Cost Accounting Manager

Cost Accounting Manager

CATEGORY

Accounting

LOCATION

Billerica, Massachusetts

SALARY

$120,000 - $150,000

JOB REFERENCE

244025

Job Description

Cost Accounting Manager

This position sits within a high-growth PE backed manufacturing organization.

We are looking for a Cost Accounting Manager to oversee inventory accounting, average costing, product cost structures, and gross margin analysis within the Finance team.

Reporting directly to the Director of FP&A, with a dotted-line relationship to the Director of Accounting, this position plays a key role in connecting Accounting, FP&A, and Operations. The ideal candidate will ensure accurate inventory valuation while delivering meaningful insights into product costs, margin performance, and operational efficiency.

This role will lead cost analysis initiatives, maintain costed Bills of Materials (BOMs), and provide reliable cost data to support financial planning and business decision-making.

FP&A & Financial Planning

Lead forecasting for inventory, COGS, and gross margin performance

Translate operational metrics and business drivers into cost projections

Evaluate forecast-to-actual variances, including price, volume, and mix impacts

Support the annual budgeting process, quarterly forecasting cycles, and long-term planning

Develop scalable financial models utilizing NetSuite data

Collaborate cross-functionally to align financial plans with operational objectives

Inventory Accounting & Cost Management

Manage inventory valuation using an average cost methodology

Monitor cost activity across purchasing, manufacturing, and inventory transactions

Assess the financial impact of material price fluctuations and inventory movement

Partner with Accounting to reconcile inventory subledger activity with the general ledger

Oversee inventory reserves related to excess, obsolete, and slow-moving stock

Manufacturing Costing & Absorption

Develop and maintain labor and overhead absorption rates

Ensure overhead costs are accurately applied within NetSuite

Analyze over- and under-absorption trends and recommend corrective actions

Work closely with Operations to validate production routing and manufacturing assumptions

Refine costing methodologies using actual production and operational data

Costed BOMs & Product Cost Structure

Maintain and govern accurate costed Bills of Materials (BOMs)

Collaborate with Engineering and Operations to ensure BOM accuracy and consistency

Analyze changes in labor, material, and overhead costs

Ensure BOM structures align with ERP data and financial reporting requirements

Support new product launches through detailed and accurate cost builds

Financial Close & Accounting Support

Assist with month-end close activities related to inventory and cost accounting

Ensure accurate recognition of cost of goods sold (COGS)

Prepare inventory rollforwards and supporting financial schedules

Support audit requests and documentation requirements

Partner with Accounting to maintain compliance with policies, controls, and accounting standards

Manage labor and overhead rate calculations, including capitalized variance analysis

Operational & Margin Analysis

Deliver insights into product profitability, margin trends, and cost performance

Analyze procurement and manufacturing cost drivers to identify optimization opportunities

Support pricing strategies and profitability evaluations

Identify financial risks and cost-saving opportunities across operations

Process Improvement & Systems

Enhance inventory and cost accounting processes, controls, and reporting capabilities

Support ERP system improvements and NetSuite optimization initiatives

Drive automation efforts to improve efficiency and reduce manual processes

Ensure systems and reporting structures can scale with business growth

Utilize systems such as Arena to support product lifecycle management and cost integration

Qualifications

7-10+ years of experience in cost accounting, FP&A, or manufacturing finance

Strong background in inventory and cost accounting within a manufacturing environment

Hands-on experience with average cost accounting methodologies

Experience developing and maintaining costed BOMs

ERP system experience required; NetSuite strongly preferred

Familiarity with Arena PLM is a plus

Strong understanding of GAAP related to inventory accounting

Advanced Excel and financial modeling capabilities