Cost Controller

Kayali; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 240,000 - 420,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Premium Medical/Dental/Vision coverage

Find your Magic Days

Volunteer Day

Birthday Leave

Egg Freezing Benefits

Employee discounts on Kayali products

Product gifting

Job summary

Kayali, a luxury fragrance brand, is seeking a Cost Controller in the United Arab Emirates to drive cost transparency and accuracy across COGS, with emphasis on manufacturing costs and variance analysis. You will work closely with operations and product development to ensure precise cost capture and continuous improvement.

The role requires 7+ years in cost accounting, strong analytical skills, and IFRS inventory knowledge. A CPA/CMA is preferred.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of cost accounting and financial analysis experience.
• Strong knowledge of standard costing, cost accounting, BOM structures, and inventory accounting principles.
• Proven ability to run variance analyses with clear root-cause explanations for leadership.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally with operations and product teams.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and BI/reporting tools; IFRS inventory cost implications knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Own product cost master data in the ERP: BOMs, validation of co-manufacturers and kitting locations.
• Maintain standard costs for SKUs across entities; incorporate direct and indirect costs.
• Simulate landed cost and track freight and duties; absorb into product cost.
• Provide costing support to product development and marketing teams.
• Lead the standard costing model and governance; annual cost changes.
• Reconcile inventory between ERP and 3PLs; resolve stock discrepancies with logistics.
• Reconcile production plans with contract manufacturers; validate invoicing against costs.
• Manage end-to-end inventory adjustments and intercompany stock flows.
• Oversee periodic stock counts across 3PLs/CMs; post adjustments.
• Prepare monthly cost and inventory reporting packs (GMVA, valuation, provisions).
• Perform variance analysis on standard vs actual cost with root-cause notes.
• Support forecast cycles for COGS; maintain cost trackers; assist month-end close.
• Define SOPs for cost and inventory; drive process improvements withSupply Chain.
• Lead cost input into supply chain initiatives (3PL tenders, new markets) and build baselines.
• Identify margin improvement opportunities and quantify savings.

Skills

Analytical skills

Financial modeling

Cross-functional collaboration

Excel

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance or related field

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics

MRP systems

BI reporting tools

Excel

Job description

Who We Are Fueled by passion, KAYALI was founded in 2018 by beauty mogul and fragrance fanatic, Mona Kattan.

Translating to ‘my imagination’ in Arabic, KAYALI provides a modern fragrance experience inspired by Mona’s rich Middle Eastern heritage and the art of layering scents to help you create your mood; where sharing scents is a ritual and smelling good is both an act of goodwill and self-love.

Mona collaborates with some of the world’s most renowned perfumers and sources the finest ingredients to create unique juices that are infinitely memorable, long-lasting, and cruelty-free.

Each luxurious fragrance is an ode to true craftsmanship and tells a special story, from the addictive notes to the multi-faceted jeweled bottles.

Our Mission

To make everyone feel like the diamond they are! To build a global community of fragrance lovers through the power of scent and by providing them with the most innovative & luxurious fragrances, education and sharing our Middle Eastern fragrance rituals with the world.

Summary

The Cost Controller at Kayali will play a critical role in driving cost transparency, accuracy, and control across the full scope of our COGS, with a particular focus on manufacturing costs, standard cost setting and variance analysis. This position will be instrumental in enhancing the profitability of our global business by ensuring data-driven cost management and supporting key strategic decisions. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with operations and product development teams to ensure precise cost capture, analysis, and continuous improvement.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Product costing & cost master data Own product cost master data in the ERP: create, activate and maintain BOMs for SKUs, including validation of co-manufacturer and kitting locations before costs are applied.

Maintain accurate standard costs for every SKU across all legal entities, covering all direct and indirect costs.

Simulate and monitor landed cost, maintaining the shipment/SKU-level freight and duty tracker and ensuring both are correctly absorbed into product cost.

Provide costing support to product development and product marketing teams.

Take ownership standard costing model: embed it as the single source of truth for product cost, run the model annually, and own the governance around cost changes.

Inventory & intercompany control: Reconcile inventory between the ERP and 3PLs, investigating stock-on-hand discrepancies and driving resolution with logistics and the 3PL providers.

Reconcile production plans and bulk and finished-goods stock with contract manufacturers, and validate manufacturer invoicing against agreed cost.

Control inventory adjustments end to end - within an agreed approval workflow.

Own intercompany stock flows: monitoring intercompany sales and purchase orders, resolution of un-invoiced transactions, and cost consistency across entities.

Own the periodic stock count process across 3PLs and CMs: agree the count calendar, review count results, investigate variances and post approved adjustments.

Reporting, planning, analysis & close: Prepare the monthly cost and inventory reporting pack: GMVA, inventory valuation, and provisions for slow-moving and obsolete stock.

Perform variance analysis on standard versus actual cost with clear root-cause commentary for leadership.

Support forecast cycles for COGS across finished goods, components and NPD, and maintain the cost trackers.

Assist with month-end close, ensuring accurate cost-related journal entries and account reconciliations, and maintain compliance with IFRS inventory and cost accounting requirements and internal controls.

Act as the finance data owner for cost and inventory across the ERP and BI landscape, defining KPI and reporting requirements and driving automation of the cost and inventory reporting pack.

Cost, process improvement & business partnering: Define, document and maintain SOPs across cost and inventory processes, and drive continuous process improvement with supply chain, logistics and operations to strengthen data accuracy and control.

Lead the cost input into supply chain and sourcing initiatives - 3PL tenders, network changes, support analysis and simulations for manufacturing initiatives and new market launches - building the cost baselines and business cases behind the decision.

Identify and deliver margin improvement, challenging cost drivers across manufacturing, packaging, freight and warehousing and quantifying the savings achieved.

• Premium Medical/Dental/Vision coverage
• Find your Magic Days
• Volunteer Day
• Birthday Leave
• Egg Freezing Benefits
• Employee discounts on all Kayali products
• Product gifting

KAYALI is committed to building diverse and inclusive teams and upholding an equal employment workplace that is free from discrimination. We hire stellar individuals regardless of their race, color, ancestry, religion, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, medical conditions, disability, or veteran status.

If you need reasonable accommodations at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field (CPA/CMA strongly preferred).

Proven experience (7+ years) in cost accounting and financial analysis, preferably within CPG or manufacturing sectors.

Solid knowledge of standard costing, cost accounting, costing methodologies, BOM structures, and inventory management & accounting principles.

Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, with proficiency in financial modeling, budgeting, and forecasting.

User of ERP systems (Microsoft Dynamics and MRPs an advantage), BI/reporting tools and advanced Excel skills.

Knowledge of applied AI to cost accounting disciplines a plus.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and communicate complex financial information to non-finance stakeholders.

Strong problem-solving abilities and a proactive approach to identifying and implementing cost optimization and process improvement opportunities.