We are seeking a Cost Accounting Manager to build and own Tensor's cost accounting function as we scale vehicle and hardware production. This is a foundational role: you will establish standard costing, inventory accounting, and manufacturing cost controls across our vehicle, LiDAR, and compute hardware programs, and ensure our product costs are accurate, auditable, and decision-ready.

• San Jose, California, US (Salary Range: $75k—$350k USD)

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• Design, implement, and own the standard cost system for vehicles, sensors, and hardware components, including material, labor, and overhead rates, and periodic cost roll-ups.
• Own all inventory accounting: raw materials, WIP, finished goods, in-transit, and consigned inventory across contract manufacturers and suppliers, including cycle count and physical inventory programs.
• Establish and maintain reserves for excess and obsolete inventory, lower of cost or net realizable value (ASC 330), warranty, and firm purchase commitment losses, with audit-ready methodologies.
• Analyze and report manufacturing variances (purchase price, usage, absorption, scrap, rework) and drive root-cause resolution with supply chain and manufacturing engineering.
• Build BOM cost-accuracy processes with engineering and supply chain; govern ECO-driven cost changes and should-cost analyses.
• Own month-end close for inventory and cost of revenue, including journal entries, reconciliations, and gross margin flux analysis, on the corporate close calendar.
• Capitalize appropriate costs (tooling, pre-production, NRE) in line with US GAAP and coordinate with technical accounting on policy decisions.
• Design audit-ready controls over the inventory and costing cycle and support the external audit with schedules and walkthroughs.
• Partner with FP&A on product cost forecasts, margin bridges, and cost-down roadmaps.
• Support ERP costing module design, implementation, and data governance (item master, routings, cost centers).

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• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive cost accounting experience, including 3+ years in a lead or management role, in automotive, hardware, EV, robotics, or similar discrete manufacturing environments.
• Deep command of US GAAP for inventory and cost of revenue (ASC 330), standard costing, overhead absorption, and variance analysis.
• Hands-on experience with ERP manufacturing/costing modules (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing, Plex) and strong Excel skills.
• Experience operating with contract manufacturers and multi-site or international supply chains.
• Demonstrated ability to build processes from scratch in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment.
• Strong cross-functional communication skills with engineering, supply chain, and operations partners.

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• CPA and/or CMA.
• Experience at a company through public-company readiness or a first-year SOX implementation.
• Experience with new product introduction (NPI) costing and pre-production accounting for vehicles or complex hardware.
• Public accounting foundation with manufacturing clients.