Senior Cost Accountant

Kinder's; Walnut Creek (CA); On-site; USD 105,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Kinder’s in Walnut Creek, CA is seeking a Senior Cost Accountant to own the costing for co-manufactured products, perform standard cost updates, and contribute to financial reporting. You’ll drive cost insights, support audits, and partner with Finance, Operations, Procurement, and external teams to ensure accurate costing.

The role requires strong cost accounting expertise, the ability to navigate ambiguity, and the drive to build scalable processes in a fast-growing CPG environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field.
• 3–5+ years cost accounting experience in CPG/food production.
• Experience with cost analysis, standard costing, and co-manufacturer invoicing.
• Familiarity with SAP or similar ERP systems.
• Strong Excel and data analysis skills.
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities.

Responsibilities

• Execute standard cost updates for co-manufactured SKUs with accuracy and timeliness.
• Coordinate inputs with Procurement, Operations, and co-manufacturers.
• Prepare costing schedules, tie-outs, and audit-ready documentation.
• Analyze variances and identify key cost drivers.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and scenario analysis.
• Maintain SAP costing accuracy and data integrity.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to improve cost visibility and processes.

Skills

Cost accounting

Analytical skills

Communication

Collaboration

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance

Tools

Excel

SAP

ERP systems

Job description

What’s it like to work at Kinder’s? Well, there’s a lot of snacking and geeking out over what we all cooked over the weekend. Beyond that, there’s also plenty of hard work. Because we don’t just like flavor, we’re obsessed with it.

With over 100 products sold nationwide, we’re now a top-five brand in multiple flavor categories at Costco, Walmart, Whole Foods, and more. We’re not your typical CPG company. Privately held and founder-led, we like to think of ourselves as a pirate ship in a sea of cruise ships . Our crew is adventurous and fearless. We chart our own course and chase big ideas to make food unforgettable.

As we expand globally and approach $1 billion in revenue, we need more smart-and-scrappy, flavor-obsessed people to come aboard. If you’re looking for a place where you can see the real impact of your work... this is it! Every day, you’ll be part of a journey to add flavor to millions of meals and lives.

About The Role

We are seeking a Senior Cost Accountant to support the accurate and timely costing of co-manufactured products. This role is responsible for executing standard cost updates, assisting in co-manufacturer cost audits, and contributing to financial reporting and cross-functional planning efforts.

While this position requires strong cost accounting skills, it also demands more than technical proficiency. The ideal candidate is someone who understands cost drivers, can identify material changes or trends, and thrives in environments where not all inputs are finalized. This role requires the ability to assess cost sensitivities, flag risks, and make recommendations that help inform financial and operational decisions — even in the face of ambiguity.

This is a high-visibility, high-impact role well suited for someone looking to deepen their cost accounting expertise - in a fast growing CPG company - and grow into broader ownership within a dynamic and rapidly scaling company.

This is also a highly impactful role for someone who wants to own meaningful financial processes and contribute to a fast-growing business. It is also a role that requires comfort with ambiguity and proactive problem-solving. You’ll thrive in this role if:

• You enjoy solving problems in fast-moving, sometimes ambiguous environments
• You’re comfortable working with incomplete information and can build credible estimates based on what’s known today while flagging what might change tomorrow
• You bring strong technical fundamentals in cost accounting and have the mental agility to go beyond inputs and think in terms of cost drivers, sensitivities, and decision impact
• You can collaborate cross-functionally with clarity, patience, and influence, whether it’s with finance, procurement, operations, or external partners
• You’re energized by owning your work, building scalable processes, and improving things as you go

This is not the right role for someone who needs all inputs finalized before moving forward or who prefers highly structured environments with little ambiguity. Kinder’s moves fast. Some cost inputs won’t be perfect. But your ability to create clarity, offer insight, and take ownership is exactly what will make you successful - and satisfied - here.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Standard Cost Execution & Ongoing Maintenance

• Execute standard cost updates for co-manufactured SKUs, ensuring calculations are accurate, timely, and well-documented
• Use BOMs and recipes to calculate cost per unit, incorporating raw materials, packaging, tolling and processing fees, and warehousing or logistics components
• Coordinate with Procurement, Operations, and internal and external Co-Manufacturing teams to collect inputs, validate changes, and prepare updates for manager review and approval
• Maintain organized costing support files and documentation to enable traceability and audit readiness

