Cost Accountant

We are looking for a Cost Accountant to join a manufacturing environment in California on a contract basis with the potential for a permanent role. This position focuses on building reliable cost models, supporting pricing decisions, and delivering clear insight into production spending and profitability. The role partners closely with operations, engineering, purchasing, and business teams to strengthen financial visibility and help guide practical, data-driven decisions.

Responsibilities:
• Create detailed cost estimates for new, modified, or existing products to support competitive and accurate pricing decisions.
• Review historical production data, bills of materials, and routing information to project manufacturing expenses and identify cost trends.
• Evaluate financial exposure within estimates and apply appropriate assumptions to reflect margin targets and production risk.
• Work with purchasing, engineering, and related teams to gather current pricing for raw materials, outside services, and sourced components.
• Establish, update, and maintain standard and actual costs across raw materials, work in process, and finished goods inventories.
• Investigate differences between expected and actual manufacturing costs, including labor, materials, and overhead, and explain key drivers.
• Prepare margin and profitability analysis by customer, product category, and individual jobs to support operational and commercial decisions.
• Partner with engineering and manufacturing teams to assess the financial effect of design revisions, material alternatives, and lead-time improvements.

Qualifications:

• At least 1 year of experience in cost accounting within a manufacturing setting.
• Working knowledge of standard costing, cost analysis, and manufacturing cost accounting principles.
• Ability to prepare product cost estimates using bills of materials, routings, and historical production information.
• Experience analyzing cost variances and identifying operational or financial drivers behind discrepancies.
• Familiarity with margin analysis, profitability reporting, and risk-based cost evaluation.
• Proficiency with ERP systems, including NetSuite, and strong spreadsheet skills for financial modeling and analysis.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across finance, purchasing, engineering, and production teams.

Compensation

$25.34-$32.00 Hourly

About Us

Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm that connects highly qualified job seekers to opportunities at great companies. We offer contract, temporary and permanent placement solutions for finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support roles.

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All applicants applying for U.S. job openings must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Benefits are available to contract/temporary professionals, including medical, vision, dental, and life and disability insurance. Hired contract/temporary professionals are also eligible to enroll in our company 401(k) plan. Visit roberthalf.gobenefits.net for more information.

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