Sr Cost Accountant

Ajinomoto Foods North America • Portland, OR

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Cost Accountant is the primary manufacturing finance support to the Plant Controller and Plant leadership team. This role supports product costing, inventory valuation, manufacturing variance analysis and reporting regarding the plants’ financial affairs, assisting in operational decision-making. The position also plays a key role in financial controls across plant operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting, or related field
• Five (5) or more years related experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience in a high-paced manufacturing environment.
• Ability to build relationships with others, to lead and direct the work of others and themselves
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, with expert level skills in Excel and Power Point.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively present information to executive management
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, and make sound recommendations
• Must be self-motivated, results oriented, possess a high degree of initiative and work well under pressure
• Ability to lead, coach, influence, motivate, develop, engage all plant team

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a food manufacturing environment preferred.
• Broad business experience, preferred experience in manufacturing accounting
• Knowledge of SAP or JD Edwards preferred.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic financial partner to plant leadership, operations, and corporate finance by delivering insightful financial analysis, translating data into actionable recommendations, and supporting informed operational and strategic decision-making.
• Provide timely and meaningful visibility into plant financial performance through comprehensive reporting, trend analysis, and variance commentary that highlight cost drivers, risks, and opportunities.
• Support effective business planning and investment decisions by developing reliable cost estimates for new products and processes, enabling sound pricing, capital, and resource allocation decisions.
• Ensure accurate production costing and cost control by managing work order closures, reviewing cost transactions, preparing production and variance reports, and performing root cause analysis to identify corrective actions.
• Maintain accurate, compliant product and inventory costing by managing ERP cost setups, bills of materials, and routings, and by monitoring inventory and ledger accounts in accordance with IFRS and company policies.
• Drive cost reduction and inventory accuracy initiatives by partnering with supply chain and operations on cycle counts, issue resolution, and process improvements that enhance financial data quality and operational efficiency.
• Support disciplined financial operations and governance by playing a key role in the monthly and annual close processes, assisting with annual budgeting, and ensuring audit readiness and policy compliance.
• Strengthen the plant’s financial capability and control environment by supporting the Plant Controller in training the accounting team and contributing to the development of departmental plans, objectives, policies, and procedures.
• Represent the company and support enterprise initiatives as needed by collaborating with vendors, government agencies, and internal stakeholders, and performing additional duties aligned with company goals.
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision insurance on DAY ONE
• Company paid STD, LTD, and Life Insurance on DAY ONE
• 120 hours of vacation time per fiscal year
• 401(k) Retirement Savings plan that includes company’s matching contributions up to 4.5%
• Wellness reimbursement towards gym membership and/or exercise equipment
• Quarterly sales of product to employees

What This Job Offers

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