Cost Accounting Analyst
Nashua, NH
The Cost Accounting Analyst provides accurate, meaningful cost information to support Clear Align's manufacturing operations and financial decision-making. Reporting directly to the Accounting Manager, this role is responsible for product and job costing, inventory valuation, COGS reporting, standard costing, labor and material analysis, cost allocations, variance analysis, and manufacturing ERP data integrity. The role partners closely with Operations to understand cost drivers, improve visibility into margins and manufacturing performance, and provide reliable analysis that supports pricing, planning, profitability, and operational decisions.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
In Your First Year, You Will (What Success Looks Like)
First 30 Days - Business & Cost Accounting Immersion
- Develop a strong understanding of Clear Align's manufacturing operations, products, revenue streams, cost structure, and financial systems.
- Learn current inventory, job and product costing, standard costing, labor, overhead, material, and cost-allocation processes.
- Become familiar with manufacturing ERP modules and master data, including inventory, BOMs, labor/routings, costing, and related transactions.
- Build strong working relationships with Finance, Manufacturing, Planning, Supply Chain, Purchasing, and Program Management.
- Support month-end activities related to inventory, COGS, manufacturing costs, accruals, and account reconciliations.
By 60-90 Days - Own Core Cost Accounting & Analysis
- Lead month-end inventory reconciliations and prepare accurate COGS reporting, manufacturing cost entries, and detailed expense flux analyses.
- Analyze labor, material, overhead, yield, inventory, and manufacturing variances; investigate and explain significant or unusual drivers.
- Review product and job costs, inventory valuation, standard costs, and cost allocations for accuracy.
- Maintain and improve ERP costing and manufacturing master data, identifying transaction or data issues that affect financial accuracy.
- Prepare recurring cost, margin, and variance reporting for the CFO and operational leadership.
- Partner with Operations and Finance to connect financial results to manufacturing activity and recommend improvements to costing, reporting, and data integrity.
By 6 Months - Become a Trusted Cost Accounting Resource
- Provide actionable analysis that improves leadership visibility into manufacturing costs, margins, inventory, and operational performance.
- Maintain and refine standard costs, labor and overhead rates, cost allocations, and other costing assumptions.
- Support budgeting and forecasting using manufacturing cost assumptions, historical trends, and operational data.
- Support cycle counts, physical inventory activities, financial audits, and investigation of inventory discrepancies.
- Identify recurring cost, process, or data issues and work cross-functionally to address root causes and improve finance and manufacturing workflows.
- Deliver ad-hoc management reporting and analysis to support pricing, profitability, planning, and operational decisions.
By the End of Year 1 - Strengthen Cost Visibility & Scalability
- Maintain reliable, scalable cost accounting processes that support Clear Align's continued growth.
- Improve the accuracy and consistency of inventory valuation, COGS, product/job costing, ERP cost data, and manufacturing reporting.
- Provide leadership with clear visibility into cost drivers, margins, and manufacturing performance.
- Identify opportunities to improve margins, reduce unfavorable variances, strengthen working capital, and improve operational decision-making.
- Serve as a trusted partner to the CFO and Operations for manufacturing financial analysis and decision support.
How You Know You're Winning
- Inventory, COGS, product/job costs, and manufacturing cost information are accurate, reconciled, and delivered on schedule.
- Labor, material, overhead, yield, and other cost variances are identified, investigated, and clearly explained.
- ERP costing, inventory valuation, BOM, routing, and related master data are reliable.
- Leadership has improved visibility into manufacturing costs, margins, and operational performance.
- Financial analysis translates manufacturing activity into useful business insight and supports better decisions.
- Cost accounting processes and reporting become more consistent, efficient, and scalable.
Position Requirements
Who You Are (Core Strengths & Competencies)
- Analytical problem-solver who enjoys understanding the operational story behind the numbers.
- Detail-oriented and committed to financial accuracy, data integrity, and continuous improvement.
- Comfortable working with complex manufacturing, inventory, and financial data in a rapid-growth, dynamic environment.
- Strong Excel and systems skills with an interest in improving reporting, processes, and ERP data.
- Effective communicator who can explain financial information to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
- Collaborative, organized, and able to manage recurring deadlines and multiple priorities.
Must-Have Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
- 5-10 years of dedicated cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Strong background in labor and materials analysis, standard costing, cost allocations, inventory valuation, COGS, and variance analysis.
- Hands-on experience with manufacturing ERP modules, including inventory, BOMs, labor/routings, costing, and master data.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and experience analyzing large data sets and translating results into meaningful business insights.
- Working knowledge of U.S. GAAP with strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work effectively across Finance, Operations, Planning, Supply Chain, and other functional teams.
- Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in aerospace, defense, precision manufacturing, or another complex manufacturing environment.
- CPA or CMA certification or progress toward certification.
- Knowledge of U.S. government contracting cost principles, including FAR/CAS.
- Experience with budgeting, forecasting, FP&A, physical inventory, and cycle-count processes.
At Clear Align we have a clear vision: to be the place where a diverse mix of talented people come, stay and do their best work. We pride ourselves on bringing the best infrared surveillance solutions, and we know our company runs on the hard work and dedication of our passionate and creative employees.
We are an equal opportunity employer. apply to: careers@clearalign.com.
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