Lead Accountant

The HT Group; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 105,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The HT Group partnered with a growing Vernon, CA manufacturing organization to hire a hands-on Senior Accountant who will own key accounting functions and strengthen financial processes, reporting, and internal controls.

The role blends general accounting (about 70%) with manufacturing cost accounting (about 30%), offering exposure to the CFO and the opportunity to advance to Accounting Manager or Controller as the company scales.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience including manufacturing cost accounting.
• Hands-on manufacturing cost accounting experience with standard costing, inventory, and variance analysis.
• Experience managing month-end close, GL reconciliations, and AP/AR.
• Experience in a smaller company or lean environment with broad accounting responsibilities.
• Strong U.S. GAAP knowledge and financial reporting.
• Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables and lookups.

Responsibilities

• Own the month-end close process with journal entries and reconciliations.
• Oversee general ledger accounting and revenue/expense recognition.
• Review AP/AR activities, invoicing, payments, and collections.
• Maintain and analyze manufacturing standard costs and variances.
• Prepare cost and variance analyses for production.
• Reconcile inventory to the GL and support physical counts.
• Collaborate with operations to improve cost visibility.
• Develop accounting procedures and internal controls.
• Support audits, tax preparation, and compliance activities.
• Provide guidance to accounting staff and senior leadership.

Skills

U.S. GAAP

Advanced Excel

Month-end close

Cost accounting

Inventory accounting

Variance analysis

Financial reporting

Communication skills

Independent worker

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

CPA (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics 365

Job description

Lead Accountant - Manufacturing & Cost Accounting

Location: Vernon, CA

Compensation: $105,000-$130,000 Base Salary (DOE) plus 10-15% bonus

Work Arrangement: 100% On-Site

Employment Type: Full-Time

Industry: Manufacturing

Reports To: Chief Financial Officer

The HT Group has partnered with a growing manufacturing organization in the search for a hands-on Senior Accountant to take ownership of key accounting functions and help strengthen financial processes, reporting, and internal controls. This position offers a unique blend of general accounting (approximately 70%) and manufacturing cost accounting (approximately 30%), with direct exposure to the CFO and the opportunity to play an important role in building a more scalable accounting function. The ideal candidate has experience working within a smaller organization or lean accounting team, enjoys taking ownership of a broad range of responsibilities, and is comfortable developing processes rather than simply maintaining established procedures. This role offers meaningful long-term growth potential, with the opportunity to advance into an Accounting Manager or Controller position as the organization expands.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the month-end close process, including journal entries, account reconciliations, supporting schedules, and financial reporting.
• Oversee general ledger accounting and ensure accurate revenue and expense recognition.
• Review accounts payable and accounts receivable activities, including invoice accuracy, payment approvals, collections, and account reconciliations.
• Maintain and analyze manufacturing standard costs, including material, labor, and overhead components.
• Prepare manufacturing cost and variance analyses, including purchase price and production variances.
• Reconcile inventory balances to the general ledger, investigate discrepancies, and support physical inventory and cycle counts.
• Partner with operations and manufacturing personnel to understand cost drivers and improve financial visibility.
• Develop and enhance accounting procedures, internal controls, and reporting processes.
• Support external audits, tax preparation, and other compliance-related activities.
• Provide guidance and oversight to accounting support personnel.
• Prepare ad hoc financial analyses and reporting for executive leadership.
• Assist with trade spend accounting, customer deductions, and related reconciliations as responsibilities expand.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, including both general accounting and manufacturing cost accounting.
• Hands-on manufacturing cost accounting experience required, including standard costing, inventory accounting, and variance analysis.
• Experience managing month-end close, general ledger reconciliations, and AP/AR processes.
• Background working within a smaller company or lean accounting environment with broad accounting responsibilities.
• Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP and financial reporting principles.
• Experience reviewing AP controls, including three-way matching.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, and reconciliation analysis.
• Ability to work independently, identify issues, and improve accounting processes with limited oversight.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA designation or actively pursuing CPA certification.
• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or a comparable ERP system.
• Consumer packaged goods (CPG), food and beverage, or related manufacturing industry experience.
• Exposure to trade spend accounting, customer deductions, or deduction management.
• Experience building accounting processes and controls within a growing organization.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is an excellent opportunity for an accounting professional who wants to move beyond a traditional Senior Accountant position and take on broader ownership of an accounting function. The successful candidate will work closely with senior financial leadership, gain exposure to both operational and financial accounting, and play a key role in improving processes and controls. For someone interested in advancing toward an Accounting Manager or Controller role, this position offers the opportunity to develop the technical, operational, and leadership experience needed for that next step.