Sr. Cost Accountant

Bionano•San Diego, CA

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Cost Accountant is a hands-on accounting professional responsible for the integrity of inventory, manufacturing cost, and cost-of-goods-sold accounting. The role owns cost accounting processes such as work order closure, standard costing, inventory reconciliation, and variance analysis. Working independently in an ERP system, the accountant traces transactions through inventory and manufacturing subledgers, identifies anomalies, determines root causes, and implements practical adjustments to accounting methods. Reporting to the CAO, the role partners with Operations and Finance, escalates issues to leadership, and supports accurate, timely close processes. With proven success in core responsibilities, the role may also contribute to operational planning, cost modeling, and product-profitability analysis. The position is located in San Diego, California, with up to 10% domestic travel expected. Physical and work-environment requirements include prolonged sitting and standing; repetitive hand, wrist, and finger motions; handling, reaching, and moving about office or other work settings, including tight or confined spaces; close vision and focus adjustment; communication with others; occasionally moving objects up to 20 pounds; working in environments that may involve low or high temperatures, hazardous conditions, low ventilation, noise, or enclosed spaces; indoor and outdoor interaction; using standard computer, telephone, and related equipment; and traveling, potentially internationally, without personal assistance. Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities, subject to the stated conditions. Duties and responsibilities may be assigned or changed by management.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
At least 5 years of progressive accounting experience, including substantial hands-on cost accounting and inventory responsibility in a manufacturing environment.
Direct, hands-on experience using inventory and manufacturing functionality within an ERP system.
Experience owning core cost accounting activities during monthly and quarterly close.
Thorough technical knowledge of cost accounting principles and their relationship to financial statements, including the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.
Solid understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
Ability to navigate and investigate transactions directly within an ERP inventory or manufacturing module, such as work orders, item costs, and inventory transactions.
Ability to identify cost and inventory anomalies independently, distinguish symptoms from root causes, and design and implement practical, sustainable process improvements.
Advanced Microsoft Excel knowledge and exceptional analytical ability; comfortable working directly in ERP and inventory transactions, not solely in spreadsheets.
Experience streamlining manual processes and implementing automation, with a focus on continuous improvement.
Ability to manage projects end-to-end, organize work, prioritize deadlines, deliver results, and follow through reliably and proactively.
Ability to manage open items, meet close deadlines, and escalate issues and risks in real time.
Ability to build effective working relationships and collaborate across stakeholders.
Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain complex issues simply.
Ability to remain composed under pressure, with humility and a good sense of humor.
Ability to meet the stated physical, work-environment, and travel requirements, with reasonable accommodations where applicable.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 inventory, manufacturing, and costing modules, including researching work orders, inventory transactions, item costs, and subledger-to-general-ledger differences.
Sage Intacct experience.
Experience in a public company or SOX-controlled environment.
Experience in biotech, medical device, diagnostics, or another regulated manufacturing industry.
Certified Management Accountant (CMA) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification.
Experience building forecasts, operating plans, product-cost models, or business cases.
Experience supporting product profitability and gross-margin improvement analysis.
MBA or another advanced degree in Accounting or Finance.
Financial modeling experience; noted as a plus but not a substitute for core cost accounting expertise.
Familiarity with SOX requirements.

Responsibilities

Own the accuracy and timeliness of manufacturing cost accounting through weekly, monthly, and quarterly close, including work order review, inventory and cost of goods sold, manufacturing variances, and subledger-to-general-ledger reconciliations.
Support and, over time, take ownership of the standard cost process, ensuring product and item costs reflect current material, labor, overhead, and manufacturing performance in the ERP.
Lead accounting support for physical inventories, cycle counts, and inventory reserves, including excess and obsolete inventory, and monitor inventory balances for potential financial reporting implications.
Analyze manufacturing and product cost variances, identify operational and accounting drivers, and translate findings into clear, decision-useful insights.
Identify and root-cause accounting, systems, data, and process issues across the ERP and general ledger; implement sustainable solutions and escalate significant items with financial impact and recommended actions.
Serve as SOX business process owner for assigned inventory and manufacturing controls, and support external audits and SEC reporting as needed.
Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance leaders to resolve item master, bill-of-material, routing, and transaction issues affecting cost.
Support margin, forecast, and annual operating plan analyses.
Potentially provide operational planning, cost modeling, and product-profitability analysis after demonstrating success with core responsibilities.
Perform other duties as assigned.