Cost Accountant

We are looking for a detail-oriented Sr. Cost Accountant to join a manufacturing organization in Chatsworth, California. This role partners closely with operations, sales, and finance leaders to strengthen inventory oversight, improve cost visibility, and support informed business decisions. The position plays a key part in financial close activities, forecasting, budgeting, and performance analysis within a fast-paced production environment.

Responsibilities:

• Deliver recurring financial and operational performance reporting to help leadership track key manufacturing metrics and business trends.
• Coordinate inventory accounting activities tied to cycle counts or physical inventory events, and prepare the supporting analysis and documentation required for review.
• Monitor inventory balances, scrap activity, and other adjustments to identify issues, explain movements, and promote accurate records.
• Develop product cost estimates and margin insights that support pricing discussions, sales planning, and profitability reviews across product lines.
• Partner with finance leadership to strengthen cost controls, maintain sound accounting practices, and provide analysis that supports business decisions.
• Prepare analysis and reporting for the annual planning cycle and quarterly forecast updates, including cost, margin, and operational assumptions.
• Maintain standard cost structures, labor rates, overhead allocations, and related cost pools for assigned areas of the business.
• Perform revenue, margin, variance, and product cost analysis, and provide additional financial support for special requests as needed.
• Complete settlements for projects and production orders, review work order variances, and follow up with cross-functional teams to resolve discrepancies.
• Assist with internal and external audit requests, including support for financial control and compliance-related reviews.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or a closely related field.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience in cost accounting, business analysis, budgeting, or forecasting, with manufacturing experience required.
• Working knowledge of standard costing principles, cost analysis, account reconciliations, and month-end close processes.
• Experience using ERP systems in a manufacturing setting and the ability to navigate cost and inventory-related data effectively.
• Intermediate Excel skills, with the ability to organize data, build analyses, and support reporting needs.
• Understanding of bills of materials, engineering routings, and cost roll concepts within a production environment.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across operations, sales, and finance teams.
• High attention to detail, solid problem-solving ability, and the capacity to manage multiple priorities while meeting deadlines.