Cost Accountant
At a glance
Mid-level Accounting role at northwoodspace. Los Angeles · full-time · $112,000–$154,000 base.
financeroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Build the cost accounting function, setting up processes and controls for inventory, standard costs, work in progress, COGS and production variances
- Run cost accounting through month- and quarter-end close, preparing entries, reconciliations, accruals and supporting analyses
- Set costing methods for purchased and made hardware, then investigate material, labor, overhead and other cost variances
- Value raw materials, work in progress and finished goods, resolving ERP differences with supply chain and manufacturing teams
- Translate bills of materials, production flows and engineering changes into product costs, while improving ERP workflows and reporting
What you bring
- A bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or a related area, plus at least four years in cost, inventory or manufacturing accounting
- Working knowledge of manufacturing costing, including standard costs, inventory valuation, work in progress, COGS and production variances
- You can independently handle close entries, reconciliations and complex analyses, and trace discrepancies across financial and operational records
- Strong Excel ability, analytical judgment and experience building processes and working across finance and operations
Who this fits
You’ll suit a mid-level accountant ready to establish and run the cost accounting function as hardware production grows. The role is based in Los Angeles. U.S. export-control eligibility is required: you must meet a listed status or be eligible for the necessary government authorization.
From the employer
About Northwood:
Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.
About Northwood:
Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.
Role:
As our first Cost Accountant, you will build and own the cost accounting function as we scale our space infrastructure products from development into production. You will establish the processes, methodologies, and controls that give the company accurate visibility into inventory, COGS, and the true cost of building our hardware while owning the day-to-day cost accounting activities required to support the business today. Working closely with Finance, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Program teams, you will create a scalable cost accounting foundation that supports a rapidly growing organization and increasingly complex manufacturing operations.
Responsibilities:
Build and own the company’s cost accounting function, establishing scalable processes, methodologies, controls, documentation, and reporting for inventory, standard costs, WIP, COGS, and manufacturing variances as production scales.
Own cost accounting activities across month-end and quarter-end close, including journal entries, inventory and cost account reconciliations, accruals, variance analysis, and supporting schedules, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting.
Develop and maintain standard costing methodologies across purchased and manufactured hardware; analyze purchase price, material, labor, overhead, absorption, scrap, and other variances to identify root causes and improve cost accuracy.
Own inventory accounting and valuation across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods, partnering with Supply Chain and Manufacturing to reconcile operational activity to the ERP and resolve inventory, work order, and transaction discrepancies.
Partner closely with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Program teams to understand BOMs, production flows, procurement costs, engineering changes, and operational drivers, translating them into accurate product costs and actionable financial insights.
Serve as the Finance owner for cost accounting systems and continuous improvement, helping define ERP requirements, automate manual processes, strengthen financial controls, and build the reporting infrastructure needed to support significant company and production growth.
Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field with 4+ years of experience in cost accounting, inventory accounting, or manufacturing accounting.
Strong understanding of manufacturing cost accounting, including standard costing, inventory valuation, WIP, COGS, PPV, absorption, manufacturing variances, and inventory flows within an ERP environment.
Demonstrated ability to independently own cost accounting close activities, journal entries, reconciliations, and complex analyses while identifying and resolving discrepancies across financial and operational data.
Highly analytical and comfortable operating autonomously in a fast-paced environment, with strong Excel skills and demonstrated ability to build processes, solve ambiguous problems, and partner effectively across Finance and Operations.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in aerospace, defense, hardware, automotive, electronics, or another complex manufacturing environment, particularly within a startup or rapidly scaling organization.
Experience building or significantly improving cost accounting processes, controls, standard costing methodologies, and reporting as manufacturing operations scale.
Experience partnering directly with Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Engineering, and other operational teams and translating manufacturing activity into financial insights and recommendations.
Experience implementing, configuring, or improving cost accounting and inventory workflows within an ERP system, including supporting system requirements, testing, data validation, and process automation.
Additional Information:
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Northwood is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
Additional Information:
If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.