Strategic Cost Accountant - Margin & Inventory Insights

Vaco by Highspring; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring seeks a detail-oriented Cost Accountant to support financial reporting, cost analysis, inventory accounting, and operational decision-making. You will partner closely with manufacturing, operations, supply chain, and finance teams to analyze production costs, improve profitability, and provide actionable insights that drive business performance.

The ideal candidate will have strong analytical skills, experience with inventory and cost accounting, and a passion for process

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 2–5+ years of accounting or cost accounting experience.
• Strong understanding of inventory accounting and cost accounting principles.
• Advanced Excel skills including Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, and data analysis.
• Experience working within an ERP system (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Dynamics, JD Edwards, etc).
• Knowledge of GAAP and financial reporting requirements.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and analyze standard costs, labor costs, and overhead allocations.
• Prepare and review cost accounting reports and variance analyses.
• Monitor inventory transactions and ensure inventory accuracy.
• Analyze material, labor, and manufacturing variances and communicate findings to management.
• Support monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes.
• Prepare journal entries, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Assist with inventory counts and cycle count programs.
• Evaluate product costs, margins, and profitability trends.
• Partner with operations to identify cost-saving opportunities and improve efficiencies.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities.
• Develop and maintain costing models and reporting tools.
• Assist with internal and external audit requests; ensure compliance with company policies, internal controls, and GAAP.

Skills

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Communication

Process improvement

Organization

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

Tools

ERP systems

Power BI

Job description

Vaco by Highspring seeks a detail-oriented Cost Accountant to support financial reporting, cost analysis, inventory accounting, and operational decision-making. You will partner closely with manufacturing, operations, supply chain, and finance teams to analyze production costs, improve profitability, and provide actionable insights that drive business performance.

The ideal candidate will have strong analytical skills, experience with inventory and cost accounting, and a passion for process