The Role
The Cost Accounting Manager manages cost accounting systems, analyzes manufacturing costs, prepares financial reports, and improves inventory management. They ensure accuracy in cost data, oversee inventory, and collaborate across departments to support business decisions.
Summary Generated by Built In
About Harbinger
Harbinger is an American commercial electric vehicle (EV) company on a mission to transform an industry starving for innovation. Harbinger’s best-in-class team of EV, battery, and drivetrain experts have pooled their deep experience to bring a first-of-its-kind EV platform to support the growing demand for medium-duty EVs and Hybrids. Harbinger: Familiar Form, Revolutionary Foundation.
Job Overview
Harbinger Motors is looking for an experienced Cost Accounting Manager with a strong background in cost accounting and inventory management. This role involves developing, implementing, and maintaining cost accounting systems, analyzing manufacturing costs, preparing reports, and providing valuable insights to support business decision-making.. This role requires advanced analytical skills, extensive experience in inventory and cost accounting, and the ability to develop and implement standard cost accounting and effective inventory management systems.
What You’ll Do:
- Design, implement, and maintain the company's cost accounting policies, procedures, and systems.
- Ensure the accuracy and integrity of cost data within the ERP system or other relevant software.
- Continuously evaluate and improve cost accounting processes to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
- Analyze standard costs and actual production costs, identifying variances and providing explanations.
- Prepare regular and ad-hoc cost reports, including cost of goods sold (COGS), gross margin analysis, and variance analysis.
- Develop and analyze product costing information, including material, labor, and overhead costs.
- Track and analyze manufacturing expenses, identifying trends and potential areas for cost reduction.
- Oversee the costing of inventory, including raw materials, work-in-progress, and finished goods.
- Participate in physical inventory counts and cycle count programs to ensure inventory accuracy.
- Own the inventory lines on the balance sheet, ensuring accuracy and completeness of raw materials, WIP, and finished goods balances.
- Perform monthly work-in-progress (WIP) reconciliation, investigating and resolving variances to maintain sub-ledger to general ledger integrity.
- Manage inventory reserves, including E&O (excess and obsolete) and lower of cost or net realizable value (LCNRV) analyses.
- Collaborate with Accounts Payable, Production, Operations, Engineering and Logistics departments to ensure accurate recording of inventory data
- Assist with the financial audits and provide recommendations for procedural improvements to ensure accounting procedures and reporting conform to generally accepted accounting principles.
Who You Are:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business with an emphasis in Accounting.
- 5+ years of relevant accounting experience.
- Proven experience in establishing and maintaining inventory reconciliation processes.
- Experience in a manufacturing company; hands-on exposure to standard costing in a production environment.
- Start-up or high-growth company experience, with comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-changing environments.
- Self-starter and builder mindset – willing to “roll up their sleeves” and work below their level when needed to get the job done.
- Demonstrated experience building, developing, and retaining a strong team of high performers
- NetSuite experience preferred.
- Highly organized and detail-oriented, capable of managing multiple projects with tight deadlines.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication abilities.
- Advanced proficiency in MS Excel and ERP/MRP systems.
Key Benefits & Perks:
- Comprehensive Health, Dental & Vision (HDV) – 100% employee covered
- Early-stage Stock Options
- Robust Retirement Savings (401k, HSA, FSA)
- Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) & Parental Leave
- Annual Vacation Bonus
- Wellness & Fertility Benefits
- Cell Phone Stipend
- Complimentary Meals & Stocked Kitchens
California Pay Range
$130,000—$160,000 USD
Equal Opportunity
Harbinger is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Harbinger is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at [email protected].
Candidate Data Privacy
Harbinger may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Harbinger may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.
Harbinger may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our HR, legal, and finance teams, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Harbinger affiliates; and (iii) Harbinger’s service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.
Harbinger may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.
Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services. Any unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles submitted in response to our job posting shall be considered the property of Harbinger and are not subject to payment of referral or placement fees if any such candidate is later hired by Harbinger unless you have a signed written agreement in place with us which covers the applicable job posting.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business with an emphasis in Accounting
- 5+ years of relevant accounting experience
- Proven experience in establishing and maintaining inventory reconciliation processes
- Experience in a manufacturing company with exposure to standard costing
- Start-up or high-growth company experience
- Self-starter with builder mindset
- Experience building and retaining a strong team of high performers
- NetSuite experience
- Highly organized and detail-oriented
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication abilities
- Advanced proficiency in MS Excel and ERP/MRP systems
Harbinger Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Harbinger and has not been reviewed or approved by Harbinger.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered competitive for its market and stage, and feedback suggests ranges are posted and compensation is communicated clearly in listings.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is highlighted as 100% employer‑paid for employees across postings, indicating strong medical, dental, and vision support.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is described as generous, with parental leave and an annual vacation bonus appearing alongside core PTO.
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The Company
What We Do
Harbinger is a commercial electric vehicle (EV) company on a mission to transform an industry starving for innovation. Harbinger's best-in-class team of EV, battery, and drivetrain experts have pooled their deep experience to support the growing demand for medium-duty EVs. Leveraging a foundation of proprietary, in-house developed vehicle technologies designed specifically for commercial vehicles, Harbinger is bringing a first-of-its-kind EV platform to market, priced for zero acquisition premium. Harbinger: familiar form, revolutionary foundation.
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