Sr. Cost Accountant

Standard Costing & Product Cost Management

• Maintain and update the standard cost system, including material, labor, and overhead allocation methodologies
• Perform cost roll-ups, bill of materials (BOM) reviews, and routing analysis to ensure accurate product costing
• Develop and maintain costing for new products, product changes, and engineering revisions
• Review and update standard costs, labor rates, and overhead rates annually and as operational changes occur

Inventory Valuation & Control

• Oversee inventory valuation, reserves, and reconciliation between the general ledger and subledger
• Support cycle counts, physical inventory events, and inventory accuracy initiatives
• Investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies in partnership with operations and supply chain
• Monitor excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory and recommend appropriate reserves

Variance & Margin Analysis

• Analyze manufacturing variances including purchase price, labor, overhead, and production variances
• Investigate root causes of unfavorable variances and partner with operations on corrective actions
• Track and report gross margin performance by product line, SKU, and customer
• Identify trends and provide actionable insights to improve profitability

Month-End Close & Financial Reporting

• Prepare journal entries, accruals, and account reconciliations related to inventory, COGS, and manufacturing costs
• Ensure timely and accurate close in accordance with the corporate close calendar
• Prepare cost and inventory schedules to support internal reporting and external audit requirements
• Maintain documentation supporting internal controls

Business Partnership & Decision Support

• Collaborate with operations, supply chain, engineering, and plant leadership on cost-saving initiatives
• Provide financial analysis to support make-vs-buy, sourcing, and pricing decisions
• Support capital expenditure justification, tracking, and post-implementation review
• Aid in annual budgeting, forecasting, and the annual standard cost roll

Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement process improvements within the cost accounting function
• Promote a culture of accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement across finance and operations
• Share cost accounting expertise across the finance team to strengthen overall capability

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, with significant time in a manufacturing or cost accounting environment
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required; CPA or CMA a plus
• Strong working knowledge of standard costing, variance analysis, and inventory accounting in a manufacturing setting
• Experience with IFS or a comparable ERP system, with strong understanding of integration between production and accounting
• Advanced Excel skills; experience with reporting tools (Power BI, Tableau, or similar) preferred
• Solid understanding of US GAAP and internal control principles
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and root-cause-analysis skills
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate financial data for non-finance partners
• Experience in a Lean or Six Sigma environment is a plus

Benefits

The West Bend Company offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you and your family. This includes:

• Health insurance options
• Flexible spending accounts
• Retirement savings plans
• Employee assistance programs
• Work-life balance initiatives

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all qualified individuals.