Manager, Cost Accounting

Join us as we empower the world to work out, creating healthier lives together. At Life Fitness / Hammer Strength , we’re not just building equipment—we’re shaping the future of fitness. As pioneers in fitness innovation, we design and manufacture the most durable, high-performance, and reliable fitness solutions in the world, empowering people and communities to live healthier lives. Our success is driven by a culture that puts customers first, embraces collaboration, and continuously raises the bar on performance, quality, and innovation. We are seeking a detail-oriented and strategic Manager, Cost Accounting, to play a critical role in ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and visibility of product costing and inventory across our global manufacturing operations. This highly collaborative position partners closely with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, IT, Customer Support, and Finance, as well as external consultants and system consultants, to provide the insights, controls, and analysis that support informed business decisions and operational excellence. As the owner of product cost accuracy and inventory accounting processes, you will lead key cost accounting activities including standard costing, inventory analysis, month-end close support, account reconciliations, overhead rate management, and reporting. You will also drive continuous improvement initiatives, strengthen internal controls, support audits, and help optimize systems and processes across multiple manufacturing facilities. This is an excellent opportunity for a finance and accounting professional who thrives on solving complex challenges, influencing cross-functional teams, and delivering meaningful business impact within a global industry leader. This is a hybrid position based out of our Global Support Center in Rosemont, IL. Monday and Friday are remote, with Tuesday through Thursday designated as in-office collaboration days. #LI-Hybrid As our Manager, Cost Accounting, you will: Create, maintain, and update product costs in Oracle. Participate in the annual frozen cost update by reviewing current material costs, applying the fixed and variable manufacturing overhead rates provided by the manufacturing controller, and reviewing pending cost adjustments as necessary. Manage the nightly Oracle cost update processes to ensure costs update as expected, suggesting and ultimately making changes to processes as required. Work with project managers to calculate new product costs in ad hoc worksheets and in Oracle as applicable. Participate in global projects and initiatives as a finance representative, driving change in current processes. Assist in business reviews by preparing presentations for senior management. Prepare reports, trend analyses, and analytics, including inventory analysis and the global inventory package / inventory turns. Assist with the timely and accurate closing of the monthly, quarterly, and annual consolidation cycle, including journal entries, account reconciliations, and related reporting packages. Reconcile showroom inventory and address any variances. Participate in domestic annual physical inventories and related book to physical reconciliation processes as required. Review, maintain, and monitor inventory valuation, accuracy, and variances using perpetual inventory records and the general ledger through daily, weekly, monthly, and annual processes, internal controls, and analyses. Ensure perpetual inventory transactions are calculated and recorded in the general ledger properly and on a timely basis. Perform detailed purchase price variance (PPV) analysis, reviewing large PPVs and working with commodity managers to validate invoice prices and inventory valuation. Age in transit inventory and follow up on aged in transit records with the appropriate warehouse personnel. Serve as a primary contact for Manufacturing, Supply Chain, CSS, Engineering, IT, and Finance across multiple manufacturing facilities, and interact with external auditors, systems consultants, and all levels of management to accomplish tasks and communicate results. Assist in creating, testing, and analyzing system integration processes related to inventory transactions and perpetual inventory records. Perform other related duties as assigned. What Life Fitness / Hammer Strength is looking for in our Manager, Cost Accounting: Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA or CMA preferred. 7+ years of progressive cost accounting experience, including demonstrated ownership of standard costing processes in a manufacturing environment. Demonstrated ability to analyze complex data sets and provide valuable, relevant insight to the business. Intermediate to advanced knowledge of automated systems and applications used in manufacturing and accounting (Oracle preferred). Advanced Excel skills and proficiency across Microsoft Office products. Experience with data warehouses; Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI) preferred. At Life Fitness / Hammer Strength, we think customer first , play as one team , and raise the bar on fitness innovation —in the gym and in every corner of our facilities. We persevere and get it done , with a clear purpose to inspire each other to live healthier lives . If you’re ready to bring out the best in people while powering the future of fitness manufacturing, we invite you to apply. Want to take the next step in your career? Life Fitness / Hammer Strength takes pride in our talented employees and believes in providing opportunities for further growth and advancement. We encourage you to test your strengths, push your limits, and unleash your potential. If you feel the position is right for you, we invite you to apply. We’ll work with you closely to support you throughout the hiring process. If your CV/ resume shows that your skills and experience have synergy with the job description, then we’ll hop on a call to get to know you and your experience and discuss the position in more detail. If it’s not the right opportunity this time, we’ll always let you know. At Life Fitness / Hammer Strength, we believe in taking care of our team with a comprehensive total rewards package that includes competitive pay and a range of valuable benefits. The salary range for this position, intended for U.S. applicants, is $93,000 - $135,900 annually.The actual salary will vary based on applicant’s education, experience, skills, and abilities. The salary range reflected is based on a primary work location of Rosemont, IL and the actual salary may vary for applicants in a different geographic location.This position is eligible to participate in Life Fitness / Hammer Strength’s annual Manager Incentive Plan to receive an annual discretionary bonus in addition to base salary. The amount of bonus varies based on company and individual performance goals and is subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan. Life Fitness / Hammer Strength offers a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time team members, including, but not limited to: a 401(k) savings plan with 4% employer match; medical, dental and vision insurance, parental, medical and military leaves of absence, paid time off, including 12 paid holidays throughout the calendar year, paid vacation days beginning at 13 days annually, paid sick leave as provided under state and local paid sick leave laws, company paid short-term disability and optional long-term disability, health savings account, health care and dependent care reimbursement accounts, employee and dependent life insurance and supplemental life and AD&D insurance, hospital indemnity; identity protection, legal services, adoption assistance, tuition assistance, commuter benefits, employee discounts, and an employee assistance program that includes free counseling sessions. Eligibility for benefits is governed by the applicable plan documents and policies. Life Fitness / Hammer Strength is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. Life Fitness / Hammer Strength complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding employment , recruitment and hiring. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. There continues to be a significant increase in phishing attempts across all industries where fraudsters are impersonating real employees and sending fictitious job offers to applicants in a scheme to obtain sensitive information. Please note that Life Fitness/Hammer Strength will never ask for your financial information at any part of the interview process, including the post-offer stage, and will only correspond through “@lifefitness.com” or "@indoorcycling.com" domain email addresses or “ [email protected] ” for U.S. opportunities. Life Fitness/Hammer Strength does not accept applications, inquiries or solicitations from unapproved staffing agencies or vendors.