Senior Cost Accountant

Location: Thomasville, GA
Reports to: Thomasville Plant Controller

About the Role

The Senior Cost Accountant plays a key role in supporting the financial performance of the Thomasville facility by providing advanced cost accounting expertise, analysis, and financial insight. This position leads critical costing activities, including standard costing, variance analysis, cost controls, journal entries, account reconciliations, and internal financial reporting, while serving as a subject matter expert on complex costing matters. The role requires close collaboration with the Thomasville Plant Controller and operational partners to translate financial data into meaningful insights, identify process and cost performance improvements, and support a strong internal control environment. The Senior Cost Accountant also provides guidance to less experienced accounting team members as needed.

Responsibilities

• Provide proper level of customer service to the rest of the organization.
• Own costing processes and standard cost systems, ensuring accuracy, consistency with Company policy, and compliance with GAAP; serve as the plant's subject matter expert on costing methodology.
• Build effective relationships with operations, finance, and other departments; act as a key liaison between the plant and Corporate Finance on costing and accounting matters.
• Lead month, quarter, and year-end close processes, meeting deadlines. Book and review journal entries and provide appropriate detail-level review and analysis.
• Prepare and review monthly account reconciliations, including complex or higher-risk accounts. Identify and validate reconciliation balance drivers, and resolve discrepancies independently.
• Consolidate and analyze cost accounting procedures with other internal reports; identify opportunities to strengthen or streamline costing procedures and internal controls.
• Perform monthly financial variance analysis, including research, documentation, and communication of account fluctuations.
• Partner with the Plant Controller to ensure audit requests are provided timely, quarterly and annual statements are accurate, and proposed adjustments are minimized; may lead portions of the audit process directly.
• Analyze product margin and profitability performance in depth and present recommendations to plant and finance leadership.
• Lead development and analysis of key components of forecasts and budgets, providing insight into cost drivers and trends.
• Ensure company projects are accomplished in efficient and cost-effective manners.
• Lead preparation of capital requests and ROI analysis, including complex or higher-dollar projects.
• Mentor, train, and provide day-to-day guidance to Cost Accountants and other accounting staff on costing processes and best practices.
• Perform other duties as directed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting is required; CMA, CPA, or MBA is a plus.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience required, with manufacturing and standard cost accounting strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience performing account reconciliations, booking journal entries, and leading month-end close required.
• Prior experience mentoring or reviewing the work of other accounting staff preferred.

Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and demonstrated experience with ERP systems; IFS experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and resolve complex accounting and operational issues using sound judgment and analytical thinking.
• Flexibility to work on special projects and unexpected events while completing routine tasks on a timely basis.
• Demonstrated capability to interface and maintain effective relationships with all departments and employees in a team-oriented environment.
• Demonstrated ability to find better and more efficient ways of doing things.
• Responsive to operational and department needs; flexible/adaptive to change.
• Demonstrated proficiency and understanding of balance sheet reconciliations.
• Ability to synthesize complex or diverse information.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment on complex issues, and lead projects with minimal oversight.
• Inspires and motivates others to perform well, provides guidance and constructive feedback to less experienced staff, and accepts feedback from others.
• Well organized, dependable, punctual, strong work ethic.
• Strong analytical skill set—ability to analyze problems and develop meaningful solutions.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision
• Flexible spending account
• Wellness benefits
• Life insurance, short-term and long-term disability
• Cash matching 401(k) plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Generous vacation and 11 paid holidays