Product Costing Consultant

Job Title: Product Costing Consultant

Contract Type: 6 month extendable contract

Work Location: 100% remote position

About the Role

You'll lead the product costing function and turn it into a strategic driver of business performance. This role sits at the intersection of technical cost accounting and cross-functional partnership — you'll work with Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing to optimize costs, sharpen margin analysis, and inform pricing decisions. If you enjoy digging into complex costing scenarios and translating them into clear, actionable insights for leadership, this is your kind of role.

Key Responsibilities

Costing Process Leadership

• Lead end-to-end product costing processes including standard cost development, cost roll-ups, and variance analysis
• Configure and maintain product costing functionality within the organization's ERP system
• Develop and implement cost accounting policies, procedures, and best practices aligned with regulatory requirements
• Conduct detailed cost analysis across materials, labor, overhead allocation, and manufacturing variances

Financial Reporting & Controls

• Support month-end and year-end close activities related to inventory valuation and cost of goods sold
• Analyze and reconcile manufacturing variances (price, usage, volume, efficiency) and deliver actionable insights
• Support transfer pricing, intercompany transactions, and multi-entity costing scenarios
• Ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards (US GAAP, IFRS) and internal control requirements
• Collaborate with external auditors on inventory and cost accounting matters

Business Partnership & Strategic Insights

• Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing teams to identify cost drivers and reduction opportunities
• Provide costing expertise for new product launches, product transitions, and make-vs-buy decisions
• Build and maintain cost models, reporting dashboards, and planning tools
• Deliver margin, profitability, and pricing analysis to support executive decision-making

System Implementation & Continuous Improvement

• Lead system implementations, upgrades, and enhancements for product costing functionality
• Drive adoption of standardized processes and best practices across the organization
• Leverage automation to improve the efficiency and accuracy of costing workflows
• Train and mentor finance team members and business stakeholders on costing methodologies

Qualifications

Education

• Required: Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field
• Preferred: Master's degree in Finance, Accounting, or MBA
• Preferred: CPA, CMA, or other relevant professional accounting certification

Experience

• 8+ years of progressive experience in product costing, cost accounting, or management accounting
• Extensive hands-on experience with ERP systems, preferably SAP CO (Controlling) with a focus on Product Cost Controlling (CO-PC)
• Proven experience in manufacturing or consumer goods with a solid understanding of production processes and cost flows
• Strong background in standard costing, actual costing, and variance analysis
• Demonstrated experience with month-end close, inventory valuation, and COGS calculations
• Track record of leading costing system implementations or major enhancements

Preferred Experience

• Experience with SAP S/4HANA and Material Ledger functionality
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or similar continuous improvement methodologies
• Background in global, multi-entity organizations with complex transfer pricing
• Consulting or Big 4 public accounting experience
• Proficiency with business intelligence tools (Power BI, Tableau, SAP Analytics Cloud)
• PMP certification or demonstrated project leadership experience
• Experience with cost management in regulated industries
• Exposure to automation and RPA applications in finance

Technical Skills

• Expert-level knowledge of cost accounting methodologies (absorption costing, activity-based costing, etc.)
• Deep understanding of manufacturing cost structures — materials, labor, and overhead allocation
• Proficiency in SAP CO-PC, SAP FI, and SAP MM integration
• Advanced Excel skills including financial modeling, pivot tables, and data analysis
• Working knowledge of US GAAP and/or IFRS standards related to inventory and cost accounting
• Financial modeling, data analytics, and reporting capabilities
• System configuration and testing expertise
• Understanding of internal controls and SOX compliance requirements

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with sharp attention to detail
• Ability to communicate complex costing concepts clearly to non-finance stakeholders at all levels
• Strategic thinking and business acumen — you connect costing insights to broader objectives
• Proven collaboration across cross-functional teams
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment
• Comfortable working independently and taking ownership in a remote setting
• Change management skills to drive adoption of new processes and systems
• Mentoring mindset with a focus on developing team capabilities

Fluid thanks you for your interest in this opportunity. However, only candidates with the required qualifications will be contacted.

Fluid adheres to the principles of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. We welcome and encourage diversity in our workplace.

Candidates must be eligible to work in the USA.