Cost Accountant

Placr Recruitment; Lower Dicker; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Placr Recruitment in Lower Dicker, East Sussex, is recruiting a Cost Accountant to join the finance team of an established manufacturing business. This hands-on role maintains product costing, inventory valuations and financial reporting to support operational performance and profitability.

The role involves analysing variances, BOM reviews, and month-end processes while developing Excel models/BI dashboards from ERP data.

Qualifications

• 1–2 years' cost accounting or management accounting experience in manufacturing or operations.
• Good understanding of standard costing, absorption costing, inventory valuation and variances.
• ERP experience (Dynamics AX, SAP or Oracle) and advanced Excel for modelling and data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate product costing information, complete quarterly cost roll-ups and review BOMs.
• Analyse manufacturing variances across materials, labour and overheads and provide clear insights.
• Monitor inventory valuations, reconcile accounts, and support cycle counts and stocktakes.
• Prepare month-end journals for inventory and cost of sales; complete balance sheet reconciliations and margin analysis by product and customer.
• Develop Excel models, management reports and BI dashboards from ERP data; support system upgrades and process improvements.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Financial modelling

Analytical skills

Organisational skills

Problem-solving

Education

CIMA/ACA/ACCA or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics AX

SAP

Oracle

Job description

Cost Accountant

Location: Lower Dicker, East Sussex

Job type: Full-time, permanent

Placr Recruitment is recruiting a Cost Accountant to join the finance team of an established manufacturing business in Lower Dicker.

This is a hands‑on position with responsibility for maintaining accurate product costs, inventory valuations and financial reporting. You will provide meaningful analysis to support operational performance, financial control and profitability.

The opportunity would suit an experienced Cost Accountant or part‑qualified finance professional with experience in a manufacturing or operational environment.

The role

You will maintain accurate product costing information, complete quarterly cost roll‑ups and review bills of materials. You will analyse manufacturing variances across materials, labour and overheads, producing clear insight for finance and operational teams.

The role will involve monitoring inventory valuations, reconciling inventory accounts and supporting cycle counts and stocktakes. You will investigate discrepancies and produce board‑level reports covering inventory ageing and stock categories.

You will also prepare month‑end journals for inventory and cost of sales, complete balance sheet reconciliations and produce margin analysis by product and customer. Additional responsibilities will include maintaining the fixed asset register and preparing monthly depreciation journals.

Working with data from the company’s ERP system, you will develop Excel models, management reports and business intelligence dashboards. You will also support system upgrades, process automation, continuous improvement initiatives and the year‑end audit process.

About you

To be considered, you should have:

• At least one to two years' experience in cost accounting or management accounting within a manufacturing or operational environment
• A good understanding of standard costing, absorption costing, inventory valuation and manufacturing variances
• Experience using an ERP system such as Microsoft Dynamics AX, SAP or Oracle
• Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, financial modelling and data analysis
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving and organisational skills
• A professional accounting qualification or part‑qualified status, such as CIMA, ACA, ACCA or equivalent

Desirable experience

Experience using Microsoft Dynamics AX, developing BI dashboards or applying lean manufacturing and process‑improvement methods would be advantageous. Sage Payroll, Sage HR or previous accountancy practice experience would also be beneficial but is not essential.

Why apply?

This is an excellent opportunity to take ownership of an important area of finance while working closely with both financial and operational teams.

You will have the opportunity to improve reporting, strengthen financial controls and provide analysis that directly influences operational performance and profitability.