Senior Cost Accountant
10 days ago
Eugene
Job Description Jennie Joiner with Forum Group PNW is working with a growing and highly successful local Eugene food manufacturing company seeking a Plant Controller / Senior Cost Accountant to support a $100M manufacturing operation. This is a highly visible, hands-on role focused heavily on cost accounting, variance analysis, inventory controls, and manufacturing performance insights. While the title is Plant Controller, this position is best suited for a candidate with deep Senior Cost Accounting experience who can operate as a strategic financial partner to plant leadership. The company is open to individuals coming from a Sr. Cost Accountant background who have the confidence, leadership presence, and drive to expand into a broader plant finance leadership role. This is not a traditional “reporting-only” accounting role. The company is specifically looking for someone who can create a breakthrough in cost structure, costing accuracy, and process discipline, helping uncover inefficiencies, close gaps, and improve the way production and inventory activity is recorded. Key Responsibilities Cost Accounting & Manufacturing Finance (Primary Focus – 60–70%) • Own plant-level cost accounting processes including standard costing, absorption costing, and variance analysis., • Lead ongoing analysis of material, labor, overhead, and yield variances to determine plant performance., • Identify root causes of cost variances and partner with operations to drive corrective action., • Ensure costing methods align with GAAP and support accurate financial reporting., • Maintain and validate accurate Bills of Materials (BOMs), routings, and production standards., • Oversee accounting and control processes related to raw materials, WIP, finished goods, and spare parts inventory., • Review inventory counts, reconciliations, and adjustments to ensure accuracy and consistency., • Ensure processes are followed and identify where breakdowns occur (recording issues, consumption errors, miscounts, etc.)., • Develop stronger internal controls and ensure compliance with company policies., • Develop plant-level performance reporting, dashboards, and forecasts., • Create and maintain regular reporting on production metrics, cost drivers, and financial results., • Support month-end close, including journal entries, accruals, and reconciliations., • Deliver clear and actionable plant performance updates to leadership., • Work cross-functionally with Production, Maintenance, Supply Chain, HR/People Ops, Warehouse, and Quality., • Partner with plant leadership to identify opportunities for cost savings, waste reduction, and process improvement., • Serve as a strong financial voice within the plant—asking tough questions, raising concerns, and driving accountability., • Ensure ERP data integrity related to costing, inventory, and production transactions., • Identify gaps in how data is captured and recorded; implement process improvements., • Support continuous improvement initiatives and participate in system upgrades/implementations. What Success Looks Like The person in this role will be successful by: • Strengthening cost accounting accuracy and credibility across the plant., • Creating measurable improvements in cost structure, waste visibility, and process consistency., • Identifying where inventory and production recording breaks down—and fixing it., • Becoming a trusted business partner who can influence plant leaders and challenge assumptions when needed. Required Qualifications • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field., • 5+ years of experience in cost accounting within a manufacturing environment., • Strong hands-on experience with:, • Standard costing, • BOMs and routings, • Inventory accounting, • Variance analysis, • Advanced Excel skills., • Strong understanding of GAAP and internal controls., • ERP experience (Microsoft Dynamics NAV/Business Central, GP, AX, Solomon, or similar preferred). Preferred Qualifications • Experience in food manufacturing, CPG, or high-volume production environments., • Reporting and analytics exposure (Power BI, SQL, advanced reporting tools)., • Experience supporting forecasting and production planning analytics., • Prior leadership experience or readiness to step into a broader plant finance leadership role. Key Competencies • Strong analytical and investigative mindset—someone who enjoys finding the “why.”, • Comfortable spending time in the plant environment to understand processes., • Confident communicator able to push back appropriately and raise flags when needed., • Ability to manage up and across departments while maintaining strong relationships., • Hands-on, accountable, and process-driven., • Ability to balance assertiveness with collaboration—firm but team-oriented. Qualified Senior Cost Accountants with deep manufacturing cost accounting experience are encouraged to explore this opportunity. To learn more, please reach out to Jennie Joiner directly or apply online for confidential consideration.