Senior Cost Analyst

About Us:
Since 1935, we’ve been on a mission to bring a little extra happiness to everyday life and inspire connections over food. We select the finest ingredients the world has to offer, craft premium products made with love, and never settle for shortcuts. We believe that when we share our food, we share a part of ourselves — and that’s the only way we’d put our name on it. 

Today, our small family company has grown into a national leader in specialty olives, peppers, and sauces under the leadership of CEO Jeff Mezzetta, and our commitment to quality has never wavered. With an 80-year legacy behind us and a bright future ahead, we’re seeking passionate, driven candidates to help us bring our cherished family traditions to a new generation.

The ideal candidate will have an immediate connection to our Core Ingredients:  

• Crunchy Crunchy: We are hungry for excellence.
• Own It: We think and act as an owner – with appetite, initiative, and responsibility.
• Connection: We build authentic relationships that foster trust and open communications.
• Vibrance: We come to work eager and passionate about fulfilling our vision. When we share our work, we share a part of who we are.

The Role 

This position is responsible for supporting production reporting and performance monitoring through data analysis, KPI development, and continuous improvement efforts for the BP&A function. This role bridges current operational practices with future-state initiatives to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and strategic decision-making within the operations team.  The Senior Cost Analyst is primarily responsible for developing the manufacturing budgets and providing insights from close reviews and analysis.  The position also maintains the full integrity of the item and product standard costs, including item masters, BOM’s, and ultimately the accuracy of finished good products costs in alignment with planning and performance management commitments.  The Sr Cost Analyst is expected to have a strong understanding of Cost Accounting principles and how those are best applied to the Mezzetta Procurement, Manufacturing, and Logistics processes. The role also assists in ensuring Balance Sheet integrity, and related Inventory Controls, through effective analyses and process management.

Establishing a reputation for ensuring reliable and accurate systems data, along with integrity of the reporting through strong, collaborative relationships with the functional leadership in Finance, Supply Chain, and the Commercial Teams (R&D, Operations, Procurement, Logistics, Sales and Finance) will be critical to success of the Senior Cost Analyst.

What You'll Do:

Performance Reporting and Planning 

• Maintain and generate daily/weekly/monthly performance reports and continue to improve them to best empower Operations with information needed to achieve their objectives.
• Collaborate with the Manufacturing team to plan and develop Labor and Production Overhead Budgets
• Act as a business partner to the Operations team (participates in the team meetings; shares performance metrics; helps analyze performance opportunities).
• Lead development and support of KPI’s related to Material Usage, Labor and Overhead
• Identify methods for new reporting needs to drive the business and coordinate with IT to develop.
• Support the Weekly Procurement, Manufacturing, and Logistics Performance reviews.
• Support the close reporting calendar for Supply Chain financial performance, to ensure the timely, accurate, and meaningful reporting of financial results at the end of each fiscal period.
• Assist in special projects as required by the Manager.

Standard Cost Management 

• Ensure Standard Costs align with Planning assumptions and commitments, to provide accurate variance reporting and performance management for the Supply Chain organization.
  • This includes maintaining the integrity of item masters, and all current BOM's and controlling the BOM change process to ensure the BOMs match the Operational and Quality Specs
• Own the development of BOM's for new products by ensuring they follow consistent application of operating procedures and planning assumptions, in accordance with the defined BOM structure.
• Perform hindsight review to ensure end to end accuracy from development to final cost submission.
• Collaborate with R&D, Operations, Procurement, Sales, and Finance to establish consistent cost estimates that align with planning assumptions for new products or existing product modifications.
• Manage and maintain the Labor & Overhead standard cost model.  Act as subject matter expert for the business with regards to model calculations and concepts.

 Master Data Maintenance

• Act as the gatekeeper for all Master Data changes.
• Create and maintain clear SOP's for Master Data requirements.
• Manage the Master Data update process and lead Master Data process flow enhancements.
• Accurately establish master data for all new items.

Who you are and what you’ll need for this position: 

• An educational background in Operations and/or Operational Cost Accounting, ideally with a degree in accounting with a sound grasp of accounting principles and GAAP.
• A minimum of 3 years of Cost Accounting experience demonstrated success in achieving the above responsibilities in a Manufacturing Environment.
• Ability to accurately prepare daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports.
• Must have a strong Cost systems background and have excellent analytical skills.
• Bi-lingual in English and Spanish preferred.
• Ability to collaborate and work with others across multiple departments.
• Proficient in Excel, Word & Outlook.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and detail-orientation.

Our Commitment to an Inclusive Workplace:
At Mezzetta, we embrace diversity and strive to create an inclusive environment where you know you belong. Part of that commitment includes a zero-tolerance policy and being an Equal Opportunity Employer that prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions at Mezzetta are solely based on merit, qualifications, abilities and business needs, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, national origin, disability, military or veteran status, family or parental status, pregnancy, or any other status protected by law. All of us share in the responsibility of fulfilling this commitment and creating a culture where our team can thrive.