Cost Accountant

Position : Cost Accountant 
Location : Columbia, SC(On-site) 
Duration : Full time & Direct Hire
Client Note : Manufacturing experience, BOM experience, and Analysis experience.

Position Summary

Reporting to the VP, Finance, the Cost Accountant is responsible for timely and accurate cost and financial analyses, metrics reporting, development and communication of recommendations related to manufacturing costs, profit modeling, and financial accounting to provide key information to management for improvement of the overall business.

Essential Functions

• Responsible for development and maintenance of cost accounting systems which includes: (1) bills of materials and routings input, review, and verification (2) provision of cost estimates and analyses for potential new products and changes to existing products, and (3) variance analyses.
• Maintain and update standard cost data to ensure that all standard costs are accurate and reflect current manufacturing processes
• Routinely perform manufacturing cost studies or time studies to identify areas of possible cost savings and maximize profitability
• Responsible for generating, maintaining, and analyzing reports and data for monthly manufacturing cost reviews and business process improvements
• Provide complete and accurate manufacturing Key Performance Indicators weekly to drive execution
• Monthly cost trend analysis
• Participate in manufacturing planning, logistics and operations meetings and reconcile production data to financial reporting through job closing process
• Preparing accurate and timely analysis of inventory, margins, and absorption rates
• Best Practices cost savings and validation
• Perform appropriate risk and sensitivity analysis
• Communicate with cross-functional teams to build robust business case assumptions
• Assist in the physical inventory process/reconciliation/revaluations.
• Assist with analysis of capital requests
• Establishes and maintains effective work relationships within the department, the company, the Corporation and the community; maintains the professional competence, knowledge and skills necessary for performance of all assigned duties

Secondary Functions

• Identifying trends; determining system improvements; implementing change when needed
• Assist in the collection/analysis of data for the Annual Plan Process and Monthly forecasting process
• Provide cost and general ledger accounting support during the month end close process to include operational management reporting, journal entries, account analysis and reconciliation, and actual vs. budget analysis
• Provide historical information by product
• Become proficient at creating and validating cost models
• Other duties as needed

Position Specifications

• Bachelor’s degree (Accounting, Engineering, Finance, Statistics focus)
• 5 to 7 years “hands on” manufacturing experience with focus on standard and job costing
• Post-graduate work or certification (CCA, CMA, CPCA, CCE, Six Sigma) recommended but not required
• Strong system skills - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, PowerBI; EPICOR and Prophix Reporting preferred
• This person must be flexible and can prioritize and simultaneously oversee multiple tasks
• This position requires independent thought, strong mathematical background, critical thinking, good judgment and decision making, reading comprehension, time management, strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate with associates at all levels of the organization
• This position requires travel periodically, as needed