Own and build cost accounting for a complex hardware manufacturer, including standard costing, inventory valuation, WIP, month-end close, manufacturing variances, and program cost tracking. Support ASC 606 revenue recognition, budgeting, forecasting, FP&A, unit economics, cash planning, and investor reporting. Manage NetSuite cost and inventory modules while partnering with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Procurement to create scalable, audit-ready processes.
Position Summary
The Cost Accounting Manager owns cost accounting at AscendArc and serves as a core partner to the FP&A effort. This is a hands-on, build-it role, not a maintain-it role. You will design and operate the cost accounting system for a complex hardware manufacturer, establish standard costs and inventory valuation from first principles, own the cost side of month-end close, and track program costs across long-lead satellite builds. Alongside that, you will support budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis, and help produce the reporting leadership, the board, and investors rely on. The role reports to the Head of Finance & Operations and works across Engineering, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain.
Key Responsibilities
Cost Accounting
Design, implement, and own the standard costing system, including bill-of-material and routing costs, labor and overhead rates, and burden structures appropriate to a low-volume, high-complexity hardware build.
Own inventory valuation and control across raw materials, work in process, and finished goods, including reconciliations, cycle counts, and physical inventory processes.
Own the cost side of month-end close: cost of goods sold, capitalized versus expensed determinations, WIP roll-forward, and manufacturing variance analysis (purchase price, material usage, labor, and overhead absorption).
Integrate cost data across systems, reconciling engineering bills of material from the PLM system, the manufacturing execution system, and NetSuite so that a single, trusted cost picture exists.
- Establish and document cost accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls suitable for an audit-ready environment as the company scales.
Program & Revenue Recognition Support
Track program and unit costs across long-lead satellite builds, including estimates at completion (EAC) and estimates to complete (ETC), and surface variances against plan early.
Support revenue recognition for long-duration contracts, including over-time / percentage-of-completion analysis under ASC 606 and the tracking of customer prepayments and deferred revenue.
- Partner with program and operations leadership to connect physical program progress to financial recognition and billing milestones.
FP&A
Support the annual budget and rolling forecast, partnering with department leaders to build and defend their plans.
Own recurring variance analysis (actual versus budget and forecast) with clear, concise explanations of the drivers.
Model unit economics and margin by program, and support scenario and sensitivity analysis on cost, schedule, and headcount.
Support cash burn, runway, and headcount planning as the company scales, and help maintain the models that inform capital planning.
- Help prepare board, investor, and lender reporting packages, ensuring the numbers tie to the underlying systems and are presented clearly.
Systems, Process & Cross-Functional
Serve as a finance owner for the cost and inventory modules in NetSuite, including configuration decisions during and after implementation.
Partner with Supply Chain and Procurement on standard cost maintenance, purchase price variance, and vendor cost trends.
Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing to keep BOM and routing cost data accurate as designs and processes evolve.
- Build repeatable, documented processes that scale with headcount rather than one-off spreadsheets.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
6+ years of accounting experience, with substantial cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment, plus exposure to FP&A.
Strong command of standard costing, inventory valuation, WIP accounting, and manufacturing variance analysis.
Hands-on ERP experience; NetSuite strongly preferred.
Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills, with the ability to build clean, auditable models.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and build process in an environment where the function does not yet fully exist.
- Must be a U.S. Person as defined under ITAR (22 CFR 120.62) due to access to controlled program and technical data.
Preferred Qualifications
CPA and/or CMA.
Aerospace, defense, or complex / low-volume hardware manufacturing background.
Experience with ASC 606 over-time revenue recognition, percentage-of-completion, or program cost accounting.
NetSuite implementation or optimization experience, particularly the costing and inventory modules.
Familiarity with integrating PLM (such as Siemens Teamcenter) and MES cost data into an ERP.
Experience in a fast-scaling, early-stage company, building finance processes and controls from the ground up.
- Exposure to government contract cost accounting principles (FAR / CAS / DCAA), a plus given the company's trajectory.
The base pay range for this role is $150,000 – $175,000 per year.
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