Senior Cost Accountant

Kyowa Kirin is a fast-growing global specialty pharmaceutical company that applies state-of-the-art biotechnologies to discover and deliver novel medicines in four disease areas: bone and mineral; intractable hematologic; hematology oncology; and rare disease.  A Japan-based company, our goal is to translate science into smiles by delivering therapies where no adequate treatments currently exist, working from drug discovery to product development and commercialization. In North America, we are headquartered in Princeton, NJ, with offices in California, North Carolina, and Mississauga, Ontario.

The Sr. Cost Accountant will support a newly established greenfield site within a biopharmaceutical organization. This position is pivotal in driving robust financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and strategic decision-making for the site’s startup and ongoing operations. Working closely with the Director of Finance, the Sr. Cost Accountant will leverage their expertise to manage material & inventory valuation, operational efficiency, standard cost, and overall financial performance in a highly regulated, rapidly evolving environment.

The Sr. Cost Accountant will help develop the cost account structure, in coordination with the Director, for the facility by working closely with the Manufacturing and Engineering departments to match physical flow and transactions in an ERP system, as well as creating overhead calculations for all support departments and processes.  

As an individual contributor, you will take a compassionate and people-focused approach to your work. You will proactively collaborate with others to create a supportive and inclusive environment, always acting in line with the organization’s values. By using strong interpersonal skills, you will work effectively with diverse viewpoints, manage relationships thoughtfully, and make decisions that meet both individual and team needs. You will be accountable for delivering results, adapting to challenges, and helping achieve business goals. Additionally, you will take ownership of your tasks, act with initiative, and continuously seek opportunities to learn and grow. You will handle change with resilience and clarity, staying flexible in a fast-paced environment while keeping the needs of patients at the center of your efforts.

This role reports into the Director, Manufacturing Plant Controller

Technical Skills, Knowledge, and Experience 
•    Collecting, classifying, and analyzing cost information to determine the actual cost of goods.
•    Analyzing manufacturing cost, preparing reports comparing standard costs to actual production costs, and analyzing cost variances
•    Managing inventory accounting, reporting, and reconciliation; including monitoring inventory levels and assisting with physical inventory counts
•    Manage inventory obsolescence in coordination with Quality and other departments. 
•    Work with various departments, such as production, operations, and engineering, to investigate cost discrepancies and implement cost-control measures
•    Work with Engineering department in the development and update of standard cost in the Bill of Materials (BOM)
•    Ensure accurate cost classification following Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
•    Monitor the accumulation of all direct materials, direct labor, overhead and other manufacturing-related expenses.
•    Manage compliance of quality assurance against variances to ensure favorable cost variances do not pose significant regulatory risk by compromising quality control
•    Support Monthly and Quarterly close items related to reconciliation, journal entries, and other general accounting responsibilities
•    Manage Monthly and Quarterly Reporting and developing metrics for benchmarking internally and externally.
•    Audit responsibilities related to internal and external audit team
•    Coordinate with Master Data to ensure Data Integrity related to product information is free from material error
Individual contributor, with responsibility to lead or work with cross-functional project teams.

Education
•    Bachelor’s degree in accounting is required.  Master’s degree preferred
•    Relevant certifications like Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Management Accountant (CMA) is required

Experience
•    Cost accounting experience in the life sciences or biopharmaceutical industry is required.
•    Demonstrated success working on capital-intensive projects, such as greenfield or large-scale expansions.
•    Familiarity with industry-specific considerations (costing structure in biopharma manufacturing, inventory management).
•    Experience working in small to medium-sized organizations is a