Director, Manufacturing Finance & Cost Accounting

The role

This person will guide Capital Planning and Analysis, Cost accounting, Inventory accounting, and Manufacturing finance functions. They will support rapidly scaling defense manufacturing operations by partnering with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, Program Management, and Executive Leadership.

What you will do

• Lead the Manufacturing Finance, Fixed Assets and Cost Accounting organization.
• Own standard costing methodologies, cost rollups, inventory valuation, variance analysis, and overhead allocation processes.
• Partner with Manufacturing and Supply Chain leadership to improve operational efficiency, capacity planning, utilization, and profitability.
• Analyze material, labor, overhead, yield, scrap, and absorption performance.
• Develop product costing models to support pricing, business cases, and strategic investment decisions.
• Establish periodic cost reviews to ensure standards accurately reflect operational realities.
• Oversee inventory accounting, cycle counts, physical inventories, reserves, and excess and obsolete inventory analyses.
• Support monthly close, forecasting, budgeting, long-range planning, and executive reporting activities.
• Develop manufacturing KPIs and dashboards.
• Drive ERP, MES, PLM, and reporting automation initiatives.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Engineering, or a related field.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing finance, cost accounting, or operations finance.
• Experience leading teams in complex manufacturing environments with multi-level BOMs and inventory-intensive operations.
• Deep expertise in standard costing, inventory accounting, variance analysis, and manufacturing financial controls.
• Strong understanding of US GAAP related to inventory, capitalization, and manufacturing accounting.
• Demonstrated success building scalable processes, systems, and teams in high-growth organizations.
• Advanced ERP experience and strong analytical capabilities.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership skills.

Nice to have

• MBA and/or CPA.
• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, robotics, maritime, energy, hardware, or other complex manufacturing industries.
• Experience implementing or optimizing ERP, MES, PLM, or manufacturing reporting systems.
• Background supporting rapid production scale-up environments.
• Experience building finance organizations in venture-backed or high-growth technology companies.

Benefits

• Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual.
• Annual holiday schedule and paid sick leave.
• Premium, multi-tier Medical, Dental, and Vision plans.
• Equity grants.
• 401(k) retirement plan with pre-tax and Roth options.
• Annual professional development reimbursement program.
• Relocation assistance for eligible roles.

About the company

Saildrone is a maritime defense company and the global leader in autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). Their manufacturing and R&D headquarters are located in Alameda, CA.