Cost Analyst
Rocket Lab
Salary undisclosed
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Description
ABOUT ROCKET LAB
Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.
While other companies talk about it, we do it!
ABOUT FINANCE AT ROCKET LAB:
If you love digging into data, solving complex puzzles, and turning financial insights into real business impact, this role will keep you energised.
As our Cost Analyst, you’ll sit at the heart of our manufacturing and finance ecosystem, ensuring the accuracy of our costing, inventory valuation, and financial reporting so our teams can make confident, informed decisions.
This is an opportunity to work across multiple functions, influence key processes, and help strengthen our cost accounting framework. You’ll collaborate with teams in New Zealand, the US, and across the wider business while owning critical costing and inventory controls within our ERP environment.
WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:
Costing & Inventory Integrity
- Maintain the accuracy and integrity of all costing and inventory data in the ERP system.
- Work with the planning team to update project cost details.
- Reconcile production orders, work‑in‑progress, cycle counts, and annual inventory counts, including reviewing and recording count variances.
- Review standard costs and Moving Average Unit Costs (MAUC) to ensure accurate valuation and reporting.
- Build, improve, and refine costing reports that support both management and statutory reporting.
Reporting, Analysis & Compliance
- Run monthly sub‑ledger inventory reports and reconcile them to the general ledger.
- Deliver quarterly obsolete and slow‑moving inventory reserve analysis.
- Analyse cycle count coverage and prepare required SOX controls such as inventory reconciliations, production order aging, closing errors, and production variances.
- Support month‑end processing, including engineering cost and project cost to support project accounting.
Cross-Functional Partnership
- Partner closely with the NZ Finance team to explain costing methodology and ensure clarity around financial impacts.
- Work with the US cost accounting team to align activities with corporate standards and policies.
- Collaborate with ERP teams to support testing, deployments, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Provide training and user guides to finance and business users on costing processes, system functionality, and controls.
WHAT YOU'LL BRING:
- Strong analytical skills and a natural ability to interpret and explain complex information.
- Excellent attention to detail, organisational capability, and prioritisation skills.
- Proven variance analysis and independent problem‑solving skills.
- Experience ensuring compliance with GAAP or IFRS.
- Advanced Excel proficiency and solid Microsoft Office capability.
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting (or relevant equivalent experience).
- At least five years’ experience in general ledger and cost accounting.
THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:
- CMA certification.
- Experience in a manufacturing environment, aerospace or defence industry experience is a bonus.
- Hands‑on ERP experience with Infor LN, Oracle, JDE, SAP, or similar.
WHAT TO EXPECT
We’re on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that’s not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.
Important information:
FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.
Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at g.biow@rocketlabusa.com.This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.
FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:
For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.
About this role
Rocket Lab's Cost Analyst role sits at the intersection of manufacturing operations and financial control, responsible for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of costing and inventory data that drives decision-making across the company. You'll own critical processes in the ERP environment—reconciling production orders, managing inventory valuations, and building reports that support both management and statutory compliance. The work spans multiple geographies, requiring close collaboration with finance teams in New Zealand and the US, as well as partnerships with planning, engineering, and ERP teams to continuously strengthen the company's cost accounting framework.
This position demands strong analytical capability and meticulous attention to detail. You'll need at least five years of general ledger and cost accounting experience, a bachelor's degree in accounting, and advanced Excel proficiency. Hands-on ERP experience with systems like Infor LN, Oracle, JDE, or SAP is essential, as is familiarity with GAAP or IFRS compliance. Manufacturing or aerospace and defence industry background, plus CMA certification, would strengthen your candidacy. The role requires someone who can interpret complex financial information, solve problems independently, and communicate costing methodology clearly to non-finance stakeholders.
This is a full-time, in-office position in Auckland or the US. If you're applying for a US location, you must be a US citizen, lawful permanent resident, or eligible to obtain required ITAR authorizations due to space technology export regulations.
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