Senior Cost & Inventory Accountant

Location: Aurora, OR (100% Onsite)

About Our Client

Our client is a well-established manufacturing and service organization supporting highly specialized equipment and long-term government-related programs. With decades of operational excellence, they are known for managing complex assets, maintaining stringent compliance standards, and delivering mission-critical solutions to customers across multiple industries.

About the Role

This role will be instrumental in building and enhancing costing processes within an environment that does not operate under a traditional standard costing model. The ideal candidate will have strong inventory and manufacturing accounting experience, enjoy working through ambiguity, and possess the persistence to uncover and validate difficult-to-obtain financial and operational data. The Senior Cost Accountant will partner closely with operations, supply chain, and finance teams to develop meaningful cost analyses, support inventory valuation, and improve visibility into product and program profitability.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain cost models to support manufacturing, repair, and operational activities.
• Build and refine costing functions in a complex manufacturing environment where traditional standard costing methodologies are not utilized.
• Analyze inventory transactions, valuations, and cost flows across long-duration projects that may span several months to multiple years.
• Evaluate pricing and purchasing data to determine appropriate accounting treatment and improve reporting accuracy.
• Perform detailed inventory analysis, reconciliations, and root-cause investigations.
• Support month-end close activities, including journal entries, account reconciliations, and cost reporting.
• Partner with operations and supply chain teams to improve inventory integrity and financial visibility.
• Analyze purchase price variances, inventory turns, and margin drivers.
• Work with large, complex datasets to identify trends, inconsistencies, and opportunities for process improvement.
• Support internal, external, government, and compliance-related audits.
• Assist in developing processes and controls that improve cost transparency and financial reporting accuracy.
• Provide financial insights and recommendations to leadership teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 5+ years of cost accounting experience within manufacturing, aerospace, defense, industrial, or similar environments.
• Strong inventory accounting experience required.
• Experience working with government contracts, government-owned assets, or cost-based proposals is highly preferred.
• Experience supporting repair, overhaul, or service-based manufacturing operations is a plus.
• Advanced Excel and data analysis skills.
• ERP system experience required.
• Ability to navigate incomplete or difficult-to-obtain data while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Comfortable working independently and driving projects to completion.
• Demonstrated ability to work through ambiguity and relentlessly pursue answers when solving complex business problems.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to partner across multiple departments.

Ideal Background

• Deep inventory and manufacturing accounting expertise.
• Experience building or improving costing methodologies.
• Comfort dealing with slow-moving inventory and long project life cycles.
• Strong analytical capabilities and a data-driven mindset.
• A proactive approach to uncovering information and driving continuous improvement.
• Experience in highly regulated or government-related environments.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Comprehensive benefits

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Opportunity to build and influence cost accounting processes.
• Highly visible role with direct impact on operational and financial decision-making.
• Stable organization with complex and interesting manufacturing operations.
• Collaborative team environment with strong leadership support.
• Long-term career growth potential within a specialized industry.