hands-on when needed are all attractive qualities.
• Ability to drive results in a rapidly changing business environment is the key to future advancement.
• The successful candidate will join a team committed to manufacturing excellence, continuous improvement, and member development. This person will enjoy developing solid business relationships with their counterparts in the materials, operations, and quality roles to facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing. Through those roles, this position will play a key role in providing impartial financial analysis and guidance, decision support, and development of financial acumen across the operations team and quality teams.