Company Overview:
Culture Fresh Foods, Inc is a Dairy and Non-Dairy processing facility headquartered in Naugatuck, CT. The facility produces a wide range of dairy and plant-based spoonable and spreadable cultured and ESL (extended shelf life) products for private label, co-pack and under its own brand.
Position Summary:
The Senior Cost Accountant (Manufacturing & Pricing) will support the financial operations of a rapidly growing dairy and nondairy manufacturing organization. This role is responsible for cost accounting, production accounting, pricing and margin analysis, inventory analytics, operational reporting, budgeting support, forecasting, and financial analysis focused on identifying operational efficiencies and cost savings opportunities.
The position will play a critical role in analyzing customer, product, and channel profitability while supporting pricing strategy recommendations, promotional analysis, inflationary cost modeling, and operational decision-making across the organization. The role partners closely with Operations, Production, Procurement, Sales, and Executive Leadership to support financial visibility and manufacturing performance.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the following satisfactorily; other duties may be assigned.
Cost Accounting & Production Finance
- Maintain and analyze standard costing structures across dairy and nondairy product lines.
- Analyzing manufacturing variances including labor, ingredient usage, yield, packaging, overhead absorption, scrap, and waste.
- Review production losses and operational inefficiencies to identify cost savings opportunities.
- Assist with inventory valuation, reconciliation, and inventory accuracy initiatives.
- Support monthly production accounting activities and manufacturing reporting.
- Analyze bill of materials (BOMs), routing structures, and production data for accuracy and inefficiency.
- Develop operational KPI reporting and margin analytics.
Pricing & Margin Analysis
- Perform pricing and profitability analysis across customers, channels, SKUs, and product categories.
- Develop and maintain contribution margin and gross margin reporting.
- Support pricing strategy recommendations and financial modeling initiatives.
- Evaluate promotional programs, trade spend, and customer-specific profitability.
- Analyze the financial impact of raw material inflation, packaging cost changes, freight fluctuations, and improve profitability.
- Monitor margin trends and identify risks and opportunities to improve profitability.
- Assist in developing pricing models to support growth initiatives, new products, and customer negotiations.
Financial Close & Reporting
- Assist with monthly year-end financial close processes.
- Prepare journal entries, reconciliations, and variance analyses related to inventory, cost of goods sold, manufacturing accruals and production variances.
- Support preparation of monthly financial and operational packages.
- Assist with audit support related to inventory and manufacturing accounting.
- Ensure accuracy and integrity of manufacturing and inventory-related financial data.
Budget, Forecasting & Analysis
- Assist the Director of Finance with annual budgeting, monthly forecasting, operational modeling, and ad hoc financial analysis.
- Support operational efficiency analyses and financial modeling related to growth initiatives and manufacturing expansion.
Systems & Process Improvement
- Support continuous improvement of costing methodologies and operational reporting.
- Assist in optimization and utilization of SAP Business One.
- Improve financial reporting accuracy, operational visibility, and data integrity.
- Help streamline manufacturing finance and reporting processes across departments.
Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following:
Analytical Thinking – Ability to analyze complex financial and operational data, identify trends, and develop actionable recommendations that support business objectives.
Financial Acumen – Strong understanding of cost accounting principles, manufacturing finance, inventory valuation, profitability analysis, and financial reporting.
Problem Solving – Ability to identify root causes of issues, evaluate alternatives, and implement effective solutions to improve financial and operational performance.
Planning & Organization - Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain a high level of accuracy in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Business Partnership – Ability to build collaborative relationships and effectively partner with Operations, Production, Procurement, Sales, and Leadership to support informed decision-making.
Continuous Improvement – Demonstrate a commitment to improving processes, reporting, data integrity, and operational efficiency through proactive analysis and innovation.
Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or related field.
- Minimum of five years’ progressive experience in cost accounting or operational finance in a manufacturing setting.
- Demonstrated expertise in manufacturing accounting principles including standard costing, inventory accounting, production accounting, manufacturing variance analysis, and profitability/margin analysis.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, financial modeling, and data analysis.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities with high attention to detail and accuracy.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across departments in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Must pass a company pre-employment background, physical, and drug screen prior to commencing work.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with SAP Business One
- Food, dairy, beverage, or CPG manufacturing experience
- Experience with Federal Milk Market Order Pricing
- Experience supporting high-growth manufacturing organizations
- Experience partnering closely with plant operations and cross-functional business teams
- Experience with ERP reporting, financial process improvement, and operational efficiency initiatives
- Experience with pricing analytics, customer profitability analysis, and margin optimization
Physical Requirements
- While performing duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and other office equipment.
- The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.
- The employee may occasionally be required to bend, stoop, or lift office materials weighing up to 15 pounds.
- Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus
- The employee must be able to work at a computer workstation for extended periods of time.
Compensation:
95K - 115K with bonus eligibility
Why Join Us? Culture Fresh Foods, Inc. offers a collaborative and innovative workplace with opportunities for professional growth and development. Join our team to make a meaningful impact in the food manufacturing industry.
Pay: $95,000.00 - $115,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
