Blue Origin

Director of Cost Accounting

Blue Origin$187K — $263K *
Aerospace & Defense
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
  • 12+ years in accounting with 5+ years in cost accounting within manufacturing, aerospace, or defense.
  • 4+ years in a leadership role managing cost accounting teams.
  • Strong understanding of U.S. GAAP related to inventory and manufacturing costs.

Responsibilities

  • Lead all aspects of cost accounting, including actual and job costing.
  • Develop and maintain a cost system for manufacturing operations.
  • Manage monthly and quarterly cost accounting processes for accuracy and timeliness.
  • Oversee inventory accounting for various asset categories.
  • Conduct variance analysis and support cost reporting initiatives.
  • Design overhead rate structures and maintain documentation for cost accounting policies.
  • Collaborate with IT for ERP enhancements that affect cost accounting workflows.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance options.
  • Paid parental leave and short/long-term disability coverage.
  • 401(k) plan with a company match up to 5%.
  • Stock options for all regular employees.
  • Paid Time Off: Up to four weeks per year plus 14 paid holidays.
Full Job Description
Application close date:
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

This role is part of Blue Origin corporate functions, providing centralized support across Blue Origin business unit teams, functions, and locations.

Blue Origin is seeking a Director of Cost Accounting to lead and scale the company's cost accounting function during a period of significant growth and operational complexity. This leader will be responsible for establishing and maintaining best-in-class cost accounting practices across Blue Origin's manufacturing, engineering, launch operations, and program environments. The role will provide critical financial visibility into product costs, inventory, work-in-process, overhead allocation, and program profitability-enabling leadership to make informed decisions with speed and confidence.

The ideal candidate brings deep cost accounting expertise in a complex manufacturing or aerospace environment, a strong command of GAAP and government contract accounting standards (CAS/FAR/DFAR), and the leadership ability to build a high-performing team and scalable infrastructure from the ground up. This individual will partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Program Management, and FP&A to embed cost discipline and financial transparency across the enterprise.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Own and lead all aspects of cost accounting, including acutal costing, job costing, inventory accounting, work-in-process (WIP) management, and cost of goods sold (COGS) reporting.
  • Develop, implement, and maintain a robust cost system across Blue Origin's manufacturing and production operations, including engines, vehicles, and related subsystems.
  • Manage the monthly and quarterly cost accounting close process, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of all cost-related journal entries, reconciliations, and reporting.
  • Oversee inventory accounting, including raw materials, WIP, finished goods, spare parts, and long-lived assets under construction-ensuring proper valuation and controls.
  • Perform and manage variance analysis
  • Ensure accurate and timely capitalization of internal labor, materials, and overhead to capital projects and programs.
  • Design and maintain the company's overhead rate structure, including the development of indirect cost pools, allocation bases, and burden rate methodologies.
  • Provide program and product-level cost reporting and analysis, enabling clear visibility into unit economics, cost-per-unit trends, and program profitability.
  • Partner with Program Finance and FP&A to integrate cost accounting data into forecasting models, estimates at completion (EACs), and long-range plans.
  • Support make-vs.-buy analyses, design-to-cost initiatives, and total cost of ownership assessments by providing accurate underlying cost data and analytical support.
  • Develop cost reporting dashboards and tools that provide real-time or near-real-time visibility to operational and financial stakeholders.
  • Drive learning curve and production cost trend analysis to support program planning and pricing decisions.
  • Evaluate, enhance, and optimize cost accounting systems and ERP configurations to support scalable, accurate, and efficient cost capture.
  • Partner with IT and Finance Systems teams on ERP implementations, upgrades, and integrations that impact cost accounting workflows.
  • Establish and maintain cost accounting policies, procedures, and desktop reference documentation.


Minimum Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
  • 12+ years of progressive accounting experience, with at least 5 years focused on cost accounting in a manufacturing, aerospace, or defense environment.
  • Minimum 4 years in a leadership role (Senior Manager level or above) managing cost accounting teams.
  • Strong working knowledge of U.S. GAAP as it pertains to inventory, manufacturing costs, and revenue recognition in a production environment.


Preferred Qualifications:

  • CPA or CMA designation (CPA strongly preferred).
  • MBA or Master's degree in Accounting or Finance.
  • Experience with Microsoft D365.
  • Direct experience in the aerospace or defense industry, particularly in rocket propulsion, launch vehicle, or satellite manufacturing environments.
  • Experience standing up or significantly transforming a cost accounting function in a high-growth organization.
  • Track record of driving ERP implementation or optimization projects related to cost accounting modules.


Base Pay Range for:
WA applicants is $187,923.00 - $263,092.20

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

Don't meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Benefits
  • Benefits include: Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
  • Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
  • Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
  • Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.


About Blue Origin

Blue Origin is an aerospace company that develops rockets and spacecraft for commercial and government customers. The company's products include the New Shepard suborbital vehicle and the New Glenn orbital rocket. Blue Origin was founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos and is headquartered in Kent, Washington.
Learn more about Blue Origin
Size
3,000 employees
Industry
Founded
2000

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