Director of Cost Accounting

About Valar Atomics

At Valar Atomics, we're redefining what's possible in energy. Our mission is to make clean, high-temperature nuclear power scalable—unlocking abundant energy for industry, hydrogen, and next-generation manufacturing. We are a team of builders, engineers, and operators who believe nuclear energy should be fast to deploy, factory-made, and built for the real world. Our first pilot plant in Orangeville, Utah will demonstrate how advanced nuclear systems and fuel fabrication can power the future. Joining Valar Atomics means becoming part of a company where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level.

The Role

We're looking for an experienced Inventory & Cost Accounting Manager to support our production accounting function. This is a ground-floor opportunity to help build and implement our inventory management and manufacturing accounting processes from scratch. In this role, you'll help establish accounting policy and procedure, contribute to financial systems decisions, and serve as a knowledgeable resource for the business on inventory-related matters. The right person blends deep cost accounting expertise with a builder's mindset and the ability to partner across operations, procurement, and supply chain.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the full cost accounting cycle, including standard costing, variance analysis, inventory valuation, and produced asset reporting.
• Lead all inventory and manufacturing-related month-end and year-end close activities, including physical counts, excess and obsolete (E&O) analysis, and cost reviews.
• Drive the initial implementation of inventory management and manufacturing accounting processes from the ground up.
• Evaluate, select, and implement financial and inventory management systems, partnering with Finance Systems and IT to ensure ERP configurations reflect manufacturing and costing workflows.
• Establish, document, and maintain production accounting policies and procedures in alignment with GAAP and internal controls.
• Maintain and refine standard costs, BOM reviews, and overhead allocation methodologies.
• Analyze manufacturing variances and communicate findings and recommendations to operations and finance leadership.
• Improve and maintain inventory accuracy through cycle count programs, reconciliation workflows, and write-off and reserve policies.
• Serve as the primary subject matter expert on inventory accounting for the broader organization.
• Develop and deliver training and guidance to cross-functional partners across Operations, Procurement, and Supply Chain.

You Will Be Successful in This Role If

• You bring deep cost accounting expertise and apply it with a process-improvement mindset rather than running on autopilot.
• You build for scale, designing policies, systems, and controls that hold up as the manufacturing footprint grows.
• You translate fluently between accounting, operations, and supply chain, turning complex financial data into clear guidance for non-finance partners.
• You take ownership of inventory accuracy and integrity, treating it as a foundational requirement rather than someone else's problem.
• You communicate findings effectively to leadership and influence decisions through clear analysis.
• You stay organized under competing priorities and adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 6–10+ years of progressive accounting experience, with significant focus on cost and inventory accounting in a manufacturing and construction environment.
• Deep understanding of standard costing, inventory valuation methods (standard, weighted average, FIFO), and manufacturing cost flows.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, communicate effectively across business functions, and influence leadership.
• Experience establishing or overhauling accounting policies and internal controls.
• Hands-on experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics) in a manufacturing context.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret and communicate complex financial data.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• CPA or CMA designation.
• Experience participating in or leading a financial systems selection or implementation.
• Exposure to lean manufacturing or operational finance environments.
• Experience with large-scale construction projects.
• Experience with multi-site or multi-entity manufacturing operations.
• Advanced Excel skills and familiarity with BI tools such as Tableau or Power BI.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Valar Atomics is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.

We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment and will provide reasonable accommodation as required by law.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder).