Manager, Plant Cost Accounting

The Manager, Plant Cost Accounting serves as the senior financial partner for a process manufacturing operation specializing in coating and converting. This role is responsible for manufacturing finance, cost accounting integrity, and driving operational performance improvement.

The position leads all plant-level accounting activities with a strong emphasis on standard costing, inventory valuation, cost control, and productivity analytics. Partnering closely with operations leadership, this role supports data-driven decision-making to optimize throughput, manage yield and scrap, control material usage, and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), while ensuring compliance with GAAP, internal controls, and corporate policies.

Key responsibilities include:

• Manufacturing Financial Leadership & Analysis
  • Lead the monthly close process, focusing on manufacturing results such as production variances, absorption, and plant performance
  • Deliver detailed variance analysis (labor, material usage, scrap, overhead, volume/mix) and translate findings into actionable insights
  • Provide daily and weekly KPI reporting on cost performance, productivity, throughput, yield, and cost per unit
  • Partner with operations to identify root causes of downtime, changeover losses, and inefficiencies, driving cost improvement initiatives
• Cost Accounting & Standard Costing
  • Own and maintain the standard costing system, ensuring accurate material, labor, and overhead rates aligned with plant operations
  • Analyze and explain key manufacturing variances (purchase price, usage, rate, efficiency, scrap, absorption)
  • Lead the annual standard cost roll and manage periodic updates
  • Support product costing and quoting through development of accurate cost models
  • Provide visibility into product-level profitability and identify margin improvement opportunities
• Inventory Management & Controls
  • Ensure accurate inventory valuation and reconciliation across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods
  • Lead physical inventories, cycle counts, and variance investigations, driving root cause resolution
  • Strengthen inventory controls related to movement, obsolescence, scrap, and excess stock
• Budgeting, Forecasting & Operational Planning
  • Lead development of the annual operating plan, integrating production volumes, labor, and cost assumptions
  • Prepare rolling forecasts reflecting demand, cost inputs, and operational changes
  • Provide financial guidance on capital investments, and cost reduction strategies
• Controls, Compliance & Financial Integrity
  • Maintain strong internal controls across costing, inventory, and capital processes
  • Ensure compliance with GAAP, SOX, and corporate financial policies
  • Support internal and external audits related to plant operations, inventory, and cost accounting
• Operational Partnership & Leadership
  • Serve as a trusted business partner to plant leadership, influencing decisions that impact cost, efficiency, and profitability
  • Lead, coach, and develop plant accounting team members
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with operations, supply chain, engineering, and commercial teams
• Continuous Improvement & Cost Optimization
  • Identify and lead initiatives to improve cost visibility, reporting accuracy, and financial processes
  • Validate and support lean manufacturing and cost savings initiatives through financial analysis
  • Drive automation and simplification of reporting and cost tracking tools
  • Promote a culture of accountability, cost awareness, and continuous improvement

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field is required.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in manufacturing finance, plant finance, or operations analysis is required.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to approach problems logically and innovatively.
• Experience with