Strategic Cost & Inventory Leader

Dotson; York, Northern (SC, KY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation package

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

401k with employer match

Job summary

MPS is seeking a detail-driven Cost & Inventory Manager to lead costing, inventory control, and working capital performance across the organization. This role partners with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, Accounting, and Finance leadership to embed disciplined costing practices into daily operations.

The position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or related field, 7-10+ years in manufacturing accounting, and strong expertise in costing, inventory control, and ERP

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics or related field.
• CMA, CPIM, CSCP, Lean Six Sigma or relevant certification preferred
• 7-10+ years of progressive manufacturing accounting experience
• Demonstrated expertise in costing and inventory control
• Strong business systems, investigative, and problem-solving skills
• Experience leading multiple sites with high-volume transactions
• Strong knowledge of standard absorption-based costing
• JD Edwards or similar ERP familiarity

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture and governance of product costing systems, ensuring alignment between operational processes and financial valuation.
• Lead annual standard cost updates and periodic forecast cost processes, ensuring current and projected manufacturing costs are accurately reflected in planning, forecasting, and business decision-making.
• Establish validation processes for cost inputs including material, labor, burden, and routing structures.
• Provide structured visibility into manufacturing variances and cost drivers through standardized analytical frameworks.
• Identify targeted cost improvement opportunities and lead cost reduction initiatives aligned with operational and financial objectives.
• Establish governance over bills of material, routings, and manufacturing master data to ensure cost integrity.
• Design and maintain a comprehensive inventory control framework that integrates transactional controls, reconciliation processes, and robust monitoring systems.
• Establish and enforce inventory control policies, procedures, and accountability structures across the organization.
• Govern inventory accuracy, movement, aging, and valuation through structured KPI frameworks and reporting.
• Lead root-cause analysis of inventory discrepancies and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Define thresholds, escalation protocols, and performance expectations for inventory control effectiveness.
• Drive continuous improvement of inventory accuracy and reliability through disciplined control practices.
• Lead initiatives to optimize inventory levels and improve working capital performance across the organization.
• Align inventory strategies with service levels, production requirements, and financial objectives.
• Oversee inventory valuation, inventory turns, days on hand, obsolescence risk, and associated reserves.
• Identify and mitigate risks related to slow-moving or obsolete inventory through structured analysis and action planning.
• Partner with Supply Chain and Operations to embed inventory optimization practices into planning and execution processes.
• Establish performance targets and accountability for inventory reduction and working capital improvement.

Skills

Costing & inventory control

Leadership across sites

Problem-solving skills

ERP systems proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Economics or related field

Tools

JD Edwards

Job description

MPS is seeking a detail-driven Cost & Inventory Manager to lead costing, inventory control, and working capital performance across the organization. This role partners with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, Accounting, and Finance leadership to embed disciplined costing practices into daily operations.

The position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or related field, 7-10+ years in manufacturing accounting, and strong expertise in costing, inventory control, and ERP