Senior Cost Accountant - Hybrid

Vaco by Highspring; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring is seeking a Senior Cost Accountant in Plano, TX, with a strong focus on cost accounting, inventory management, and margin analysis. The role partners with Operations, Finance, and Supply Chain to ensure accurate costing and insightful reporting.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years of cost accounting experience, standard costing proficiency, and advanced Excel skills for financial modeling and month-end close activities.

Qualifications

• Degree in Accounting or Finance required with strong cost accounting background.
• 5+ years in cost accounting or inventory management with month-end close experience.
• Proficient in standard costing, inventory valuation, and cost analysis methodologies.
• Advanced Excel skills including pivot tables and lookups for financial modeling.

Responsibilities

• Maintain standard costs, actual costs, and inventory valuations.
• Prepare cost reports: product margins, variances, and inventory analyses.
• Analyze labor, material, overhead, and production costs for variances.
• Perform monthly inventory reconciliations and investigate discrepancies.
• Support month-end close with journal entries related to inventory and COGS.
• Develop profitability analyses by product, customer, and location.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and drive process improvements.

Skills

Cost analysis

Inventory valuation

Variance analysis

Cost allocation

Month-end close

Advanced Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

Tools

Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Senior Cost Accountant Plano, TX - 3 days in office $90-110k + bonus

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly analytical and detail-oriented Senior Cost Accountant to support financial operations through accurate product costing, inventory accounting, margin analysis, and operational reporting. This role partners closely with Accounting, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing teams to ensure the integrity of inventory and cost accounting processes while providing actionable insights that drive business performance.

The ideal candidate has strong experience with cost accounting methodologies, inventory controls, financial analysis, and month-end close responsibilities in a complex operating environment.

Key Responsibilities

Cost Accounting & Inventory Management

• Maintain and analyze standard costs, actual costs, and inventory valuations.
• Prepare and review cost accounting reports, including product margins, manufacturing variances, and inventory analyses.
• Monitor and analyze labor, material, overhead, freight, and other production costs.
• Evaluate inventory transactions and ensure proper accounting treatment for inventory movements.
• Perform monthly inventory reconciliations and investigate discrepancies.
• Assist in establishing and maintaining standard costing methodologies and cost allocation processes.
• Analyze manufacturing and operational variances, identifying trends and recommending corrective actions.
• Support periodic inventory counts, cycle counts, and physical inventory activities.

Financial Reporting & Month-End Close

• Prepare month-end journal entries related to inventory, cost of sales, reserves, accruals, and manufacturing activities.
• Perform account reconciliations for inventory, work-in-process, fixed assets, and related balance sheet accounts.
• Support monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes.
• Ensure compliance with GAAP and internal accounting policies.
• Assist with external audits and provide supporting documentation as required.

Analysis & Business Partnership

• Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, and Production leadership to analyze cost trends and operational performance.
• Develop profitability analyses by product, customer, business line, and location.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings, process improvements, and operational efficiencies.
• Assist with budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities related to inventory and manufacturing costs.
• Provide ad hoc financial analyses and operational reporting for management.

Process Improvement & Controls

• Evaluate and strengthen inventory controls and cost accounting procedures.
• Support ERP implementations, system enhancements, and process improvement initiatives.
• Develop and maintain reporting tools and dashboards that improve visibility into key operational metrics.
• Assist in documenting accounting processes and maintaining internal control compliance.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance accuracy, efficiency, and reporting capabilities.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience with significant exposure to cost accounting and inventory management.
• Strong understanding of standard costing, inventory valuation, variance analysis, and cost allocation methodologies.
• Experience supporting month-end and year-end close activities.
• Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, and financial modeling.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual's skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's 401(k) retirement plan.

Additional disclaimer:

Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [e-mail] .

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Representation Notice

By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

• the individual's skill sets, experience and training;
• licensure and certification requirements;
• office location and other geographic considerations; and
• other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).