Cost Accountant

Kinperium-Hiniker LLC•Mankato, MN

just now

About The Position

This role will focus on gross margin analysis, overhead allocation methodologies, standard costing, and cost control initiatives. The ideal candidate has deep knowledge of plant operations, cost drivers, complex allocation structures, and can translate operational data into actionable financial insights.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
5+ years of cost accounting experience in heavy manufacturing (steel, machinery, industrial equipment, automotive, etc.).
Strong expertise in:
Standard costing systems.
Gross margin analysis.
Overhead absorption & allocation methodologies.
Variance analysis.
Experience with ERP systems (Epicor Kinetics and/or Microsoft Great Plains).
Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, financial modeling, variance modeling).
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Nice To Haves

Experience in multi-plant or high-volume manufacturing environments.
Knowledge of lean manufacturing and cost reduction initiatives.
Experience supporting pricing and quoting processes.

Responsibilities

Maintain and analyze standard cost systems in a heavy manufacturing environment.
Perform monthly cost roll-ups and update standard costs (materials, labor, overhead).
Monitor and reconcile inventory, WIP, and finished goods balances.
Analyze manufacturing variances (material, labor, overhead, yield, scrap, absorption).
Ensure proper cost absorption and compliance with GAAP.
Analyze gross margin by product line, plant, customer, and project.
Identify margin erosion drivers (material inflation, labor efficiency, overhead absorption).
Partner with operations and sales to improve pricing and margin performance.
Support quoting and pricing models with accurate cost input.
Provide actionable recommendations to improve profitability.
Develop, maintain, and refine overhead allocation methodologies.
Analyze plant overhead pools and allocation drivers (machine hours, labor hours, throughput, etc.).
Monitor fixed vs. variable cost behavior.
Evaluate capacity utilization and its impact on cost absorption.
Support annual budget and standard overhead rate development.
Prepare monthly manufacturing cost reports and KPIs.
Conduct trend and variance analysis for plant leadership.
Assist in budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning.
Support audits (internal and external) related to inventory and cost accounting.
Maintain strong internal controls over cost processes.
Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Finance teams.
Support continuous improvement initiatives (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen).
Assist in ERP enhancements related to costing modules.