Cost Accounting Manager

Symbiotic Services, LLC; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Symbiotic Services, LLC. is seeking an experienced Cost Accounting Manager for a manufacturing organization in the Dallas, Texas area.

This role leads the cost accounting function, acting as the expert on manufacturing costing, inventory valuation, product profitability and margin analysis to support strategic business decisions. The role partners with Engineering, Operations, Purchasing, Sales, and Finance to provide accurate costing, actionable insights, and continuous process improvements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
• CPA, CMA, or similar professional certification preferred.
• 5–10+ years of progressive accounting experience with significant manufacturing cost accounting experience.
• Minimum 5 years supporting standard cost accounting in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with Oracle ERP or similar manufacturing ERP system; Oracle preferred.
• Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL, or similar reporting tools preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously improve the cost accounting function, including processes, controls, governance, reporting, and performance metrics.
• Manage the standard costing system within the ERP environment, maintaining accurate material, labor, and overhead standards.
• Serve as the primary expert on manufacturing cost accounting, inventory valuation, and product costing.
• Partner with Engineering to maintain BOMs, routings, labor standards, and cost impact assessments.
• Develop and maintain costing methodologies, documentation, and internal controls.
• Support transition of costing ownership to Finance and evaluate financial impacts of sourcing and investments.
• Develop profitability and gross margin reporting across products, customers, channels, and processes.
• Analyze margin fluctuations and provide recommendations for improvement.

Skills

Standard costing

Inventory accounting

Product profitability

Margin analysis

Financial analysis

Month-end close

General ledger

Power BI

Tableau

SQL

Excel

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

CPA or CMA preferred

Tools

Oracle ERP

Power BI

Tableau

SQL

Job description

Symbiotic Services is seeking an experienced Cost Accounting Manager for a manufacturing organization in the Dallas, Texas area. This individual contributor role will lead and enhance the cost accounting function, serving as the subject matter expert for manufacturing costing, inventory valuation, product profitability, margin analysis, and operational financial performance. The position will partner closely with Engineering, Operations, Purchasing, Sales, and Finance to provide accurate costing, actionable financial insights, and support strategic business decisions.

About the Role

This role will lead and enhance the cost accounting function, serving as the subject matter expert for manufacturing costing, inventory valuation, product profitability, margin analysis, and operational financial performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously improve the company's cost accounting function, including processes, controls, governance, reporting, and performance metrics.
• Manage the standard costing system within the ERP environment, maintaining accurate material, labor, and overhead standards.
• Serve as the primary expert on manufacturing cost accounting, inventory valuation, and product costing.
• Partner with Engineering to maintain bills of materials (BOMs), routings, labor standards, and evaluate cost impacts of engineering changes and new product introductions.
• Develop and maintain costing methodologies, documentation, and internal controls.
• Support the transition of costing ownership to Finance while evaluating financial impacts of sourcing, capital investments, and operational initiatives.
• Product Profitability & Margin Analysis
• Develop profitability and gross margin reporting across products, customers, channels, and manufacturing processes.
• Analyze margin fluctuations and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Support pricing strategies through detailed cost analysis.
• Evaluate the financial impact of material costs, labor efficiencies, sourcing decisions, and process improvements.
• Develop dashboards and KPIs that provide meaningful visibility into business performance.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities to improve profitability.
• Manufacturing Cost Analysis & Reporting
• Analyze manufacturing variances including material, labor, overhead, scrap, purchase price, and production variances.
• Develop manufacturing cost reports and performance dashboards.
• Monitor labor efficiency, material utilization, scrap, rework, and overhead absorption.
• Present financial analysis and recommendations to leadership.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and long-range manufacturing planning.
• Inventory Accounting
• Ensure accurate inventory valuation in compliance with GAAP and company policies.
• Evaluate slow-moving, excess, obsolete, and damaged inventory while recommending reserve levels.
• Support physical inventories, cycle counts, reconciliations, and inventory control improvements.
• Prepare and review journal entries related to inventory, manufacturing costs, reserves, accruals, and assigned general ledger accounts.
• Perform monthly account reconciliations and support month-end and year-end close.
• Assist with financial statements, management reporting, and ad hoc analysis.
• Support annual audits and maintain compliance with accounting standards and internal controls.
• Process Improvement & Systems
• Identify opportunities to improve costing methodologies, reporting, inventory accounting, and internal controls.
• Collaborate with Finance, IT, Engineering, and Operations on ERP enhancements and system implementations.
• Maintain documentation for cost accounting procedures and continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Education
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
• CPA, CMA, or similar professional certification preferred.
• Experience
• 5-10+ years of progressive accounting experience with significant manufacturing cost accounting experience.
• Minimum 5 years supporting standard cost accounting in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience improving cost accounting processes and internal controls.
• Strong background in inventory valuation, manufacturing variance analysis, and product costing.
• Experience with profitability modeling, financial analysis, and margin reporting.
• Experience supporting month-end close and general ledger accounting.
• Experience with Oracle ERP or a similar manufacturing ERP system required; Oracle preferred.
• Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL, or similar reporting tools preferred.

Required Skills

• Advanced knowledge of standard costing, inventory accounting, manufacturing finance, and product profitability.
• Strong understanding of GAAP and inventory valuation.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills with experience analyzing large data sets.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to translate financial and operational data into actionable business insights.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Preferred Skills

• Core Competencies
• Manufacturing Cost Accounting
• Product Profitability & Margin Analysis
• Financial Analysis & Decision Support
• Business Partnership
• Process Improvement
• Strategic Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Communication & Influence
• Accountability
• Operational Excellence

Pay range and compensation package

This position is primarily office-based with regular computer work and occasional visits to manufacturing facilities. Candidates should be comfortable working in both office and production environments while following all required safety procedures.