Senior Cost Accountant

Frederick Fox; Ventura (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Frederick Fox is seeking a Senior Cost Accountant to oversee cost and inventory accounting within a manufacturing environment. You will support month-end closes, analyze costs and margins, and ensure GAAP compliance with strong internal controls.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years in manufacturing cost accounting, advanced Excel, and ERP experience. You will mentor junior staff and drive process improvements across finance and operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive cost accounting experience in manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of cost accounting, inventory accounting, and financial reporting.
• Experience leading month-end close processes and preparing journal entries & reconciliations.
• GAAP knowledge and internal controls experience.
• Experience with variance analysis, inventory reconciliations, and gross margin analysis.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and advanced Excel.

Responsibilities

• Oversee cost accounting activities and inventory accounting to ensure accuracy.
• Develop and maintain standard costs for products and manufacturing operations.
• Monitor costs, allocations, and gross margins; perform cost/variance analysis.
• Support revenue recognition and cost allocations per accounting standards.
• Lead month-end and quarter-end close for inventory and manufacturing costing.
• Prepare journal entries, reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Assist audits with documentation and respond to requests.
• Collaborate with finance, operations, and manufacturing teams to improve cost visibility.

Skills

Cost accounting

Inventory accounting

GAAP

Excel

Journal entries

Variance analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance

Tools

ERP systems (Oracle)

Microsoft Excel advanced

Job description

Senior Cost Accountant

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Cost Accountant to oversee cost accounting activities, inventory accounting, revenue recognition support, and financial reporting within a manufacturing environment. This role is responsible for maintaining accurate product costing, supporting month-end and quarter-end close processes, ensuring compliance with accounting standards and internal controls, and providing financial analysis that supports operational decision-making.

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented accounting professional with strong manufacturing cost accounting experience, excellent analytical skills, and the ability to lead process improvements while mentoring junior accounting staff.

Key Responsibilities

Cost Accounting

• Maintain and enhance cost accounting systems and processes to ensure accurate product costing.
• Develop, analyze, and maintain standard costs for products and manufacturing operations.
• Monitor inventory costs, manufacturing expenses, and cost allocations to ensure financial accuracy.
• Prepare and analyze gross margin reports, manufacturing costs, and operational performance metrics.
• Perform cost and variance analysis to identify trends and recommend corrective actions.
• Support revenue recognition and cost allocation processes in accordance with applicable accounting standards.

Financial Reporting & Month-End Close

• Lead month-end and quarter-end close activities related to inventory, cost of sales, and manufacturing accounting.
• Prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Reconcile inventory accounts and investigate discrepancies.
• Maintain accurate financial records in accordance with GAAP and company accounting policies.
• Assist in preparing financial reports and management analysis.

Inventory & Manufacturing Accounting

• Oversee inventory accounting processes, including inventory reconciliations and physical inventory support.
• Participate in inventory audits, cycle counts, and inventory valuation reviews.
• Monitor inventory accuracy and identify opportunities to improve inventory controls.
• Analyze production costs, inventory movement, and manufacturing efficiencies.

Compliance & Internal Controls

• Ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards, internal controls, and financial reporting requirements.
• Support internal and external audits by preparing documentation and responding to audit requests.
• Assist with maintaining compliance related to internal control frameworks and financial reporting.
• Document accounting procedures and recommend improvements to strengthen financial controls.

Leadership & Process Improvement

• Provide guidance, training, and mentorship to junior cost accounting or finance staff.
• Identify opportunities to improve accounting processes, reporting accuracy, and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with finance, operations, engineering, and manufacturing teams to improve cost visibility and financial performance.
• Participate in special projects and system improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive cost accounting experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of cost accounting principles, inventory accounting, and financial reporting.
• Experience leading month-end close processes and preparing journal entries and account reconciliations.
• Strong understanding of GAAP and internal accounting controls.
• Experience performing variance analysis, inventory reconciliations, and gross margin analysis.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem‑solving abilities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred

• Experience within aerospace, defense, government contracting, industrial manufacturing, or other highly regulated industries.
• Knowledge of government cost accounting standards and regulatory compliance.
• Experience with Oracle or similar enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
• Experience supervising or mentoring accounting staff.
• Familiarity with internal control frameworks and SOX compliance.