Cost Accoutant/Controller

Spherion Staffing and Recruiting NE Georgia; Cornelia (GA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Spherion Staffing and Recruiting NE Georgia is assisting a manufacturing facility in NE Georgia to hire a Cost Accountant/Controller who will manage daily financial operations, cost analysis, inventory accounting, and monthly closes. This role drives standard costing, BOM updates, variance analysis, and budgeting support.

The position leads ERP initiatives, oversees cost reporting by product line, and ensures GAAP compliance while collaborating with operations and finance teams.

Qualifications

• Must have cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 3+ years accounting experience in manufacturing or industrial settings.
• Solid background in standard costing, inventory valuation, and ERP systems.
• Experience with Fishbowl is required as the current system is transitioning.
• Proficient in GAAP compliance and financial reporting.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain standard costs for raw materials, direct labor, and overhead.
• Track, analyze, and report labor, material, and overhead costs per job or product line.
• Review and update Bills of Materials and labor routings for accurate costing.
• Maintain standard costing systems and perform variance analysis with explanations.
• Oversee inventory valuation, perpetual inventory, and month-end close processes.
• Prepare balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow reports per GAAP.
• Lead ERP initiatives and plant accounting activities.

Skills

Cost accounting

Job costing

Inventory valuation

GAAP/compliance

Financial reporting

ERP systems

Variance analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance or related

Tools

Fishbowl

QuickBooks

ERP software

Job description

Our client in NE Georgia is searching for a Cost Accountant/Controller which manages all daily financial and accounting operations for our manufacturing facility. This role leads job-cost analysis, inventory accounting, and financial reporting to ensure profitability and budget control. In addition to day-to-day and monthly activities, financial planning, cost analysis, and future planning are critical functions.

Key Responsibilities

Cost Accounting & Job Costing

• Develop and maintain standard costs for raw materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead.
• Track, analyze, and report on labor, material, and overhead costs per job or product line.
• Review and update Bills of Materials (BOMs) and labor routings to ensure accurate product costing.
• Maintain standard costing systems and perform variance analysis, including Price, Efficiency, and spending variances, providing detailed explanations to management.

Inventory Management

• Oversee inventory valuation and reconciliation of perpetual inventory to the general ledger.
• Track raw material and work-in-process (WIP), and oversee scrap accounting.
• Coordinate monthly cycle count programs and lead the annual physical inventory process.
• Identify and manage reserves for slow-moving and obsolete (SLOB) inventory.
• Manage the month-end, quarter-end, and year-end financial close processes.
• Prepare balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow reports in accordance with GAAP.
• Prepare regular reports on gross margins, scrap rates, and overhead allocations to different product lines.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Strategy

• Lead financial analysis and decision-making for the best longer-term interest of the company, using data generated through finance.
• Collaborate with plant operations, human resources, sales, and engineering to create annual budgets, rolling forecasts, and variance analyses.

Internal Controls, Compliance & Leadership

• Supervise and coordinate plant accounting activities, including Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Payroll.
• Establish and maintain internal control procedures, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local tax obligations, as well as industry safety and regulatory recordkeeping standard audit requirements.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls and support external audit requests regarding inventory and costing.
• Play a key role in the implementation of a new ERP system, transitioning from an existing Fishbowl, QuickBooks, and manual system setup.
• Lead ERP initiatives for all accounting-related functions.

Qualifications

• Must be experienced in Cost Accounting in a manufacturing environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 3+ years of accounting experience, specifically within a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Solid background in standard costing, inventory valuation, and ERP systems.
• Experience with Fishbowl is required, as the company is currently using this software with plans to move to a more robust system in the near future.
• Proficient in GAAP compliance and financial reporting.