Division Accounting Manager

Selby Jennings; Nebraska; On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance bonus

20 days PTO

Relocation assistance

Career advancement opportunities

Job summary

Selby Jennings is seeking a Division Accounting Manager to lead cost accounting and operational finance for a large multi-site manufacturing business. You will partner with plant and operations leadership to drive financial performance, budgeting, and strategic initiatives.

The role emphasizes standard costing, BOM integrity, variances analysis, and internal controls, with broad visibility across the organization and a focus on continuous improvement and cost reduction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• Progressive accounting and finance experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong cost accounting and inventory accounting expertise.
• Experience with forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, and financial planning.
• Knowledge of manufacturing operations, standard costing, and operational finance.
• Experience leading or mentoring accounting and finance professionals.
• Strong analytical, communication, and business partnering skills.
• ERP experience required.

Responsibilities

• Lead cost accounting for a complex manufacturing environment.
• Oversee standard costing, annual cost roll processes, burden allocations, and overhead rate calculations.
• Maintain BOM and routing integrity to ensure accurate product costing.
• Analyze variances, including labor efficiency, material usage, purchase price variances, and overhead absorption.
• Partner with operations leadership to identify drivers of financial performance and implement corrective actions.
• Manage inventory accounting processes including raw materials, WIP, and finished goods.
• Oversee physical inventory programs, cycle counts, inventory reconciliations, and reporting.
• Monitor inventory reserves, slow-moving inventory, and turnover metrics.
• Ensure strong internal controls surrounding inventory and manufacturing accounting activities.
• Support annual budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning activities.
• Provide operational and financial analysis to support strategic decision-making.
• Develop driver-based models and scenario analyses to support business initiatives.
• Partner with leadership on profitability analysis, productivity initiatives, and cost reduction efforts.
• Assist with capital investment evaluations and ROI analysis.
• Act as a key finance partner to plant and operations leadership teams.
• Translate operational activities into financial impact and actionable recommendations.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives and operational efficiency projects.
• Participate in cross-functional initiatives with production, supply chain, engineering, procurement, and leadership teams.
• Utilize ERP and reporting systems to enhance visibility into financial and operational performance.
• Drive improvements in reporting accuracy, automation, and process efficiency.
• Support finance transformation initiatives and process standardization efforts.
• Promote data integrity and best practices across finance and operational reporting.
• Supervise and develop finance and accounting personnel.
• Establish performance expectations and provide coaching and mentoring.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Build strong relationships across finance, operations, and executive leadership teams.

Skills

Cost accounting

Inventory accounting

Variance analysis

Financial planning

ERP experience

Leadership/mentoring

Business partnering

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

Job description

Position Overview

A global manufacturing organization is seeking a Division Accounting Manager to lead cost accounting and operational finance activities for a large, multi-site manufacturing business. Reporting directly to the Division Controller, this role will serve as a critical business partner to manufacturing and operations leadership, supporting financial planning, cost management, inventory controls, operational performance analysis, and strategic decision-making.

This position offers significant visibility across the organization and is ideal for a finance leader who enjoys working closely with operations while driving financial performance, process improvements, and long-term business growth.

Key Responsibilities

Cost Accounting & Manufacturing Finance

• Lead all aspects of cost accounting for a complex manufacturing environment.
• Oversee standard costing, annual cost roll processes, burden allocations, and overhead rate calculations.
• Maintain bill of materials (BOM) and routing integrity to ensure accurate product costing.
• Analyze manufacturing variances, including labor efficiency, material usage, purchase price variances, and overhead absorption.
• Partner with operations leadership to identify drivers of financial performance and implement corrective actions.

Inventory Accounting & Controls

• Manage inventory accounting processes, including raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods.
• Oversee physical inventory programs, cycle counts, inventory reconciliations, and reporting.
• Monitor inventory reserves, slow-moving inventory, and inventory turnover metrics.
• Ensure strong internal controls surrounding inventory and manufacturing accounting activities.
• Support annual budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning activities.
• Provide operational and financial analysis to support strategic decision-making.
• Develop driver-based models and scenario analyses to support business initiatives.
• Partner with leadership on profitability analysis, productivity initiatives, and cost reduction efforts.
• Assist with capital investment evaluations and return-on-investment analysis.

Operations Business Partnership

• Act as a key finance partner to plant and operations leadership teams.
• Translate operational activities into financial impact and actionable recommendations.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives and operational efficiency projects.
• Participate in cross-functional initiatives involving production, supply chain, engineering, procurement, and leadership teams.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Utilize ERP and reporting systems to enhance visibility into financial and operational performance.
• Drive improvements in reporting accuracy, automation, and process efficiency.
• Support finance transformation initiatives and process standardization efforts.
• Promote data integrity and best practices across finance and operational reporting.

Leadership & Team Development

• Supervise and develop finance and accounting personnel.
• Establish performance expectations and provide coaching and mentoring.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Build strong relationships across finance, operations, and executive leadership teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• Progressive accounting and finance experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong cost accounting and inventory accounting expertise.
• Experience with forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, and financial planning.
• Knowledge of manufacturing operations, standard costing, and operational finance.
• Experience leading or mentoring accounting and finance professionals.
• Strong analytical, communication, and business partnering skills.
• ERP experience required.

Preferred Background

• Manufacturing industry experience strongly preferred.
• Exposure to inventory-intensive operations and multi-site manufacturing organizations.
• Proven ability to partner with operations leaders and influence business decisions.
• Interest in long-term leadership growth opportunities.
• Annual performance bonus opportunity.
• 20 days of PTO.
• Full relocation assistance available, including moving and relocation-related support.
• Strong internal advancement opportunities and long-term career growth potential.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This role offers the opportunity to become a key financial leader within a large manufacturing operation generating hundreds of millions in annual revenue. The position combines hands-on cost accounting expertise with strategic business partnership responsibilities, giving the right individual exposure to both operational and executive leadership. For candidates interested in manufacturing finance leadership and future Controller-level opportunities, this position provides a highly visible platform for long-term career progression.