Inventory Costing Support & Audit Preparation

• Support accurate inventory valuation at Kinder’s 3PL warehouses by preparing costing schedules, tie-outs, and supporting analyses
• Assist in internal and external inventory audits by compiling documentation, reconciling variances, and supporting audit requests
• Identify inventory costing issues and elevate exceptions and risks to the Cost Accounting Manager with clear supporting detail

Cost Analysis, Variance Reporting & Driver Identification

• Perform product-level variance analysis and investigate key cost drivers, including material changes and co-manufacturing performance impacts
• Support pricing and promotional decisions by providing accurate cost data
• Assist with gross margin and product-level profitability reporting
• Summarize findings clearly, including drivers, trends, and recommended follow-ups for review with the Cost Accounting Manager and FP&A

Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting Support

• Support COGS assumptions for annual budgets and rolling forecasts by compiling input changes and analyzing trend impacts
• Track key input costs (materials, packaging, tolling, freight) and surface meaningful changes that could impact margin performance
• Assist with cost sensitivity analysis and scenario support as requested to inform planning and decision-making
• Support ongoing co-manufacturer cost monitoring by preparing invoice reviews, tie-outs, and reconciliation schedules
• Assist in identifying discrepancies, documenting exceptions, and tracking open items to resolution
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to ensure cost issues are communicated clearly and addressed efficiently

Audit & Compliance Testing Support

• Perform compliance testing of co-manufacturer charges and ingredient pass-throughs, including reasonableness checks and contract-based validations
• Document results, exceptions, and follow-up requirements in a structured and audit-ready format
• Escalate anomalies and recurring issues to the Cost Accounting Manager with supporting evidence and recommendations

Month-End Close Support Activities

• Prepare close support schedules, journal entry support, and reconciliations related to COGS and inventory costing under manager direction
• Assist with monthly variance explanations by preparing detail and analysis to support reporting narratives
• Ensure deliverables are complete, accurate, and delivered on schedule to support the broader close process

SAP Costing Execution & Data Integrity Support

• Maintain costing accuracy in SAP through disciplined execution of updates, validation checks, and error resolution support
• Support product costing, BOM maintenance processes, and inventory transaction reviews to ensure costing outputs remain reliable
• Identify recurring data integrity issues and propose improvements to reduce manual rework and improve consistency

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Continuous Improvement Support

• Work closely with Finance, Operations, Procurement, and external co-mans to ensure alignment on cost inputs and impacts
• Contribute to initiatives that improve cost visibility, reporting reliability, and execution efficiency
• Build credibility through responsive communication, high-quality analysis, and strong ownership of deliverables

Skills & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or related field
• 3–5+ years of cost accounting experience, preferably in a CPG or food production environment
• Experience supporting cost analysis, standard costing, and co-manufacturer invoice reviews
• Familiarity with SAP or similar ERP systems (product costing, BOMs, inventory transactions)
• Strong Excel and data analysis skills
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and solve problems in fast-paced environments

Pay Transparency:

The expected starting salary range for this role is $105,000- $115,000 per year. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range based on the location of the role. The amount a particular employee will earn within the salary range will be based on factors such as relevant education, qualifications, performance and business needs.

SEASONED FOR SUCCESS:

• No two days here are the same.
• We try to be good team members and good communicators, but we don’t live by hierarchy and structure – everyone is a difference maker here.
• We make a lot of decisions in the face of incomplete information – our team embraces ambiguity and tries to make good decisions fast rather than great decisions slow.
• We believe our job is to take smart risk, not to eliminate risk.
• We believe in growing our skills and becoming a better company with more managerial expertise, but we are an entrepreneurial company at heart.
• We aren’t trying to be average – we want to do exceptional things, and we are willing to work hard to achieve them.

BENEFITS THAT BRING MORE TO THE TABLE:

We offer a range of total rewards that may include paid time off, 401k, bonus / incentive eligibility, equity grants, competitive health benefits, and other family-friendly benefits, including parental leave. Kinder’s benefits vary based on eligibility and can be reviewed in more detail during the interview process.

OUR RECIPE FOR BALANCE:

We believe great culture starts with people. We’re a people-first company built on connection, collaboration, and balance. Most of our work happens in the office to spark creativity and community, but we also offer flexibility so team members have the autonomy to work outside the office when needed to support their work-life balance and personal commitments.

WHERE EVERY INGREDIENT MATTERS:

Kinder's is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, citizenship, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, veteran status, as well as any other legally-protected characteristic. If you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law, and you need any accommodation during the application process or to perform these job requirements, please reach out to us at [e-mail]