Senior Cost Accountant

About the role

The Senior Cost Accountant plays a critical role in supporting manufacturing operations through detailed financial analysis and strategic cost management. This position is responsible for evaluating manufacturing processes, identifying cost drivers, and delivering actionable insights to improve operational efficiency and financial performance.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and validate standard cost build-ups (API, device components, packaging).
• Own the design, integrity, and evolution of the standard cost environment, including labor, overhead, material, yields, routings, and absorption assumptions.
• Analyze PPV, material usage, labor efficiency, overhead absorption, scrap, and yield variances.
• Review and investigate production order variances in D365.
• Support cost roll processes and BOM accuracy.
• Reconcile Raw Materials, WIP, and Finished Goods.
• Lead monthly inventory roll-forward and subledger to GL reconciliation.
• Support Audit cycle counts and annual physical inventory.
• Analyze slow-moving and obsolete inventory.
• Provide P&L variance commentary to leadership.
• Validate BOM integrity and routing cost accuracy.
• Troubleshoot costing discrepancies, provide root cause analysis, and recommend corrective actions.
• Identify emerging risks and opportunities before they surface in financial results.
• Continuously evaluate and improve how production activity flows through the cost system.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure standards reflect current processes, capacity, and constraints.
• Proactively assess the financial impact of changes in volume, mix, utilization, rework, scrap, and yield performance.
• Partner with IT and Operations on system improvements.
• Perform monthly inventory valuation (raw materials, WIP, intermediates, finished goods).
• Ensure financial records align with batch records and regulatory documentation.
• Participate in monthly close activities related to manufacturing costs.
• Prepare manufacturing accrual and inventory adjustment journal entries.
• Reconcile inventory subledger to General Ledger.
• Analyze inventory movements: transfers, reclassifications, scrap, consumption.
• Ensure accuracy and compliance with GAAP, cGMP, and company policies.
• Partner with the Controller to support audits, controls, and financial governance.
• Build and maintain advanced financial models to support scenario analysis, decision-making, and operational planning.
• Prepare Budget vs Actual cost bridges.
• Analyze labor efficiency, overhead absorption, spending trends, and margin drivers.
• Translate data into clear narratives that explain why results occur and what actions should be taken.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance.
• 6+ years accounting experience.
• 5+ years manufacturing cost accounting experience.
• ERP experience (D365 preferred).
• Pharmaceutical or medical device experience preferred.
• Advanced Excel and cost modeling skills.
• Strong analytical mindset.
• Detail-oriented with regulatory awareness.
• Ability to communicate financial drivers to operations leadership.