Cost & Inventory Accounting Specialist

Meiden America Switchgear, Inc.; South Carolina; On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life

401k with match

Paid time off

Holiday pay

Voluntary benefits

Job summary

Meiden America Switchgear, Inc. is seeking a cost accountant to support manufacturing costing, inventory valuation, and month-end close.

The role partners with Finance, Production, Purchasing and Warehouse to improve data accuracy, strengthen controls, and drive cost improvements using SAP and Excel.

Candidates should have hands-on cost accounting experience in manufacturing and a bachelor’s degree.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field.
• Manufacturing cost accounting experience.
• Experience with inventory valuation, product costing, and variance analysis.
• Advanced Excel skills (PivotTables, XLOOKUP, SUMIFS).
• ERP experience, preferably SAP.
• Strong detail orientation, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Effective communication and cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Support standard cost and actual cost analysis for manufactured products.
• Analyze variances in material, labor, and overhead; investigate unusual items.
• Review production-order results and COGS analyses.
• Maintain SAP master data affecting inventory valuation and product cost.
• Collaborate with Finance, Production, Purchasing, and Warehouse to improve controls.

Skills

Cost accounting

Manufacturing

Excel

Data analysis

SAP

ERP systems

Attention to detail

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance

Tools

SAP

ERP software

Job description

Pay Type: Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, 401k with match, Paid time off and Holiday pay + various voluntary benefits.

This position will support product costing, inventory valuation, variance analysis, SAP data accuracy, month end closing, and continuous improvement of cost accounting and inventory-control processes in a manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate has hands-on manufacturing cost accounting experience, strong Excel and data-analysis skills, and experience with SAP or a similar ERP system. This role will work closely with Finance, Production, Purchasing, and Warehouse teams to investigate issues, improve data accuracy, and strengthen financial and operational controls.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Cost Accounting & Variance Analysis

• Support standard cost and actual cost analysis for manufactured products.
• Analyze material, labor, and overhead variances and investigate significant or unusual items.
• Review production-order results and support analysis of Cost of Goods Sold (COGS).
• Prepare recurring cost reports, reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Support cost-related journal entries and month-end and year-end closing activities.

Inventory Valuation & Control

• Review, analyze, correct, and monitor Moving Average Prices (MAP).
• Support accurate inventory valuation and reconcile inventory balances between SAP, accounting records, and physical inventory results.
• Assist with physical inventory counts, cycle counts, count adjustments, and related documentation.
• Analyze slow-moving, excess, obsolete, and potentially impaired inventory.
• Investigate inventory discrepancies and coordinate timely corrective actions with responsible departments.

SAP Master Data & Production Data Review

• Support the review and maintenance of SAP master data affecting inventory valuation and product cost.
• Review Bills of Material (BOM), routings, and production-order data for accuracy and consistency.
• Identify data issues, research root causes, and coordinate corrections with Finance and operational teams.
• Use SAP and Excel data to identify trends, exceptions, and control gaps.

Process Improvement & internal Control

• Support the planning, analysis, and continuous improvement of cycle-count programs.
• Develop and maintain monitoring procedures for inventory and cost-accounting activities.
• Document accounting processes, controls, issue resolution, and corrective-action follow-up.
• Support internal controls, J-SOX activities, and internal and external audit requests.
• Collaborate with Production, Purchasing, Warehouse, and Finance teams to improve cost performance and inventory accuracy.

Position Requirements (knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform satisfactorily in the position):

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of inventory valuation, product costing, and variance analysis.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, and analysis of large datasets.
• Experience with ERP systems.
• Strong attention to detail, analytical ability, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and follow issues through resolution.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work cross-functionally.

Preferred

• Hands-on SAP experience, particularly with inventory, material valuation, production orders, or cost-related processes.
• Experience reviewing Moving Average Prices (MAP), BOMs, routings, and production-order data.
• Experience with physical inventory, cycle counts, slow-moving or obsolete inventory analysis, and inventory reconciliations.
• Experience supporting month-end close, financial audits, internal controls, or J-SOX compliance.
• CPA, CMA, or progress toward a relevant professional certification.
• Strong analytical thinking and ability to investigate transaction-level details.
• High level of accuracy, organization, ownership, and accountability.
• Ability to work independently while escalating significant issues appropriately.
• Practical, hands-on approach to problem solving and process improvement.
• Ability to communicate accounting and data issues clearly to non-finance stakeholders.
• Comfort working in a structured, process-driven manufacturing environment.

Physical Demands:

• Standing over 1/3 of time.
• Walking under 1/3 of time.
• Sitting under 2/3 of time.
• Talking over 2/3 of time.
• Lifting up to 20 lbs. under 1/3 of time.
• Hearing all the time.
• Keyboarding 2/3 of time.
• English and grammar usage skills over 2/3 of time.
• This position is on-site, remote or hybrid work is not available

MAS is an equal opportunity employer. Employment opportunities are based on an individual's qualifications and capabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. All employment opportunities are provided without regard to race, color, age, sex, familial status, religion, national origin, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, ancestry, medical condition, marital status, genetic information, disability, or any other legally protected status.

This policy governs all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, selection, job assignment, promotions, transfers, compensation, discipline, termination, layoff, access to benefits and training, and all other conditions and privileges of employment.