Cost Accountant

Cost Accountant - Houston, TX

A privately held mid-size equipment manufacturer in Houston, Texas, is actively seeking a proficient Cost Accountant with a minimum of 3 to 5 years of recent, relevant experience to fulfill a crucial vacancy resulting from the retirement of a former incumbent in this on-site role.

The primary responsibilities of this position include inventory and product costing and reporting, identification of potential areas for improvement, and collaboration with team members to develop and achieve accurate and timely cost reporting. The role focuses on various elements of product costs, including materials, labor, and overhead, as well as Bills of Materials (BOMs), labor collections, and overhead allocations, both planned and actual. Effective collaboration and cooperative work with others are paramount for success in this role.

Key qualifications for potential candidates include a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting coupled with 3 to 5 years of inventory and cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment, or equivalent expertise. Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) pertaining to cost accounting is essential. Proficiency in SAP is mandatory, with experience in QuickBooks considered advantageous. Additionally, candidates should demonstrate proficiency in database systems such as pcMRP or similar platforms, with strong skills in Microsoft Excel, particularly at an intermediate or advanced level. Experience in efficiently collaborating with engineering and manufacturing personnel on the development and analysis of cost standards is highly desirable. The ability to swiftly acquire proficiency in computer programs, construct reports using queries, lookups, and pivot tables, and gather data for reporting and analysis is essential. A strong work ethic, along with excellent organizational and communication skills, is required, as is the capability to work independently and collaboratively with others.

The essential responsibilities of the position encompass maintaining inventory valuation roll forward, reviewing and analyzing inventory and margin reports, conducting detailed analyses of inventory and labor costs, reporting job costs, and performing variance analyses. Additionally, the incumbent will be responsible for preparing weekly, monthly, and quarterly sales, cost of goods, and inventory reports, reporting and analyzing gross margin by customer and project, reconciling inventory monthly between pcMRP and QuickBooks, preparing monthly sales, material & labor costs, and WIP journals into QuickBooks, assisting with cycle counts and physical inventories, preparing monthly operational KPIs, helping to develop new processes to enhance cost reporting and financial efficiency, presenting analyses and findings to management, and collaborating closely with manufacturing and finance on procedures, process controls, and improvements, including procedure documentation. Moreover, the incumbent will be expected to provide backup support for other accounting functions as needed.