Manufacturing Cost Accountant

CMI Group Aerospace & Defense•Tempe, AZ

2d•Onsite

About The Position

We seek a highly analytical and operationally engaged Cost Accounting specialist to support our manufacturing location in Tempe. This role is a manufacturing cost accounting role requiring strong technical accounting capabilities, with analytic skills, and forward-looking financial insight. This individual will be a business partner with plant leadership to assist in making informed decisions about pricing, operational efficiency and product profitability. The role requires someone comfortable booking journal entries, explaining standard vs. actual variances, analyzing SKU-level margins, reporting financial results to management, and building budgets and forecasts. The position requires daily in-office presence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance.
3+ years of experience in cost accounting within a manufacturing environment is required.
Strong understanding of: Standard and absorption costing, Variance analysis, Manufacturing overhead allocation, Inventory accounting
Experience preparing and posting journal entries.
Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, financial modeling).
Qualitative and quantitative analytic skills.
Strong communication skills — able to explain financial results to non-financial stakeholders.
Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident due to ITAR requirements.
Must be able to work 40+ hours per week.
Sufficient verbal and written communication skills.
Good problem solving skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience in aerospace, defense, precision machining, or discrete manufacturing.
CMA or CPA certification.
ERP experience in a manufacturing system.

Responsibilities

Maintain and enhance standard costing systems (labor, overhead, material standards).
Ensure inventory accuracy and cost integrity in the ERP system.
Analyze and report on standard vs. actual variances (labor, material, overhead, purchase price, absorption, mix/volume).
Prepare and post journal entries for inventory, reserves, accruals, and cost allocations.
Partner with operations to review BOMs, routings, and cost drivers for accuracy.
Perform daily / weekly SKU-level margin analysis to identify pricing, mix, scrap, labor efficiency, and overhead absorption issues.
Monitor KPIs including gross margin, absorption, labor efficiency, scrap, and PPV.
Develop actionable insights and recommendations to improve margins and working capital.
Create and maintain financial models to support operational and pricing decisions.
Support annual budgeting and periodic forecasting processes.
Act as a financial advisor to site managers and the CFO.
Translate financial results into operational language and actionable next steps.
Proactively identify / communicate areas of margin erosion or cost leakage.
Participate in operational meetings and drive accountability through data.