Senior Manager, Cost Accounting

West Pharmaceutical Services; Exton (PA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Community Involvement

Continuous Learning & Development

Recognition & Rewards

Job summary

West Pharmaceutical Services in Exton, PA, is seeking a Senior Manager, Cost Accounting to define and lead West's global product costing governance and the annual standard costing process across all manufacturing operations.

This role serves as the global subject matter expert for product costing and inventory accounting, guiding SAP S/4HANA deployments and coordinating with Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering and IT to ensure accurate valuation and strong controls.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of accounting experience with at least 3 years in a management position.
• Strong knowledge of US GAAP and SOX requirements.
• Experience with SAP S/4HANA implementations is a plus.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the global standard costing function, including annual standard cost calculation and release, new product costing, and ongoing cost maintenance.
• Establish, maintain, and govern global product costing methodologies, procedures, and documentation to ensure consistency across all manufacturing locations.
• Serve as the global finance lead for SAP S/4HANA implementations and other ERP transformation initiatives from inventory accounting perspective.
• Manage and develop a team of Senior Cost Accountants supporting various manufacturing operations, providing leadership and performance management.
• Collaborate with regional Cost Accounting teams to align with global costing standards and policy updates.
• Drive continuous improvement through automation, Power BI reporting, and process standardization.

Skills

Leadership

Cost accounting

SAP S/4HANA

Analytics

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Accounting/Finance

ACCA/CPA/CIMA

Tools

SAP ERP

Microsoft Office

Power BI

Job description

Description

This is a hybrid position requiring the team member to be onsite a minimum of 3 days per week. No relocation is provided for this opportunity.

At West, we’re a dedicated team that is connected by a purpose to improve patient lives that has been at the center of our Company for more than a century. Our story began when Herman O. West solved the problem of supplying penicillin in mass quantities to the US Government during World war 2. Through our work to deliver thousands of life‑saving and life‑enhancing injectable medicines to millions of patients daily, West’s indelible mark on the healthcare industry has just begun. A name started our story. How will yours help write our future?

Job Summary

The Senior Manager, Cost Accounting is responsible for defining and leading West's global product costing governance and annual standard costing process across all manufacturing operations. This role serves as the global subject matter expert for product costing and inventory accounting, leading related finance transformation initiatives including SAP S/4HANA deployments, while managing the European Cost Accounting team and partnering with Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and IT leaders to ensure accurate inventory valuation, standardized costing practices, and strong financial controls.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Lead the global standard costing function, including annual standard cost calculation and release, new product costing, and ongoing cost maintenance activities.
• Establish, maintain, and govern global product costing methodologies, procedures, and documentation to ensure consistency across all manufacturing locations.
• Serve as the global finance lead for SAP S/4HANA implementations and other ERP transformation initiatives from inventory accounting perspective.
• Manage and develop a team of Senior Cost Accountants supporting various manufacturing operations, providing leadership, coaching, performance management, and talent development.
• Partner with regional Cost Accounting teams in APAC, South America, and North America to ensure alignment with global costing standards, processes, and policy updates.
• Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Master Data teams to ensure the accuracy of planning inputs, bills of materials, routings, purchasing information records, and other costing master data.
• Lead the review and validation of manufacturing overhead rates, indirect activity allocations, project costing rates, freight allocations, additives, and SG&A capitalization methodologies.
• Ensure compliance with US GAAP, SOX requirements, inventory accounting policies, and internal control standards, while supporting internal and external audit activities.
• Drive continuous improvement through the implementation of automation, SAP capabilities, Power BI reporting, and process standardization initiatives across the global costing organization.
• Provide inventory and manufacturing cost analysis to senior leadership, including insights on inventory valuation, cost trends, variances, reserves, and operational performance.
• Act as the global subject matter expert and escalation point for complex product costing, inventory accounting, and manufacturing finance matters while supporting enterprise-wide finance transformation and operational excellence initiatives.
• Support and assist other functions within the business as required.

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Business with concentration in Accounting/Finance or equivalent experience

Work Experience

• Minimum 8 years of accounting experience with at least 3 years in a management position

Preferred Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• In depth knowledge about the local tax laws and other statutory laws. Knowledge of SEZ is an added advantage.
• Proficiency in use of SAP ERP system and Microsoft office.
• Being a lean organization, ability to plan and work independently and manage multiple tasks to meet the tight deadlines.
• Ability to understand the business drivers and the underlying non-financial information that drivers the financials of the company.
• Excellent communication and people skills.
• Detail-oriented, highly analytical and has a strategic and commercial mindset.
• Strong leadership and organizational skills.

License and Certifications

• Professional Accounting Qualification such as ACCA, CA, CIMA, CMA or CPA

Travel Requirements

10%: Up to 26 business days per year

What We Offer

This is a hybrid position requiring the team member to be onsite a minimum of 3 days per week.

• Community Involvement: West encourages volunteerism through its West without Borders initiative and other charitable programs that make a difference in local communities.
• Continuous Learning & Development: Opportunities for professional growth through training programs, tuition assistance, leadership development, and skill-certification initiatives.
• Recognition & Rewards: Performance-based bonuses, service recognition, and employee appreciation initiatives celebrate dedication and impact.

Pay Transparency (Ireland Only)

The annual base salary range for this position is €107,184.00 - €136,416.00. Total target compensation is determined using objective and gender-neutral criteria, including relevant experience, qualifications, skills, market benchmarks, geographic location, and the scope and responsibilities of the role.

This position may be eligible for variable compensation and other incentive programs in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans within the country of employment. In addition, team members are eligible to participate in the company’s benefits and total rewards programs applicable to their location and employment status.

West embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We foster an environment where all individuals are safe, treated fairly, valued and respected. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Where permitted by law, employment with West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. or any of its subsidiary or affiliate companies, is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of post-offer background screening.