Cost Accounting Manager
Chaos
CHAOS Industries is redefining modern defense with a multi-product portfolio that gives the ultimate advantage—domain dominance. The company's products are powered by Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™), empowering warfighters, commercial air operators, and border protection teams to act faster, adapt rapidly, and stay ahead of evolving threats.
CHAOS Industries was founded in 2022 and has raised a total of $1 billion in funding from leading investors, including 8VC, Accel, and Valor Equity Partners. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, and London. For more information, please visit www.chaosinc.com.
Role Overview:
At CHAOS Industries, building cutting edge defense systems starts with getting the fundamentals right. especially in manufacturing finance.
We’re looking for a hands on Cost Accounting Manager who thrives in the details. This role is deeply embedded in the day to day mechanics of how product costs flow through our systems. You’ll be instrumental in building, refining, and executing the transactional backbone that supports our production ramp. The Cost Accounting Manager works under the supervision of the Controller and requires strong interpersonal communication skills both written and verbal.
This is not a purely strategic oversight role. It’s for someone who enjoys rolling up their sleeves, reconciling inventory, tightening cost controls, working directly with operations, and building processes that will scale with the company. You’ll collaborate closely with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, FP&A, and Accounting to ensure our financial data reflects operational reality.
If you like building strong foundations and seeing the immediate impact of your work, this role delivers!
Responsibilities:
- Be a big part of manufacturing cost accounting activities, including standard costing, costing projects, month-end close, labor and overhead absorption, inventory management, and freight and duty tracking.
- Be a part of the team managing high-volume, day-to-day cost accounting across materials, labor, overhead, WIP, and finished goods.
- Execute, maintain, and continuously improve standard costing processes within a dynamic production environment.
- Perform comprehensive variance analysis (including margin, purchase price, invoice to PO, work order, cost revaluation, material usage, and system variances), identify root causes, and partner cross-functionally to implement corrective actions.
- Analyze trends in cost variances, production volumes, and material usage; recommend and drive operational and profitability improvements, particularly related to labor and overhead burden.
- Prepare inventory related journal entries, account reconciliations, and maintain alignment between inventory subledger and general ledger during month end close.
- Troubleshoot and research unexplained inventory transactions to ensure accuracy and integrity of financial data.
- Ensure ERP system accuracy and integrity through analysis, internal audit collaboration, inventory control coordination, and ownership of process enhancements as systems scale.
- Partner cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Production, Inventory Control, and FP&A to validate Bills of Materials (BOMs), routings, cost inputs, and understand cost drivers impacting financial performance.
- Collaborate with FP&A to develop cost models supporting forecasting, forward-looking plans, and strategic decision-making.
- Support and coordinate physical inventory counts and cycle count programs.
- Build scalable processes from the ground up, document and refine transactional workflows, and lead change management initiatives to support growth.
- Prepare routine and ad hoc accounting schedules for internal and external reporting requirements and support audit requests as needed.
- Establish strong cross functional relationships to develop deep understanding of operational processes, business drivers, costs, and revenue streams.
Minimum Requirements:
- 5+ years of progressive experience in cost accounting, preferably within a manufacturing, production, or R&D-driven environment.
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing operations and the financial processes that support production environments.
- Working knowledge of supply chain operations, including procurement, receiving, inventory flow, production processes, and core manufacturing principles.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze detailed transactional data within an ERP system and translate findings into clear, actionable insights for leadership.
- Solid understanding of financial systems as they relate to manufacturing, distribution, and inventory management.
- Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to connect operational activity to financial outcomes.
- High level of accuracy and attention to detail, particularly in high-volume environments.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across cross-functional teams.
- Proven project management and organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize competing deadlines.
- Ability to perform effectively in a fast-paced, high-growth environment while managing tight timelines and evolving processes
Preferred Requirements:
- CPA and/or MBA designation.
- Prior supervisory or team leadership experience.
- Experience with financial reporting in a manufacturing or product based environment.
- Experience working in a government contracting environment, including familiarity with DCAA compliance and audit requirements, is a plus.
Why CHAOS?
- Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision benefits 100% paid for by the company
- Additional benefits: 401k (+ 50% company match up to 6% of pay), FSA, HSA, life insurance, and more
- Our Perks: Free daily lunch, ‘No meeting Fridays’, unlimited PTO, casual dress code
- Compensation Components: Competitive base salaries, generous pre-IPO stock option grants, relocation assistance, and (coming soon!) annual bonuses
- Team Growth: 200 employees and counting across 5 global offices
The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base compensation range and excludes additional earnings such as bonus, equity, and benefits. If your compensation requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.
Recruiting Agencies: CHAOS Industries does not accept unsolicited resumes or outreach. Unsolicited submissions will not be reviewed or compensated.
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