Senior Inventory Cost Analyst

About the role

With a purpose to make tomorrow a little bit better than today for each other, our customers, and our communities, Ascentek provides an environment where you can love what you do and be your best every day. Ascentek is a 2025 USA Great Place to Work certified company.

Benefits

• Salary, full-time, Monday–Friday
• Medical plan options, including fertility coverage and free mental health and telehealth coverage
• Dental and vision insurance
• FSA/HSA options
• Paid parental leave
• Company-provided short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Supplemental insurances (accident, critical illness, hospital, supplemental life)
• 401(k) with generous company match
• Pet insurance benefits
• Tuition reimbursement
• 21 paid days off
• 7 paid holidays
• Short-Term Incentive Plan (STIP)
• Dress For Your Day (casual dress environment)
• Work Your Way (hybrid work) – three days on site
• Paid comprehensive on-the-job training
• Company-provided phone and computer
• Career advancement opportunities

Responsibilities

Inventory Costing & Valuation

• Manage and oversee inventory costing processes, including standard costing and inventory valuation
• Develop, maintain, and update standard costs for materials, labor, and overhead
• Review and maintain overhead rates and ensure accurate cost allocation
• Evaluate the reasonableness of standard costs by comparing standards to actual material consumption, labor performance, production activity, purchasing trends, and expected operating conditions

Inventory Analysis & Control

• Analyze inventory transactions, discrepancies, and adjustments to ensure accuracy
• Oversight of cycle counts and support year‑end physical inventories
• Monitor inventory levels, aging, slow‑moving items, and valuation
• Strengthen internal controls over inventory movement and reporting

Variance Analysis and Inventory Reporting

• Develop and maintain regular inventory-related financial reports and analysis of manufacturing costs, operational performance, and key financial metrics
• Analyze material, labor, and overhead variances regularly
• Investigate significant variances and partner with operations to resolve issues

Operational & Cross‑Functional Support

• Collaborate with supply chain and operations teams to improve inventory accuracy and costing
• Coordinate and reconcile physical inventory counts with financial records
• Conduct time studies to validate labor and machine standards

Month‑End & Year‑End Close

• Analyze monthly manufacturing performance and investigate significant variances to determine their underlying operational and financial drivers
• Partner with accounting and operations to communicate financial results, explain cost performance, and develop actionable plans to address unfavorable trends and improve operating results
• Support month-end close by providing manufacturing cost analysis, explaining significant variances, and preparing a limited number of journal entries related to manufacturing
• Support close activities related to inventory, WIP, and COGS
• Support the annual budgeting and periodic forecasting processes for manufacturing operations, specifically for work center costs, labor rates, overhead spending and cost absorption

Process Improvement & Special Projects

• Develop and document SOPs for inventory control and costing processes
• Implement improvements to enhance inventory accuracy and efficiency
• Support special projects and other financial analysis requested by finance and business leadership

Requirements

Education

• 4-year bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance or related field

Experience

• 4+ years of progressive experience in cost accounting, operations finance, manufacturing finance, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience analyzing manufacturing variances, supporting operational budgets and forecasts, and communicating financial results to nonfinancial business partners is strongly preferred
• 3+ years of experience in cost or inventory accounting

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of cost accounting and inventory accounting principles
• Experience with ERP systems and inventory modules
• Advanced Excel and data analysis skills
• Ability to investigate variances and explain cost drivers
• Strong communication and cross‑functional collaboration skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to independently problem solve
• Proficiency in the Microsoft suite of tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• JD Edwards accounting software and advanced Excel and database management experience preferred

Physical, Mental, and Environmental Demands

• Frequently required to sit, talk and/or hear, and/or use hands to handle, or touch objects, tools, or controls
• Occasionally required to stand and/or walk
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds while moving files or small packages
• Specific vision abilities include close vision and the ability to adjust focus
• Continuously required to perform comprehensive reasoning, decision making, and math skills
• Work is performed in an office environment with moderate noise level

Pay

The anticipated hiring range for this role is between $83,600 and $107,000 annually. This range is based on several factors and subject to increase based on experience and qualifications, education and certifications, market and industry benchmarks, and internal equity.