Senior Cost Analyst

PeopleSuite Talent Solutions; Princeton (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

PeopleSuite Talent Solutions is seeking a Senior Cost Analyst to support financial performance, cost accounting, and operational efficiency in a manufacturing environment. You will analyze manufacturing costs, identify financial trends, and provide insights to plant and business leadership.

The role partners with Operations, Finance, and plant leadership to support budgeting, forecasting, standard costing, variance analysis, and capital investment decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred.
• 5–8+ years of progressive cost accounting, financial analysis, or manufacturing finance experience.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and analyze standard costing systems and annual cost rolls.
• Perform manufacturing variance analysis across material, labor, overhead, and production.
• Analyze costs, inventory valuation, and production efficiency for cost reduction.
• Prepare weekly and monthly financial reports with cost trend analyses.
• Identify financial risks and opportunities to improve profitability and efficiency.
• Partner with plant leadership to evaluate performance and implement corrective actions.

Skills

Excel modeling

Financial analysis

Manufacturing costs

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Process automation

ERP systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

CPA/CMA/MBA preferred

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Scope of Position

Our client is seeking an experienced

Scope of Position

Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Analyst to support financial performance, cost accounting, and operational efficiency within a manufacturing environment. This position plays a key role in analyzing manufacturing costs, identifying financial trends, improving profitability, and providing financial insights to plant and business leadership.

The Senior Cost Analyst will partner with Operations, Finance, and plant leadership to support budgeting, forecasting, standard costing, variance analysis, and capital investment decisions. This role requires strong analytical capabilities, manufacturing finance experience, and the ability to translate financial data into actionable recommendations that drive cost savings and operational improvements.

Responsibilities

Cost Accounting & Financial Analysis

• Maintain and analyze standard costing systems, including annual cost rolls, product costing, and manufacturing cost structures.
• Perform detailed manufacturing variance analysis, including material, labor, overhead, and production variances.
• Analyze manufacturing costs, inventory valuation, production efficiencies, and operational performance to identify cost reduction opportunities.
• Prepare weekly and monthly financial reports, providing analysis of cost trends, financial performance, and key operational metrics.
• Identify financial risks, cost fluctuations, and opportunities to improve profitability and operational efficiency.
• Partner with plant leadership to evaluate manufacturing performance and recommend corrective actions.

Financial Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting

• Support the Annual Operating Plan (AOP), budgeting, and periodic forecasting processes.
• Collaborate with the Plant Controller and operational leaders to develop financial projections and monitor performance against established budgets.
• Analyze budget-to-actual variances and provide explanations of financial results.
• Develop financial models and reporting tools to support business planning and operational decision-making.
• Provide financial insights and recommendations to support cost management, productivity improvements, and profitability initiatives.

Manufacturing Operations & Business Partnership

• Serve as a financial resource to plant management, Operations, Engineering, and other functional departments.
• Support Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives by identifying opportunities to reduce costs, eliminate waste, and improve productivity.
• Analyze production performance, resource utilization, and manufacturing efficiencies to support operational improvements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to evaluate financial performance and implement cost-saving initiatives.
• Present financial findings and recommendations to plant and senior management.

Month-End Close & Financial Reporting

• Support month-end closing activities, including journal entries, account reconciliations, cost analysis, and plant financial reporting.
• Ensure accurate recording and reporting of manufacturing costs, inventory, and operational expenses.
• Investigate financial discrepancies and resolve accounting or costing issues.
• Assist with internal and external audits, inventory reconciliations, and physical inventory activities.
• Maintain financial reporting accuracy and compliance with established accounting policies and procedures.

Capital Expenditures & Investment Analysis

• Support capital expenditure requests (CERs), project financial analysis, and investment evaluations.
• Perform return on investment (ROI), cost-benefit, and financial feasibility analyses for proposed capital projects.
• Partner with Engineering, Operations, and Capital Project Management to monitor project spending and financial performance.
• Track capital expenditures against approved budgets and provide financial updates to management.

Compliance, Internal Controls & Process Improvement

• Support compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), FICAP standards, and company financial policies.
• Assist with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance, including internal control documentation, testing, and remediation activities.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen financial controls and improve accounting processes.
• Develop and implement reporting improvements, automation tools, and process efficiencies.
• Support special financial projects and cross-functional initiatives as assigned.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
• CPA, CMA, or MBA preferred.

Experience

• 5–8+ years of progressive experience in cost accounting, financial analysis, or manufacturing finance.
• Experience in a manufacturing or plant-based environment strongly preferred.
• Experience with standard costing, manufacturing variance analysis, inventory accounting, and cost management.
• Knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and month-end closing processes.
• Experience supporting capital expenditure analysis, ROI evaluations, and cost reduction initiatives.
• Working knowledge of GAAP, internal controls, and SOX compliance.

Skills & Competencies

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including financial modeling, data analysis, and reporting.
• Ability to analyze complex financial information and identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Understanding of manufacturing operations, production costs, inventory management, and operational performance metrics.
• Ability to communicate financial results and recommendations to plant leadership and senior management.
• Experience collaborating with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Finance teams.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet reporting deadlines.
• Ability to identify process improvement opportunities and support financial reporting automation.
• Experience with ERP systems and manufacturing cost accounting applications preferred.