Cost Accountant

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company; San Leandro (CA); On-site; USD 69,548 - 86,961; Full time

Job summary

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company in San Leandro, CA, seeks a Cost Accountant to provide financial support and strategic insight to Operations. The role includes managing operations financials, preparing KPIs, and driving cost savings initiatives.

The ideal candidate will have a degree in accounting, 2–4 years of experience, and knowledge of SAP S/4HANA. Strong problem-solving skills and proficiency in financial modeling are essential. This position requires in-office work at least three days per week.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of relevant cost accounting experience.
• Exposure to CPG or Retail industry preferred.
• Experience with product costing and process order variance analysis.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Production to collect data and investigate variances.
• Perform month-end close and reconcile inventory accounts.
• Develop annual budgets for direct materials and consumption variances.

Skills

Cost accounting

Financial modeling

Root-cause analysis

SAP S/4HANA

PowerBI

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field

Tools

MS Office

SAP integrated tools

Job description

Job Summary

The Cost Accountant serves as a business partner to Ghirardelli’s Operations department, responsible for balanced financial support and oversight. The role requires ownership of operations financials with the ability to provide visibility and strategic financial insight, innovate new processes, and manage change while earning respect as a cross‑functional employee.

Responsibilities

• Process order variances: collaborate with Production to collect accurate data, investigate variances, and conduct root cause analysis.
• Support operations with reconciling and closing process orders weekly and monthly.
• Prepare and present weekly and monthly operations KPIs for variance tracking and process order status.
• Drive Loss Eradication and Cost Savings initiatives in Operations.
• Analyze day‑to‑day data to support operational decisions.
• Month end close and forecasting: perform efficient month‑end close with accounting and cross‑functional partners; reconcile inventory and variance accounts; explain monthly process order variances, stock adjustments, and variances to budget and forecasts; maintain monthly KPI dashboard.
• Annual budgets for direct materials, consumption variance, and inventory: develop spending trends and variances, communicate risks and opportunities.
• Product costing: understanding all components of supply‑chain costs, roll‑up costing in ERP, validate standard costs, manage cost runs in SAP for budget, forecasts, and ad‑hoc simulations; maintain and improve cost component reports.
• Support the FI pillar: develop operations financial reporting, improvement projects, material variance analysis, and scrap rate development; full knowledge of routings and scrap rates and impact on gross profit.
• Inventory management: understand transactional flow of raw materials, WIP, finished goods; identify gaps in cycle count, consumption, receipts; forecast future month variances.
• Influence operations, supply chain, and finance leadership in business case analysis, investment requests, waste, and other areas.
• Ad‑hoc decision support work for Operations Team, VP Operations, and Finance leadership.

Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field.
• 2–4 years of relevant cost accounting experience.
• Exposure to CPG or Retail industry preferred.
• Product costing and process (work) order variance analysis experience.
• Knowledge of SAP S/4HANA (standard cost, inventory transactions, General Ledger).
• Strong MS Office skills, including financial modeling and business management tools.
• Experience with PowerBI and SAP integrated tools preferred.
• Strong root‑cause analysis and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to prepare analysis and presentations for cross‑functional partners and senior management.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills.

Other Job Requirements

• Regularly sit at a workstation.
• Work seated or standing for at least 8 hours in a normal office environment.
• Concentrate for extended periods, paying close attention to detail.
• Work from the office at least three days per week.
• Occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Compensation

Salary: $69,548 to $86,961 per year.