Cost Accountant

Randstad; Guelph; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Comprehensive health and dental plan

Employee and Family Assistance Program

RRSP 3% Company match

CPA dues support/Professional Dev.

On-site cafeteria and gym

Open 24 hours

Job summary

Randstad Canada is seeking a Cost Accountant to join our manufacturing team in Ontario. This role partners with Industrial Engineers to validate costing data on the plant floor and supports BOM audits against actual performance.

The successful candidate will drive cost analysis, inventory valuation and forecasting, with a CPA designation and manufacturing accounting experience.

Qualifications

• CPA designation is required; late-stage CPA candidates or international designations with relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum 2+ years of manufacturing accounting experience, automotive experience preferred.
• Outstanding Excel skills (Pivot Tables, Macros, VLOOKUP) and data handling; PowerBI/SQL and ERP familiarity are assets.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex financial reporting, variance analysis, and month/quarter/year-end close activities.
• Collaborate with Industrial Engineers and Operations leadership; audit BOMs against actual floor performance.
• Digest large data sets with Excel to assess profitability and data integrity.
• Manage product costing analyses, inventory valuation, and part profitability.
• Support external auditors and internal SOX/government audits.
• Assist plant leaders with budgeting and forecasting cycles using actionable insights.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

CPA designation

Tools

PowerBI

SQL

ERP systems

Job description

Job Details

Are you ready to partner with a global industry leader in the automotive manufacturing sector; a company that has built a stellar reputation for innovation, financial stability, and long-term career growth? This is not just another standard "back office" role. If you looking for a Cost Accountant role that gets you out from behind a desk and onto the manufacturing floor, partnering with Industrial Engineers to validate data rather than just reporting it? ...

Could you see yourself stepping into a role that acts as a critical component of our finance team's long-term succession plan, providing an ambitious, career-minded costing specialist with a clear and structured runway for rapid advancement? Do you thrive in a high-volume, fast-paced environment where no two days are the same? Are you a resilient self-starter who genuinely enjoys an operational challenge and actively prefers a dynamic, energetic manufacturing setting over a quiet, slow-paced office? If you are a curious, data-driven professional looking for a corporate home where your financial analysis and operational costing directly impact plant profitability, could this be the perfect match for you?

Advantages

• Competitive base salary
• Comprehensive health and dental plan
• Employee and Family Assistance Program
• RRSP 3% Company match
• CPA dues support/Professional Development Courses
• On-site cafeteria and gym
• Open 24 hours

Responsibilities

• Reporting & Compliance: Lead complex financial reporting, variance analysis, and month/quarter/year-end close activities
• Operational Partnership: Step out from behind the desk to collaborate with Industrial Engineers and Operations leadership. Audit BOMs against actual floor performance to ensure data integrity
• Data Detective Work: Use advanced Excel skills to digest large volumes of data (sales mix, volume, profitability). "Dig in" to the numbers to discern if the information makes operational sense
• Product Costing & Analysis: Manage the collection and analysis of product costing, part profitability, and inventory valuation
• Audit Support: Act as a key liaison for external auditors and internal corporate audits (SOX/Government)
• Forecasting: Support plant department leaders through budget and forecasting cycles with actionable financial insights

Qualifications

• Education: CPA Designation is required (Late-stage CPA candidates or international designations will be considered with relevant experience).
• Experience: Minimum 2+ years of manufacturing accounting experience is non-negotiable. Automotive industry experience is highly preferred.
• Technical Mastery: You must be "Outstanding" in Excel (Pivot Tables, Macros, VLOOKUPs, managing large datasets). Experience with PowerBI, or SQL is an asset, but general ERP savvy is required.
• Soft Skills: You are not just "book smart", you possess the emotional intelligence to challenge numbers, ask the right questions to operations teams, and thrive in a deadline-driven environment.

Why Join?

• Mentorship: You will have a dedicated transition period with a senior consultant to ensure you are set up for success.
• Growth: This role is explicitly viewed as a pipeline for future leadership within the finance department.
• Impact: You will move beyond standard reporting to influence pricing strategies and operational efficiency.

Randstad Canada is committed to fostering a workforce reflective of all peoples of Canada. As a result, we are committed to developing and implementing strategies to increase the equity, diversity and inclusion within the workplace by examining our internal policies, practices, and systems throughout the entire lifecycle of our workforce, including its recruitment, retention and advancement for all employees. In addition to our deep commitment to respecting human rights, we are dedicated to positive actions to affect change to ensure everyone has full participation in the workforce free from any barriers, systemic or otherwise, especially equity-seeking groups who are usually underrepresented in Canada's workforce, including those who identify as women or non-binary/gender non-conforming; Indigenous or Aboriginal Peoples; persons with disabilities (visible or invisible) and; members of visible minorities, racialized groups and the LGBTQ2+ community. Randstad Canada is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible workplace for all its candidates and employees by supporting their accessibility and accommodation needs throughout the employment lifecycle. We ask that all job applications please identify any accommodation requirements by sending an email to [e-mail] to ensure their ability to fully participate in the interview process. This posting is for existing and upcoming vacancies.