Strategic Cost & Inventory Accountant

Quaker Houghton; Conshohocken, Northern (Montgomery County, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Quaker Houghton North America seeks a Senior Cost Accountant to lead standard costing, cost and inventory accounting, and variance management within a regional/global team. The role partners with finance, procurement and operations to drive accurate product costing and reporting.

You will perform monthly variance analyses, inventory valuation, journal entries, and support audits, while promoting continuous improvement, automation, and adherence to global standards across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field.
• CPA or equivalent a plus.
• 5-7 years finance experience, with minimum of 2 years in manufacturing sectors.
• Experience with cost & inventory accounting.
• Ability to professionally communicate with all levels of the organization.
• Attention to detail and proven organizational skills.
• Ability to solve problems and work in an autonomous manner.
• Intermediate to advanced MS Excel skills.
• Interest and proficiency with using technology, including ERP, business intelligence, reporting, and AI tools.
• Motivated by continuous learning and growth, with a mindset that challenges the status quo.

Responsibilities

• Work with the Americas Cost Accounting Manager to assist in and drive improving the Cost Accounting processes.
• Perform daily operations of the local/regional and global (central) Cost & Inventory Accounting, from standard cost setting to monthly variance analyses and reporting, month-end activities, inventory valuation, and cost reporting.
• Adhere to the annual and monthly standard costing process for calculation, review, and update of standard costs.
• Adhere to global Cost & Inventory Accounting policies and procedures to establish a consistent approach for Cost & Inventory Accounting processes.
• Communicate with finance and supply chain stakeholders for raw material prices, landed cost data, production (master) data and questions related to cost variances and cost reporting.
• Handle costing issues that need resolution in an independent manner
• Reporting of product costs, cost variances and inventory valuation per SOX control and business control requirements
• Analyze and prepare monthly cost variance reporting for the analysis of purchase price and manufacturing variances.
• Prepare journal entries.
• Perform month-end and year-end cost & inventory accounting activities, including ensuring financial accuracy of postings and COGS object accounts and performing necessary account reconciliations.
• Support both internal and external audit teams by providing requested documents and approvals.
• Follow and communicate policies and procedures to establish a consistent approach across the organization for cost and inventory accounting processes.
• Provide support for transformation activities for the improvement of Cost & Inventory Accounting processes.
• Adhere to a culture of continuous improvement, automation, digitization, adherence, and proactively propose enhancement to Global Standards.
• Ensure application of the global process, governed by a set of clearly defined controls.
• Act as point of contact for operational Cost & Inventory Accounting for other finance and business stakeholders.

Skills

Finance experience

Manufacturing experience

Communication

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Excel skills

ERP/BI/AI tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance

Tools

ERP systems

Business intelligence tools

Reporting tools

AI tools

Job description

Quaker Houghton North America seeks a Senior Cost Accountant to lead standard costing, cost and inventory accounting, and variance management within a regional/global team. The role partners with finance, procurement and operations to drive accurate product costing and reporting.

You will perform monthly variance analyses, inventory valuation, journal entries, and support audits, while promoting continuous improvement, automation, and adherence to global standards across the organization.