Cost Manager

Bell & Associates, Inc.; York (SC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Bell & Associates, Inc. is seeking an experienced Cost Manager to lead product costing, inventory control, and working capital performance across our manufacturing operations.

The role partners with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, Accounting, and Finance to ensure accurate costing and continuous improvement of financial and operational performance. The ideal candidate will have a strategic mindset with extensive manufacturing accounting background, standard costing expertise,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in accounting, finance, or related field.
• 7–10+ years of progressive accounting experience in manufacturing.
• Experience with product costing, standard absorption costing, and on-hand inventory control.
• Experience supporting multiple facilities with high-volume inventory activity.
• Strong analytical, investigative, and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficiency with JD Edwards or similar ERP platforms.
• Excellent communication and leadership across departments.

Responsibilities

• Lead product costing strategy, governance, and standard costing processes.
• Manage annual standard cost updates and forecast revisions.
• Validate inputs (material, labor, overhead, BOMs) for costing accuracy.
• Analyze variances and identify cost drivers for improvements.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to drive cost-reduction initiatives.
• Establish inventory control policies and best practices across sites.
• Monitor inventory accuracy, valuation, and aging metrics.
• Lead investigations into discrepancies and long-term corrective actions.
• Drive inventory optimization to improve turns and working capital.
• Align inventory strategy with production schedules and demand.
• Develop reporting and KPIs for cost and inventory management.
• Maintain manufacturing master data integrity (BOMs, routings).

Skills

Cost accounting

Inventory management

Financial analysis

ERP systems

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

JD Edwards

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Cost Manager to lead product costing, inventory control, and working capital performance across our manufacturing operations. This role partners closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, Accounting, and Finance to ensure accurate product costing, inventory integrity, and continuous improvement of financial and operational performance. The ideal candidate is a strategic leader with a strong manufacturing accounting background and extensive experience in standard costing and inventory management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the organization's product costing strategy, governance, and standard costing processes.
• Manage annual standard cost updates and periodic forecast cost revisions.
• Validate cost inputs including material, labor, overhead, routings, and bills of material to ensure accurate product costing.
• Analyze manufacturing variances and identify cost drivers to support operational improvements.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to identify and implement cost reduction initiatives.
• Establish and maintain inventory control policies, procedures, and best practices across multiple manufacturing locations.
• Monitor inventory accuracy, valuation, movement, aging, and key inventory performance metrics.
• Lead investigations into inventory discrepancies and implement long‑term corrective actions.
• Drive inventory optimization initiatives to improve inventory turns, reduce obsolete inventory, and enhance working capital performance.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and Operations to align inventory strategies with production schedules and customer demand.
• Develop reporting and performance metrics to support inventory control and cost management initiatives.
• Ensure the integrity of manufacturing master data, including bills of material and routing structures.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related field required.
• 7–10+ years of progressive accounting experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Extensive experience with product costing, standard absorption costing, and inventory control.
• Experience supporting multiple manufacturing facilities with high‑volume inventory transactions.
• Strong analytical, investigative, and problem‑solving skills.
• Proficiency with ERP systems such as JD Edwards or similar manufacturing ERP platforms.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to collaborate across multiple departments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Lean Six Sigma, or other relevant professional certification.
• Experience leading inventory optimization and working capital improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge of manufacturing master data management, including bills of material, routings, and costing structures.