Senior Cost Accountant - MSD Operations at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA

Job description

• As a Senior Cost Accountant supporting Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Electron Microscopy business, you’ll sit at the intersection of Finance and Manufacturing Operations. You’ll own key cost accounting and month-end close activities supporting three U.S. manufacturing sites while developing a deep understanding of the operational drivers behind inventory, costs, and manufacturing performance.
• You’ll partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Planning, and Finance peers to turn financial results into insight—identifying cost drivers, investigating variances, strengthening controls, and helping the business make better decisions. This is an opportunity for someone with strong cost accounting fundamentals who wants greater ownership, broader manufacturing exposure, and a stronger voice in operational decision-making.
• This position is based in Hillsboro, Oregon and requires four days onsite, with ~ quarterly travel to supported factory locations.

Responsibilities

• Own cost- and inventory-related month-end close activities for three U.S. manufacturing sites—Richardson, TX; Fremont, CA; and Tewksbury, MA—including journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, variance analysis, and financial reporting.
• Own standard costing activities, including the annual standard cost update process, and partner with business owners to understand manufacturing assumptions and cost structures.
• Analyze and explain manufacturing variances, including materials, labor, overhead, and purchase price variances; investigate underlying drivers and translate findings into actions that improve cost and operational performance.
• Support accurate inventory valuation and controls, including inventory reconciliations, physical inventory counts, and cycle count programs.
• Partner cross-functionally and with site leadership to identify cost-saving opportunities, strengthen processes, and support operational decisions.
• Drive continuous improvement using automation and AI by simplifying reporting, improving processes and controls, and increasing the value Finance provides to manufacturing partners.
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards, company policies, internal controls, and audit requirements, providing timely and complete audit support.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and directly related experience.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in cost accounting and/or manufacturing finance, including standard costing, production variance analysis, and inventory valuation.
• Experience with month-end close, journal entries, reconciliations, financial reporting, and internal controls.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate complex financial and operational data into meaningful business recommendations.
• Experience with ERP and financial systems; QAD or Oracle Hyperion preferred.
• Strong Microsoft Excel, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Passion for process improvement using automation and AI, providing better insights and planning capabilities supporting better business decisions
• You’re curious about how manufacturing operations drive financial results and comfortable moving between detailed accounting and broader business analysis. You build credibility with Operations, can appropriately challenge stakeholders, and turn complex financial information into a clear, actionable story. You bring ownership, attention to detail, sound judgment, and a continuous-improvement mindset to a fast-moving environment.

Skills

Required

• Communication
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Curiosity
• Ownership
• Attention to detail
• Sound judgment
• Continuous-improvement mindset
• Microsoft Excel
• ERP systems
• QAD (preferred)
• Oracle Hyperion (preferred)
• Automation and AI