Cost Accounting Manager

Responsibilities

• Direct cost accounting activities for several manufacturing sites, maintaining consistent reporting practices, reliable financial data, and adherence to company policies.
• Act as a key advisor to plant leaders by explaining cost trends, identifying major variances, and recommending actions to improve plant performance.
• Travel to operating locations to review results, confirm inventory accuracy, and build strong alignment between finance and site operations.
• Lead the administration of standard costing, including cost updates, bill of materials accuracy, labor assumptions, overhead calculations, and cost rollups.
• Prepare and present monthly cost performance reviews with analysis of production, usage, labor, and overhead variances.
• Work with operations teams to evaluate scrap levels, yield performance, cycle times, and other drivers affecting manufacturing efficiency.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and longer-range financial planning for assigned plants.
• Oversee inventory valuation processes, cycle count programs, and physical inventory activities while reinforcing effective controls over raw materials, work in process, and finished goods.
• Provide financial guidance for cost reduction efforts, capital spending decisions, profitability analysis, and improvements to reporting tools and data quality.
• Partner with engineering and product development teams to estimate costs for new offerings and assess manufacturing factors such as energy usage, firing cycles, batch consistency, and specialized production methods.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline; CPA or CMA is preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in cost accounting, financial analysis, or a similar finance role within manufacturing.
• Background supporting more than one manufacturing facility in a regional or multi-site environment.
• Demonstrated leadership experience with responsibility for guiding or managing direct reports.
• Strong knowledge of standard costing, inventory accounting, variance analysis, and manufacturing finance principles.
• Experience in refractory, ceramics, minerals, or other heavy industrial manufacturing environments is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with enterprise resource planning systems such as SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards, or comparable platforms.
• Ability to communicate effectively across finance, operations, supply chain, engineering, and plant leadership teams, with willingness to travel regularly to site locations.

Qualifications

• Experienced in cost accounting and financial analysis.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and industry-specific challenges.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Skills

• Cost Accounting
• Financial Analysis
• Inventory Management
• Variance Analysis
• Manufacturing Finance
• Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards)

Benefits

• Medical Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Lifetime Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• 401(k) Plan

Pay

Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications.

Schedule

Full-time position with flexible working hours to accommodate travel requirements.