Sr. Cost Accountant

Bionano • San Diego, CA

10d • 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 including work order closure, standard costing, inventory reconciliation, and variance analysis. Working independently within Microsoft Dynamics 365, the successful candidate traces transactions through inventory and manufacturing subledgers, identifies anomalies, determines root causes, and implements practical adjustments to accounting methodology. Reporting to the CAO, the role works closely with Operations and Finance to proactively escalate issues to leadership and close the books accurately and on time. Following demonstrated success with core responsibilities, the role may expand to operational planning, cost modeling, and product-profitability analysis.

The position is based in San Diego, California, with up to 10% domestic travel expected. It involves in-person interaction in office and other environments, use of standard computer and communication equipment, and the physical and environmental conditions described in the posting. Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities, provided they do not impose undue hardship on the company.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of progressive accounting experience, including substantial hands-on responsibility for cost accounting and inventory 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 the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.
• Solid understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Ability to navigate and investigate transactions directly in an ERP inventory or manufacturing module, such as work orders, item costs, and inventory transactions.
• Ability to independently identify cost and inventory anomalies, distinguish symptoms from root causes, and design and implement practical, sustainable process improvements.
• Exceptional analytical ability and advanced Microsoft Excel knowledge, with comfort working directly in ERP and inventory transactions rather than relying solely on spreadsheets.
• Experience streamlining manual processes and implementing automation, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Strong project ownership, organization, prioritization, reliability, and follow-through, including meeting close deadlines and escalating issues and risks proactively.
• Ability to build effective working relationships and collaborate across stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain complex issues simply.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure.

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; familiarity with SOX requirements is advantageous.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Own the accuracy and timeliness of manufacturing cost accounting through weekly, monthly, and quarterly closes, including work order review, inventory and cost-of-goods-sold accounting, manufacturing variances, and subledger-to-general-ledger reconciliations.
• Support and progressively 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 communicate decision-useful findings.
• Identify and determine root causes of 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.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior