Cost Accountant | Manufacturing Cost Analysis & Inventory Accounting

Confidential Recruiting Partners; California; On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Paid Holidays

STD and LTD

Bonus opportunities

Retirement savings plan with company**

Job summary

Confidential Recruiting Partners seeks a Cost Accountant to support manufacturing operations through cost analysis, inventory accounting, financial reporting, and process improvement initiatives. This role partners with Accounting, Operations, and Engineering to maintain accurate costing and drive informed business decisions.

Onsite in California; no visa sponsorship. Requires a Bachelor's degree and 3+ years cost accounting in manufacturing, plus advanced Excel and ERP proficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience reconciling inventory and manufacturing-related accounts.
• Experience working with ERP systems in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 3 years of cost accounting experience in manufacturing.
• Advanced Excel skills including Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and analyze standard costs, job costs, BOMs, labor rates, and overhead.
• Review and investigate variances in material, labor, freight, and overhead.
• Reconcile inventory, WIP, and manufacturing-related GL accounts.
• Monitor inventory valuation, cycle counts, obsolescence, and accuracy.
• Support month-end close activities and accruals.
• Analyze product margins, job profitability, and manufacturing performance metrics.
• Assist budgeting, forecasting, and pricing analysis.
• Collaborate with Operations and Engineering to improve costing accuracy and efficiency.
• Prepare financial reports and cost analyses for management decisions.
• Participate in inventory audits and internal control initiatives.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Cost accounting

Manufacturing accounting

Variance analysis

Month-end close

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

ERP systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Our client is seeking a Cost Accountant to support manufacturing operations through cost analysis, inventory accounting, financial reporting, and process improvement initiatives. This role works closely with Accounting, Operations, and Engineering teams to maintain accurate costing, analyze manufacturing performance, and support strategic business decisions.

Onsite | No Visa Sponsorship | Relocation Assistance: Limited

Please Note: Due to regulatory and customer compliance requirements, applicants must be authorized to work in the United States and meet applicable export control eligibility requirements.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain and analyze standard costs, job costs, bills of materials (BOMs), labor rates, and manufacturing overhead.
• Review and investigate material, labor, freight, and overhead variances.
• Reconcile inventory, work-in-process (WIP), and manufacturing-related general ledger accounts.
• Monitor inventory valuation, cycle count adjustments, excess and obsolete inventory, and inventory accuracy.
• Support month-end close activities, including journal entries, account reconciliations, and accruals.
• Analyze product margins, job profitability, and manufacturing performance metrics.
• Assist with budgeting, forecasting, product costing, and pricing analysis.
• Partner with Operations and Engineering teams to improve costing accuracy and operational efficiency.
• Prepare financial reports and cost analysis to support management decision-making.
• Participate in inventory audits, internal control initiatives, and continuous improvement projects.

Qualifications (Must-Haves)

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience reconciling inventory and manufacturing-related accounts.
• Experience working with ERP systems in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 3 years of cost accounting experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, and data analysis.
• Strong knowledge of: Standard costing, Job costing, Inventory accounting, Work-in-process (WIP) accounting, Variance analysis and Manufacturing month-end close processes.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience supporting multi-site manufacturing operations.
• Exposure to budgeting, forecasting, and pricing analysis.
• Experience developing cost reports and operational metrics.
• Familiarity with inventory audits and internal controls.

Work Environment

• Collaborative environment with regular interaction across Accounting, Operations, and Engineering teams.

Benefits & Perks:

• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• STD and LTD
• Bonus opportunities
• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• Retirement savings plan with company contribution and more