Cost Accountant(Manufacturing)

Leoforce; Mentor-on-the-Lake (OH); On-site; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Leoforce seeks a cost accounting and finance professional to lead inventory valuation, standard costing, and variance analysis in a manufacturing setting.

You will support budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting while collaborating with Operations, Supply Chain, and Engineering to drive cost visibility and performance improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred but not required.
• 3–5 years progressive accounting/finance experience.
• Minimum 2 years manufacturing cost accounting experience.

Responsibilities

• Maintain standard costs for manufactured products and support cost updates.
• Review BOMs, routings, labor standards, and overhead allocations.
• Analyze variances: material price, usage, labor rate, efficiency, overhead.
• Monitor inventory valuation and GAAP compliance.
• Reconcile inventory records with the general ledger.
• Prepare month‑end entries and reconciliations for inventory and COGS.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Financial analysis

Variance analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred

Tools

ERP systems

Power BI

SQL

Excel

Job description

Job Description

Experience: Manager Salary: $85,000 - $100,000 per year

Job Details

Cost Accounting & Inventory Management

• Maintain standard costs for manufactured products and support periodic cost updates and cost rolls.
• Review bills of material (BOMs), routings, labor standards, and overhead allocation methodologies for accuracy and reasonableness.
• Analyze and explain material price, material usage, labor rate, labor efficiency, overhead spending, and overhead absorption variances.
• Monitor inventory valuation and support compliance with U.S. GAAP.
• Assist with evaluating and documenting reserves for excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory.
• Reconcile inventory subsidiary records to the general ledger.
• Prepare month‑end journal entries and account reconciliations related to inventory and cost of goods sold.
• Support annual physical inventories and ongoing cycle count programs.
• Prepare inventory and cost accounting documentation requested by external auditors.

Financial Analysis & Reporting

• Prepare and maintain components of the monthly management reporting package.
• Perform budget-to-actual, forecast-to-actual, and prior-year variance analysis.
• Analyze sales, gross margin, customer, product line, and manufacturing performance.
• Develop and maintain financial and operational key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Prepare recurring and ad hoc reports that identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Communicate financial findings clearly and provide actionable insights to finance and operational leadership.

Budgeting & Forecasting Support

• Assist senior finance leadership with annual budgeting and periodic forecasting processes.
• Gather and validate operational assumptions and supporting information from department leaders.
• Maintain budget and forecast models, schedules, and supporting documentation.
• Analyze trends and variances that may affect projected financial performance.
• Provide supporting analysis for revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, inventory, and capital expenditures.

Operations Finance & Business Partnership

• Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Sales to improve cost visibility and operational performance.
• Analyze labor utilization, production efficiency, machine utilization, scrap, and manufacturing throughput.
• Provide cost and margin analysis to support pricing and customer profitability reviews.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction, process improvement, inventory optimization, and margin enhancement.
• Provide ad hoc financial analysis and decision support to senior finance leadership.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Maintain costing structures and related financial reporting within the ERP system.
• Support ERP and reporting improvements related to manufacturing finance, inventory, and costing.
• Develop and improve reports, dashboards, and data analysis tools.
• Assist in strengthening internal controls related to inventory, costing, and financial reporting.
• Document and maintain applicable finance and accounting procedures.

Systems & Technology

• Microsoft Office Suite, including advanced Excel
• ERP and manufacturing accounting systems
• Human capital management systems
• Business intelligence and data analysis tools

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
• CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred but not required.

Experience

• 3-5 years of progressive accounting or finance experience.
• Minimum of 2 years of manufacturing cost accounting experience.
• Experience with standard costing, inventory accounting, and manufacturing variance analysis.
• Experience supporting budgeting, forecasting, or monthly management reporting preferred.
• Experience within a discrete manufacturing environment preferred.

Technical Skills

• Working knowledge of U.S. GAAP as it relates to inventory and cost accounting.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills required.
• Experience with manufacturing ERP systems preferred.
• Experience with Power BI, SQL, or other business intelligence and data analysis tools preferred.

A bit about us

Our client is a growing organization focused on innovation, operational excellence, and delivering high-quality solutions across specialized industries. With a collaborative and team-oriented environment, the company values accountability, continuous improvement, and professional development.

Why join us

• Collaborative team culture with strong leadership support
• Opportunity to make a direct impact on financial operations and process improvements
• Stable, growth-focused organization with long‑term career potential
• Exposure to cross‑functional projects in a fast‑paced environment