Cost Accountant

POSITION SUMMARY

The Cost Accountant is responsible for developing, maintaining, and analyzing product and manufacturing costs to ensure accurate inventory valuation, cost of goods sold, and margin reporting. This position applies cost accounting principles and practices to production, inventory, and purchasing activities to provide leadership with reliable information for pricing, profitability, and operational decisions.

The Cost Accountant works closely with Accounting, Operations, Purchasing, Production Planning, Warehouse, and Executive Leadership to monitor manufacturing performance, identify cost drivers, and support continuous improvement. As the organization grows through acquisitions, including potential additions such as Mrs. Griffin’s and Homestyle Candies, this role will support standardization of costing practices across business units.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Product Costing & Standard Costs

• Develop, maintain, and update standard costs for raw materials, packaging, labor, and overhead.
• Maintain bills of materials (BOM) and routing cost accuracy in partnership with Operations and R&D.
• Perform annual and periodic standard cost updates and analyze the impact on inventory and margins.
• Calculate overhead and labor burden rates and allocate costs accurately across products and business units.
• Prepare product cost estimates for new products, formulations, and customer pricing requests.

Inventory Accounting & Valuation

• Ensure accurate valuation of raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods inventory.
• Coordinate and reconcile physical inventory counts and cycle counts; investigate and resolve variances.
• Reconcile inventory subledgers to the general ledger and prepare supporting schedules.
• Monitor and report slow-moving, excess, and obsolete inventory and recommend reserves.

Variance Analysis & Reporting

• Analyze purchase price, material usage, labor, yield, and overhead variances and explain root causes.
• Prepare monthly cost of goods sold, gross margin, and product/customer profitability reports.
• Develop cost-related KPIs and dashboards to support operational and executive decision-making.
• Provide balance sheet and P&L variance analysis related to inventory and manufacturing costs.

Month-End Close & General Accounting

• Prepare cost-related journal entries, accruals, and reclasses during the month-end close process.
• Reconcile, analyze, and adjust assigned general ledger accounts in a timely manner.
• Maintain accurate documentation in support of inventory and cost account balances.
• Assist with annual audits, budgeting, and forecasting of manufacturing costs.

Operational Support & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with Operations and Purchasing to identify cost reduction and efficiency opportunities.
• Evaluate the financial impact of capital projects, process changes, and make-versus-buy decisions.
• Support ERP system cost configuration, data integrity, and reporting, including Microsoft Dynamics initiatives.
• Help standardize costing methods and internal controls across current and acquired business units.
• Complete special projects and financial analysis as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field, or equivalent education and experience.
• Three (3) or more years of cost accounting experience, preferably in a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of standard costing, inventory accounting, and variance analysis.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and inventory modules.
• Advanced Excel skills are required.

Preferred Qualifications

• CMA or CPA, or progress toward certification.
• Experience in chemical, consumer products, or food manufacturing.
• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 or Business Central and Power BI.
• Multi-site or multi-entity cost accounting experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of GAAP and cost accounting principles.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to resolve problems at both a strategic and functional level.
• Self-starter with the ability to multi-task, prioritize, and meet deadlines with a high level of accuracy.
• Ability to communicate financial information clearly to non-financial personnel at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to read and interpret business periodicals, technical procedures, and governmental regulations, and to write reports and procedures.
• Ability to apply mathematical and statistical concepts such as percentages, ratios, proportions, and statistical inference to practical situations.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Primarily an office environment with periodic exposure to the plant environment, including odor, noise, dust, heat, cold, or chemicals. The noise level is moderate.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regularly required to sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel; required to talk and hear.
• Occasionally required to walk or stand, and reach with hands and arms, including walking the production floor and warehouse for inventory counts.
• Specific vision abilities include close vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Must be able to perform essential job functions in a consistent state of alertness and in a safe manner.