Cost Accounting Manager

Company Description

In beautiful California wine country, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery country operates with a desire to make world class wines that reflect the unique soils and climate of the area. We take great pride in making Bordeaux-style blends and single varietals, combining Old World tradition with New World techniques.

As our wine business continues to grow, we are currently seeking a Cost Accounting Manager to provide gold-standard cost accounting for all of our wine brands, including JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, Lewis Cellars and Landmark Winery. The Cost Accounting Manager is responsible for leading the cost accounting function, including standard cost rollups & analysis of actuals, month-end close entries, and reconciliation of inventory accounts. This position will lead process improvement initiatives across departments to improve the accuracy and efficiency of our costing processes. The Cost Accounting Manager ensures financial accuracy and crafts presentations for senior management on cost of wine processes, inventory value, trends, and P&L impacts. If you are a seasoned manufacturing Cost Accountant eager to lean into new technology and drive continuous improvement in Costing processes, this is a terrific opportunity for you.

Our Cost Accounting Manager is expected to provide subject matter expertise in costing and inventory management, to communicate effectively with senior management, and to grow key stakeholders’ understanding of our end-to-end costing processes, from grape harvest through winemaking, cellaring, bottling, warehousing, and shipping. This role partners closely with our Winemakers, Grower Relations, Logistics, Planning, Sourcing, IT, and Finance teams. The Cost Accounting Manager reports to our Controller in Paso Robles and is eligible for our hybrid work model.

From a cultural standpoint, the successful candidate seeks to build strong relationships and trust across functional lines and role levels, thrives on adding value to their team and to business partners, and will "roll up their sleeves" to produce high quality work products. This role requires a seasoned Cost Accountant with outstanding interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, as well as a strong drive to nourish and develop an understanding of cost accounting across our business.

Job Description

• Manage daily production accounting and monthly, quarterly, and year end cost accounting close processes including all required journal entries, analytical review of inventory and production costs (balance sheet and P&L), and explain cost drivers
• In partnership with key stakeholders, refine and document processes to define the standard cost of finished goods, and to validate and update standards to actuals as wines are bottled
• Refine and improve the valuation process for bulk wine, i.e. work-in-process inventory (grapes, allocated labor and overhead, and barrels), maintaining clear documentation to support financial adjustments to inventory
• Oversee inventory valuation by account and location, and research/resolve discrepancies, including partnering with Production teams to understand inventory activity and production variances
• Partner with Logistics and Hospitality teams to ensure finished goods accuracy at 3rd party warehouses and Hospitality locations, including coordinating and conducting periodic full-physical inventory counts, auditing cycle counts, reviewing transfer processes, and validating inventory adjustments to ensure financial accuracy
• Partner with Planning team to identify Excess and Obsolete inventory, quantify risks, and recommend inventory reserves
• Partner with FP&A team to analyze and communicate cost drivers, trends, and variances for monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial reporting
• Leverage our Oracle financial systems and Crafted/NetSuite production system to develop, test, and implement value-added reporting tools, ensure proper costing controls are in place, and identify and implement system enhancements to improve processes and efficiencies
• Identify and drive continuous improvement initiatives across our business, with a goal of enabling our people to eliminate waste, better utilize talent and skills, and reduce time spent on manual processes

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, or finance
• CPA, CMA, or master’s degree is a plus
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in manufacturing cost accounting
• Familiarity with US GAAP accounting and reporting with respect to inventory
• Cost accounting experience in the food/beverage industry preferred
• Ability to organize, analyze and interpret financial data and proactively research and resolve complex accounting issues
• Robust and meticulous analytics and systematic thinking, with a keen eye for continuous improvement in processes and deliverables
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to partner with people at all levels across the organization
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, and to lead complex projects which require influence and implementation across functions and geographic locations
• Must be professional, maintain a high level of confidentiality, and be able to multi-task, re-prioritize, and work quickly and accurately under pressure to meet deadlines and achieve goals
• Superior leadership, problem solving, and decision-making skills
• Advanced proficiency in MS Office (Outlook, Word & Excel)
• Experience with Oracle and/or NetSuite preferred

Pay Range: $125,000- $135,000 base salary and may include a discretionary bonus. Final compensation will be dependent upon skills and experience.

Additional Information

• Thriving Wellness Community: Access to top-notch medical coverage comprehensive vision and dental plans, and a 401k with match eligibility to secure your financial future and including: 
  • 24/7 online physician consultations 
  • virtual mental health resources 
  • life coaching 
  • engaging employee community groups 
  • cash rewards for healthy habits and fitness reimbursements 
  • library of on-demand fitness videos 
• Career Advancement Opportunities: Unlock your potential with clear paths for career progression and internal mobility across our diverse family of brands and business units. 
• Focused Learning and Development: Grow as a leader with our dedicated Learning and Organizational Development department, offering extensive resources like People Manager and leadership training, webinars, and eLearning courses. 
• Empowering Mentorship Program: Connect with colleagues through our company-wide mentorship program to share goals, overcome challenges, and drive your career forward. 
• Continuous Improvement Training: Participate in training that empowers all employees to learn and implement concepts that drive significant, positive change in the workplace. 
• Building a Healthy Society: We focus on improving the social determinants of a healthy society-quality education and medical care, economic mobility, and a healthy environment-to help build thriving communities. Wonderful CSR
• Giving Back to the Community: Make a difference with Wonderful Giving, allowing you to allocate company-provided funds to up to three charities of your choice, and join Wonderful Neighbor to contribute to group service projects within our local communities. 

As part of The Wonderful Wines portfolio—alongside JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery and Landmark Vineyards—Lewis Cellars is a luxury Napa Valley winery specializing in bold, opulent reds and seductive Chardonnays. The winery emphasizes the importance of the journey from grape to glass, crafting world-class wines that are unmistakably Lewis. Offering more than 30 years of excellence, Lewis Cellars captures the attention of in-the-know wine connoisseurs, having been named Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year in 2016 for its Cabernet Sauvignon. Discover Lewis at its new Napa Valley estate, opening soon in the historic Stags Leap District on the Silverado Trail, offering sweeping views and a singular, lavish tasting experience. Lewis wines can also be found at LewisCellars.com or through select retailers, fine wine shops, and restaurants. Lewis Insiders are the first to receive access and updates about the latest releases and estate events. To learn more or become an Insider, visit LewisCellars.com, LewisInsiders.com or explore our Corporate Social Responsibility work at csr.wonderful.com/.

The Wonderful Company is an Equality Opportunity Employer that provides opportunities for advancement. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce that embodies a deep culture of acceptance, equity, and inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories.

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