Job Description

Senior Cost Accountant

Application Deadline: 31 July 2026

Department: Accounting & Finance

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Hawthorne, California

Compensation: $115,000 - $145,000 / year

Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is pioneering new ways to explore and operate on distant planetary bodies. We are singularly focused on designing, building, and operating a fleet of multi-purpose commercial planetary rovers to extend and enhance humanity’s presence in the solar system. We are seeking motivated, creative, and exceptional people to join our world-class team.

Astrolab is seeking a hands-on, detail-oriented Senior Cost Accountant to manage and execute our day-to-day costing operations as we transition from design to the manufacturing and testing of our first-of-a-kind lunar service robotics.

You will be the financial eyes and ears on the floor—tracking engineering design changes, equipment procurement, third-party contractors, test-product quality, spares, and scrap. Crucially, you will ensure our costing structures maintain strict compliance with both US GAAP and Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)

What you'll do:

NetSuite Implementation & Daily Execution

Implement, maintain, and customize NetSuite’s costing modules to align with company accounting policies and reporting needs.
Execute day-to-day cost accounting entries, labor distributions, and inventory reconciliations.
Establish and maintain work centers, routing steps, and Bill of Materials (BOM) cost structures within NetSuite.

Cost Tracking & Analysis

Track and analyze expenditures across multiple dimensions: by account, department, work station, and product segment.
Monitor and report on variances (material, labor, and overhead) between budgeted estimates and actual build costs.
Partner with Engineering and Supply Chain to accurately track and account for high-value scrap, rework, and spare parts inventory.

Technical & Regulatory Compliance

Apply US GAAP principles to accurately distinguish between R&D expenses (pre-technical feasibility) and Capitalized Assets (flight hardware/PP&E).
Ensure all cost accounting practices, labor logs, and overhead pools comply with FAR and government contracting requirements.
Assist the Controller in preparing for external financial audits and government compliance reviews.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality Assurance teams to ensure accurate tracking of test-product costs and qualification units.
Translate complex operational activities on the manufacturing floor into accurate financial data.

What you'll bring:

Required Experience & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
ERP Expertise: 2+ years of hands-on experience using NetSuite, specifically within manufacturing, inventory, or project-costing modules.
Regulatory Knowledge: Direct experience working in a FAR-compliant environment (Aerospace, Defense, or Government Contracting).
Core Accounting: 3–5 years of progressive cost accounting experience, with a deep understanding of job-order/project-based costing (low volume, high complexity).
Mindset: A hands-on executor who enjoys setting up processes from scratch and working cross-functionally with engineers and technicians.

Preferred Attributes

Familiarity with ASC 730 (R&D) vs. ASC 360 (Property, Plant, and Equipment) optimization for aerospace hardware.
Experience assisting with a NetSuite implementation or advanced customization phase.

Benefits and Perks

Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
Equity ownership in the company
Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
401(k) plan with company match
Flexible PTO and parental leave
Home office set up reimbursement
Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
Once a month social hour on-site with food and drinks

About Astrolab

Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is pioneering new ways to explore and operate on distant planetary bodies. We are singularly focused on designing, building and operating a fleet of multi-purpose commercial planetary rovers to extend and enhance humanity’s presence in the solar system.

Headquartered in Hawthorne, California, we are an American-owned and American-operated small business. Our team has more than five decades of experience in terrestrial and planetary robotics, electric vehicles, human spaceflight, and human intelligence field operations. Our stellar team, strategic partnerships with cutting-edge companies and institutions combine with our world-class manufacturing, integration and test facility will enable the delivery of lunar and Mars mobility solutions at maximum reliability, flexibility and cost effectiveness.

Having a strong, diverse, and inspired team is essential to accomplishing our bold mission. Employees are our biggest asset, and we are deeply committed to them and our values.

At Astrolab we…

Demonstrate and inspire trust. Interactions are direct, honest, and respectful. We are fair and transparent with what we do and why.

Thrive in balance. Balance gives us perspective and keeps us motivated and inspired. We commit to rewarding work and a fulfilling personal life.

Seek diverse perspectives. We ask questions, engage in productive debate and offer alternatives to ensure our solutions and products are robust and a reflection of our collective best.

Move with purpose. Quality and reliability are accomplished through efficient ideation and iteration. We act with a sense of urgency and deliver what we promise, always with the big picture in mind.

Make an impact. We intentionally move our community and industry into the future through our work, practices, and actions.

Check out our website for current openings and help us drive the future of planetary exploration & development!

Industry

Aviation & Aerospace

Company Size

51-200 employees

Headquarters

Hawthorne, California

Year Founded

2019

Website

astrolab.space

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