Cost Accounting Manager

Risus Talent Partners; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Risus Talent Partners is partnering with a leading packaging industry organization to place an experienced Cost Accounting Manager on its corporate finance team. This is a highly visible, hands-on role supporting manufacturing operations, improving costing processes, and standardizing practices across locations.

The ideal candidate will bring 7+ years in cost accounting within manufacturing, strong costing knowledge, and a proven ability to collaborate with plant leadership.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of cost accounting experience in manufacturing environments.
• Strong understanding of standard costing, labor and overhead rates, inventory accounting, and variance analysis.
• Experience partnering with plant leadership and operations.
• Advanced Excel skills and strong analytical capabilities.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to build relationships with finance and operations.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and improve cost accounting processes across multiple facilities.
• Develop and maintain standard costing methodologies for material, labor, and overhead.
• Analyze manufacturing costs, inventory valuation, COGS, gross margins, and cost variances.
• Ensure accurate cost accounting practices and understand how costs flow through the GL.
• Partner with plant leadership and operations to identify process improvements.
• Support integration of acquired businesses by standardizing costing practices and financial processes.
• Document current processes, identify inconsistencies, and propose improvements.
• Collaborate with corporate finance leadership and cost accounting consultant on system and process enhancements.
• Support ERP improvements, financial reporting, internal controls, and audits.

Skills

Cost accounting

Advanced Excel

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Independent work

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

Amtech/Encore ERP

Job description

Travel: Up to 75% travel throughout the US

About the Opportunity

• We are partnering with a leading organization in the packaging industry to identify an experienced Cost Accounting Manager to join its corporate finance team. This is a highly visible, hands-on opportunity for someone who enjoys working closely with manufacturing operations, improving processes, and making a meaningful impact across multiple facilities. The ideal candidate will bring a strong manufacturing cost accounting background, with experience evaluating costing methodologies, standardizing processes, and partnering directly with plant leadership. This role will be especially important as the organization continues to grow through acquisitions and works toward creating more consistent cost accounting practices across its locations. While this is a senior-level position, there are no direct reports. The focus will be on technical expertise, cross-functional collaboration, and driving process improvements.

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluate and improve existing cost accounting processes across multiple manufacturing facilities.
• Develop and maintain standard costing methodologies, including material, labor, and overhead rates.
• Analyze manufacturing costs, inventory valuation, COGS, gross margins, and cost variances.
• Ensure accurate cost accounting practices and understand how manufacturing costs flow through the general ledger.
• Partner with plant leadership and operations teams to understand production processes and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Support the integration of newly acquired businesses by helping standardize costing practices and financial processes.
• Document current processes, identify inconsistencies, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• Work closely with corporate finance leadership and an experienced cost accounting consultant on system and process enhancements.
• Support ERP improvements, financial reporting, internal controls, and audit activities.
• Travel to manufacturing locations to collaborate with plant teams and support the implementation of consistent costing practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 7+ years of cost accounting experience, ideally within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of standard costing, labor and overhead rates, inventory accounting, and variance analysis.
• Experience working directly with manufacturing plants and operational leadership.
• Solid understanding of how manufacturing costs impact the general ledger and financial statements.
• Experience evaluating and improving accounting processes across multiple locations.
• Advanced Excel skills and strong analytical capabilities.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build relationships with both finance and plant operations teams.
• Detail-oriented, organized, and comfortable working independently in a hands-on role.
• Willingness to travel to manufacturing facilities as needed.

Preferred Experience

• Background in packaging, paper, plastics, corrugated, or similar manufacturing environments.
• Experience supporting multiple manufacturing facilities.
• Experience with acquisitions, business integrations, or cost accounting standardization.
• Familiarity with Amtech/Encore ERP systems is a plus, but not required.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced cost accounting professional who wants to take ownership of meaningful projects and help shape cost accounting practices across a growing organization.

You'll have the opportunity to work directly with corporate finance leadership, collaborate with manufacturing teams, and play a key role in improving processes across multiple locations.

If you enjoy combining technical accounting expertise with hands-on plant operations and process improvement, we'd love to connect!