Cost Accountant

CMI Group Aerospace & Defense

Phoenix (AZ)

On-site

USD 70,000 - 90,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Job summary

CMI Group Aerospace & Defense in Phoenix, Arizona, is seeking a Cost Accountant to support our manufacturing operations. This position combines cost accounting with financial planning & analysis, requiring strong analytical capabilities and communication skills to partner with plant leadership.

The ideal candidate will analyze variances, prepare journal entries, and enhance costing systems, while also acting as a financial advisor to ensure informed pricing and operational decisions.

Qualifications

3+ years of experience in cost accounting within a manufacturing environment.
Strong understanding of standard and absorption costing.

Responsibilities

Maintain and enhance standard costing systems.
Analyze and report on standard vs. actual variances.

Skills

Strong analytical skills

Advanced Excel skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance

CMA or CPA certification

Tools

ERP experience in a manufacturing system

Job description

Cost Accountant

On‑Site Location: North Phoenix (101 & Cave Creek Rd)

Requirement: Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident due to ITAR requirements

Classification: Full Time, exempt

Industry: Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing

Position Overview

We seek a highly analytical and operationally engaged Cost Accounting Analyst to support our manufacturing location in North Phoenix. This role is a hybrid between cost accounting and financial planning & analysis, combining strong technical accounting capabilities, with analytic skills, and forward‑looking financial insight. This individual will be a business partner with plant leadership to assist in making informed decisions about pricing, operational efficiency and product profitability. The role requires someone comfortable booking journal entries, explaining standard vs. actual variances, analyzing SKU‑level margins, reporting financial results to management, and building budgets and forecasts. The position requires daily in‑office presence.

Key Responsibilities

Cost Accounting & Technical Accounting

Maintain and enhance standard costing systems (labor, overhead, material standards).

Ensure inventory accuracy and cost integrity in the ERP system.

Analyze and report on standard vs. actual variances (labor, material, overhead, purchase price, absorption, mix/volume).

Prepare and post journal entries for inventory, reserves, accruals, and cost allocations.

Partner with operations to review BOMs, routings, and cost drivers for accuracy.

Operational Finance

Perform daily / weekly SKU‑level margin analysis to identify pricing, mix, scrap, labor efficiency, and overhead absorption issues.

Monitor KPIs including gross margin, absorption, labor efficiency, scrap, and PPV.

Develop actionable insights and recommendations to improve margins and working capital.

Create and maintain financial models to support operational and pricing decisions.

Support annual budgeting and periodic forecasting processes.

Business Partnership

Act as a financial advisor to site managers and the CFO.

Translate financial results into operational language and actionable next steps.

Proactively identify & communicate areas of margin erosion or cost leakage.

Participate in operational meetings and drive accountability through data.

What Success Looks Like

Variance analysis is timely, clear, and drives action.

SKU margin visibility improves pricing discipline and cost management.

Standards are accurate and reflect operational reality.

Operations leaders view finance as a value‑added partner, not just a reporting function.

Plan vs. actual gaps are identified early and addressed proactively.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance.

3+ years of experience in cost accounting within a manufacturing environment.

Strong understanding of:
- Standard and absorption costing
- Variance analysis
- Manufacturing overhead allocation
- Inventory accounting
- Experience preparing and posting journal entries

Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, financial modeling).

Qualitative and quantitative analytic skills.

Strong communication skills — able to explain financial results to non‑financial stakeholders.

A plus: Experience in aerospace, defense, precision machining, or discrete manufacturing.

CMA or CPA certification.

ERP experience in a manufacturing system.

Competencies & Traits

Highly analytical with strong attention to detail.

Comfortable working in both accounting and forward‑looking planning environments.

Naturally curious — asks “why” and digs into root causes.

Operationally minded and business‑oriented.

Self‑starter who thrives in a hands‑on manufacturing environment.

Comfortable challenging assumptions.

Able to toggle between tactical execution (journal entries) and strategic analysis (margin improvement).

Why This Role Matters

This position sits at the intersection of accounting discipline and operational performance. It is critical to ensure cost integrity, increase product margins, and provide financial visibility across manufacturing sites and the business in general. The successful candidate will directly influence profitability and serve as a trusted financial partner to site management and business finance leadership.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance available.

401(k) with company match.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Team oriented company with top paying wages and benefits in the valley in regards to the Aerospace Industry. To qualify for consideration, all candidates must be able to work 40+ hours per week in a fast paced, high-demand, quality environment. All candidates must also have sufficient verbal and written communication skills as well as good problem solving skills.

CMI Group is an equal opportunity employer providing competitive wages and benefits. CMI Group is a federal subcontractor and maintains a drug‑free workplace in accordance with the Federal Drug‑Free Workplace Act of 1988 and Arizona Revised Statutes §23‑493. All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a pre‑employment drug screening.

This is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant due to age, race, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, gender or any other protected classification. VEVRAA federal subcontractor. This company provides equal employment opportunities to applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, or disabilities in compliance with federal and state laws including: