Sr. Cost Accountant

Overview

Do you want to join a team that's changing the world? Do you have a strong background as a Sr. Cost Accountant? Then we're looking for you! Check out the job description and apply now! Put your skills to meaningful use, gain unique experience, and work with world-class team members with diverse backgrounds and expertise who share the same vision. Join the PECNA team today!

Responsibilities

Sr. Cost Accountant

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Meet the Recruiter: Anh Martin

Summary:

Join us at Panasonic Energy as we expand to De Soto, Kansas, where we’re building the world’s largest lithium-ion battery factory. This is an exciting opportunity to grow your career while contributing to the future of electric vehicles. As part of our team, you’ll help push the limits of battery technology, enhancing performance and efficiency in sustainable transportation.

Our state-of-the-art facility, just outside the Kansas City Metro, will be a hub for innovation in green energy solutions. If you're passionate about sustainability and eager to contribute to the electric vehicle revolution, we invite you to be part of our dynamic team. Join us and make a meaningful impact on the future of energy and transportation.

Job Summary:

The Sr. Cost Accountant serves as a recognized technical expert in cost accounting, financial analysis, reporting, and business insights supporting manufacturing operations and business decisions. This role owns the most complex product costing, inventory control, and internal control challenges, and is a go-to resource across the function for resolving ambiguous or high-impact issues. Partners with Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality leadership to translate operational activities into financial impact, shape key metrics and analytics, and elevate processes, controls, and business transparency across the organization.

Essential Duties:

Cost Accounting and Analysis:

• Serve as the escalation point and functional expert for the most complex production cost accounting and cost center expense analysis, partnering with FP&A and business leaders to assess financial health and identify opportunities
• Own the integrity of product costing methodology in SAP S4/Hana, establishing standards for master data governance and calculation methods; lead root cause analysis on the most complex costing issues
• Lead investigation of the most significant and complex production, operational, and purchasing variances (Inventory, Absorption, PPV, etc.), developing improvement recommendations for leadership
• Lead raw material standard vs. actual variance analysis and cost development reviews for high-complexity or high-risk items, including BOM/routing accuracy audits; refine variance root cause methodology and tracking
• Provide expert-level evaluation, recording, and analysis of complex or judgment-driven fixed asset acquisition, capitalization, and life cycle activities

Financial Close & Reporting:

• Serve as the technical expert for monthly financial close, production-related settlements, cycle counts, and inventory audits, resolving the most complex issues
• Review and validate GL account reconciliations, ensuring accuracy of financial postings across the function
• Lead the preparation and analysis of manufacturing, quality, and supply chain reports, translating findings into actionable business insights
• Oversee resolution of complex or escalated vendor invoice discrepancies for raw material purchases

Compliance & Internal Controls:

• Lead cost accounting efforts to maintain JSOX internal controls, identifying control gaps and recommending improvements
• Serve as a primary point of contact for internal and external audit inquiries and samples
• Lead the development and maintenance of accounting policies and procedures

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement:

• Lead multidisciplinary projects, driving solutions and process improvements across functional areas; lead Gemba walks to build cross-functional understanding and alignment of process area activities
• Apply expert-level understanding of supply chain workflows, manufacturing processes, and maintenance order activities as they relate to the general ledger, advising partners across teams
• Serve as a go-to technical resource, shaping best practices and standards for the cost accounting function
• Complete work efficiently and accurately, ensuring timeliness of deliverables
• Provide various administrative and practical support as needed
• Mentor and conduct hands-on training, providing process guidance and technical support to others at same or lower level within functional area
• No authority to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, reward, or discipline other employees

Requirements - Required and/or Preferred

Education, Certifications, and Licenses:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline; OR 4 years of relevant cost accounting, manufacturing accounting, or general accounting experience in lieu of a degree

Preferred:

• CMA: Certified Management Accountant
• CPA: Certified Public Accountant
• MBA: Master of Business Administration

Essential Qualifications:

• 7+ years of cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment
• Advanced knowledge of accounting principles and procedures (GAAP, IFRS)
• Advanced proficiency in SAP cost accounting (SAP S4/Hana preferred)
• Advanced literacy of Excel, PowerPoint and PowerBI. Preferred experience with EPMs, think-cell, AI tools such as Claude, Palantir, and Finance centric AI Agents
• Advanced analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex, ambiguous financial data and drive resolution
• Strong communication, partnering and interpersonal skills -- able to influence, collaborate and build consensus across functions and levels
• Capable of multi-tasking and handling confidential information in a responsible manner
• Responds timely with accurate, reliable information to all levels of management
• Highly organized and able to follow a systematic method of performing complex, ambiguous tasks
• Ability to work effectively in both office and manufacturing environments
• Ability to operate independently with minimal to no supervision, and to guide the work of others
• Must have working-level knowledge of the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking English

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience
• Resilient, positive, self-motivated and able to work well under pressure
• Background in multi-application IT environments, including electronic interfaces
• Experience with warehouse, stock management, and manufacturing operations
• Experience working with domestic and international teams
• Alignment to Panasonic's seven (7) core principles (contribution to society, fairness and honesty, cooperation and team spirit, untiring effort for improvement, courtesy and humility, adaptability, gratitude)

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements:

• To ensure the health and safety in the workplace and for the protection of our employees, wearing PPE is a possibility and may include equipment such as a full Tyvek suit, safety shoes, gloves, safety glasses, face mask, bump cap, and a full hazmat suit that includes a respirator.

The foregoing description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills and efforts or work conditions associated with the job. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the general nature and level of the job.

Qualifications

Physical Demands:

Physical Activities: Percentage of time (equaling 100%) during the normal workday the employee is required to:

• Sit: 40%
• Walk: 30%
• Stand: 30%

Required Lifting and Carrying: Rare (<1%), Occasional (1-33%), Frequent (34-66%), Continuous (67-100%)

For this position, the required frequency is:

• Up to 10 lbs.: Occasional
• Up to 20 lbs.: Not Required
• Up to 35 lbs.: Not Required
• Team-lift only (over 35 lbs.): Not Required

Benefits & Perks - What's In It For You:

Panasonic Energy prioritizes total well-being and offers comprehensive benefits options to support physical, emotional, financial, social, and environmental health:

• Health Benefits – Offering medical, dental, vision, prescription plans, plus Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account options.
• Voluntary Benefits – Life, accident, critical illness, disability, legal, identity theft, and pet insurance.
• Panasonic Retirement Savings & Investment Plan (PRSIP) – 401(k) plan with company matching contributions and immediate vesting.
• Paid Time-Off Benefits – Vacation, holidays, personal days, sick leave, volunteer, and parental & caregiver leave.
• Educational Assistance – Tuition reimbursement for job-related courses after six months of service.
• Health Management and Wellbeing Programs –Lifestyle Spending Account, EAP, virtual health management, chronic condition, neurodiversity, tobacco cessation, substance abuse support, and life stage and fertility resources. Available to eligible employees starting the first day of the month following your start date. Eligibility for each benefit may vary based on employment status, location, and length of service.
• Employee Recognition Program - High5 employee recognition and awards platform, quarterly and annual employee recognition
• Annual Bonus Program - Opportunity for an annual performance-based bonus.
• On-site Food Options: Several on-site cafes, plentiful snack and beverage kitchens, revolving on-site vendor visits and employee events.

Where You'll Be:

For our onsite roles, Panasonic Energy is committed to fostering an ideal working environment that goes beyond the conventional. We understand the significance of moments that matter in your onsite experience, and we prioritize creating a workspace that not only promotes productivity but also ensures a fulfilling and positive work atmosphere. Join us at Panasonic Energy, where your onsite presence is valued, and we strive to make each moment count in your professional journey.

Who We Are:

Meet Panasonic Energy! At Panasonic Energy, you'll do work that matters as we are dedicated to transforming the world through the acceleration of sustainable energy. By producing safe, high-quality lithium-ion batteries, you become part of a team that plays a crucial role in creating technologies that move us.

Our journey began in 2017, and now, as the world's largest lithium-ion battery factory, we are expanding operations to De Soto, Kansas, providing you with the opportunity to experience career growth in more ways than one.

As an innovative thinker, you'll thrive here, as we continually push the boundaries of lithium-ion battery technology and production capabilities to enhance efficiency and performance in EVs.

Being part of Panasonic Energy means positively contributing to society, aligning with our commitment to building a better world through sustainable energy solutions.

We care about what you care about, fostering an environment where your contributions make a meaningful impact on the future of energy and transportation. Join us and be part of a team that values your work, encourages innovation, and actively contributes to a positive societal impact.

In addition to an environment that is as innovative as our products, we offer competitive salaries and benefits.

We Take Opportunity Seriously:

At Panasonic Energy, we are committed to a workplace that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. Fairness and Honesty have been part of our core values for more than 100 years and we are proud of our diverse culture as an equal opportunity employer.

We understand that your career search may look different than others and embrace the professional, personal, educational, and volunteer opportunities through which people gain experience. If you are actively looking or starting to explore new opportunities, submit your application!

Supplemental Information:

Pre-employment drug testing is required.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. All qualified individuals are required to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

Due to the high volume of responses, we will only be able to respond to candidates of interest. All candidates must have valid authorization to work in the U.S. without restriction.

Thank you for your interest in Panasonic Energy Corporation of North America.

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