Cost Accountant

Posted Yesterday
Be an Early Applicant
Torrance, CA, USA
In-Office
112K-154K Annually
Mid level
Aerospace • Hardware • Software • Database • Defense • Industrial
Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company focused on the ground segment.
The Role
Build and own the cost accounting function, including standard costing, inventory valuation, WIP, COGS, manufacturing variance analysis, reconciliations, journal entries, and financial reporting. Partner with Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Program teams to translate production activity into accurate product costs. Establish scalable processes, controls, ERP workflows, and reporting infrastructure while supporting month-end and quarter-end close activities.
Summary Generated by Built In

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.

Skills Required

  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field
  • 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 ERP inventory flows
  • Ability to independently own cost accounting close activities, journal entries, reconciliations, and complex analyses
  • Strong analytical skills and ability to work autonomously in a fast-paced environment
  • Strong Excel skills
  • Ability to build processes, solve ambiguous problems, and partner across Finance and Operations
  • Experience in aerospace, defense, hardware, automotive, electronics, or another complex manufacturing environment
  • Experience building or improving cost accounting processes, controls, standard costing methodologies, and reporting
  • Experience partnering with Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Engineering, and operational teams
  • Experience implementing, configuring, or improving cost accounting and inventory workflows within an ERP system

Northwood Space Corp Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Northwood Space Corp and has not been reviewed or approved by Northwood Space Corp.

  • Healthcare Strength Job postings consistently cite “comprehensive” or “platinum” medical, dental, and vision coverage, with some roles indicating employer-covered premiums at little to no cost. Several listings explicitly reference fully covered plans.
  • Equity Value & Accessibility Multiple listings consistently mention equity or stock options alongside base pay, with some noting potential performance bonuses. Equity is presented as a standard component across many roles.
  • Leave & Time Off Breadth Listings cite flexible or unlimited PTO, and some specify a defined paid holiday calendar (e.g., about 10 holidays). Time-off provisions are repeatedly referenced across postings.

Northwood Space Corp Insights

Am I A Good Fit?
beta
Get Personalized Job Insights.
Our AI-powered fit analysis compares your resume with a job listing so you know if your skills & experience align.

The Company
HQ: Torrance, CA
40 Employees

What We Do

The space segment has become critical infrastructure. It powers everything from GPS and climate monitoring to missile warning and global broadband. But the ground segment hasn’t kept up. Most ground networks today were designed for science missions, not for the scale, urgency, or diversity of today’s space economy. At Northwood, we’re building a global, software-defined ground network from the ground up — designed to scale as fast as the missions it supports.

Why Work With Us

Just like cloud infrastructure transformed software development, we believe shared ground infrastructure will transform space operations. We’re making it possible for any operator to move space-based data quickly, securely, and reliably back to Earth.

Similar Jobs

In-Office
Covina, CA, USA
266 Employees

Semtech Logo Semtech

Cost Accountant

Internet of Things • Semiconductor
Hybrid
3 Locations
1475 Employees
100K-120K Annually
In-Office
Buena Park, CA, USA
8200 Employees

City Brewing Company Logo City Brewing Company

Cost Accountant

Food & Beverage Manufacturing
In-Office
Irwindale, CA, USA
406 Employees
125K-150K Annually

Similar Companies Hiring

Onshore Thumbnail
Artificial Intelligence • Fintech • Software • Financial Services
New York, New York
60 Employees
Revel.io Thumbnail
Aerospace • Hardware • Robotics • Software
US
50 Employees
Blee Thumbnail
Artificial Intelligence • Marketing Tech • Software • Productivity
US
15 Employees

Sign up now Access later

Create Free Account

Please log in or sign up to report this job.

Create Free Account