Senior Cost Accountant

LHH; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services company in Houston is seeking a Senior Cost Accountant. This role involves analyzing financial information related to expenses, optimizing budgets and forecasts, and collaborating with various departments to enhance cost efficiency. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of cost accounting experience and a strong grasp of accounting principles, specifically GAAP. This full-time position offers opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of cost accounting experience.
• Strong knowledge of accounting theory and GAAP.
• Efficient with large data sets and analytical outputs.

Responsibilities

• Deliver excellence in financial reporting and month-end journal entries.
• Lead timely submission of audit requests for inventory testing.
• Analyze inventory turns and improve supply chain context.

Skills

Financial reporting

Cost analysis

Communication

Data analytics

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting

Tools

Power BI

Excel

Job description

This range is provided by LHH. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Overview

The Senior Cost Accountant will collect and analyze complex financial information related to the organization’s expenses, seeking ways to improve the accuracy of budgets and forecasts and to decrease the cost of departments and projects. This position reports to the Director of Finance & Analysis.

Responsibilities

• Deliver excellence in financial reporting — preparation and review of month-end journal entries.


• Review inventory-related reconciliations in Blackline.


• Conduct periodic inventory variance analyses with a strong understanding of inputs and drivers.


• Ensure completion of inventory and manufacturing controls.


• Lead timely submission of audit requests for inventory testing.


• Own and coordinate execution of cost rolls with clear communications to the business.


• Perform detailed cost analysis and develop standard operating review processes.


• Evaluate labor and overhead rates for multiple manufacturing/DC sites as set in the ERP system; propose adjustments to reflect true product cost and profitability.


• Review Bill of Materials, Routers, Overhead Rates, throughput rates, and purchased raw material prices.


• Prepare product costing and profitability analysis.


• Inventory: Use data, analytics, and business knowledge to support a healthy inventory level for the business.


• Analyze inventory turns by product and identify opportunities to improve within each product's supply chain context.


• Lead physical inventory counts, review, and analysis.


• Reporting and analytics: Understand and explain manufacturing variances in the monthly P&L; guide operational changes as needed to rectify variances.


• Develop and standardize automated labor utilization/efficiency/productivity metrics and collaborate with sites to drive targeted outcomes.


• Monitor variable costs that do not exceed volume trends.


• Provide ad-hoc financial reporting and analysis as needed by management.


• Finance support: Develop KPIs and a dashboard to help manufacturing and non-financial leaders understand significant cost trends.


• Partner with supply chain to manage commodity cost tracking and monitor financial impacts.


• Support inbound and outbound freight analysis and forecast models.


• Enhance and maintain internal capex tracking and forecast.

Personal Characteristics

• Desire to drive collaboration and partnership between multiple departments and sites to develop solutions and improvements.


• Strong communication skills and ability to interact with all levels of the organization.


• Innovative and creative approach to problem-solving with a curious mindset that thinks beyond the stated topic or task, and uses analytical skills to fully understand all relevant factors—providing clarity for business decisions.


• Strong work ethic with the ability to adapt quickly in a growing and changing environment.


• Ability to work independently with minimal direct supervision and willingness to engage across the organization to drive progress and communication.

Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; degree in Finance or Accounting preferred.


• 5+ years of cost accounting experience.


• Strong knowledge of accounting theory, cost accounting concepts, and GAAP.


• Efficient with large data sets and analytical outputs.


• Advanced skills in Power BI and Excel are a plus.

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Accounting/Auditing

Industries

• Accounting and Manufacturing