Cost Accountant

MK Recruit; Ramsgate; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

MK Recruit is pleased to support a well-established organisation with the appointment of a Cost Accountant. You will work with senior management to understand performance, control costs and turn financial data into meaningful commercial insight.

As Cost Accountant, you will own management accounting, budgeting and forecasting, analyse variances and report KPIs. The role emphasises collaboration with non-finance teams to drive better decision-making and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Experience in management accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Experience with cost control, variance analysis and performance reporting.
• Ability to interpret financial information and communicate it to non-finance colleagues.
• Strong Excel and ERP systems skills.
• Proactive approach and continuous improvement mindset.
• Excellent organisation and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• A recognised accounting qualification such as CIMA, ACCA or ACA, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Manufacturing experience would be advantageous, but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Produce and support management accounts, budgets and forecasts.
• Analyse financial and operational performance, including variances and key trends.
• Provide commercial insight to support business decisions and strategic planning.
• Monitor costs and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Developing and reporting meaningful KPIs.
• Supporting financial analysis around pricing, new projects and business proposals.
• Work with non-finance teams to explain the financial impact of their decisions.
• Provide clear and concise financial reporting to senior stakeholders.
• Contribute to improvements in financial processes, systems and reporting.

Skills

Management accounting

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial reporting

Variance analysis

Cost control

Analytical skills

Excel

ERP systems

Stakeholder communication

Continuous improvement

Education

CIMA/ACCA/ACA or equivalent

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

MK Recruit is pleased to be supporting a well-established and successful organisation with the appointment of a Cost Accountant.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance professional looking for a role that offers much more than traditional accounting. Working closely with senior management and teams across the business, you will play an important role in understanding performance, controlling costs and turning financial information into meaningful commercial insight.

The Opportunity

As Cost Accountant, you will take ownership of a broad range of management accounting and commercial analysis activities. You will help the business understand where it is performing well, where improvements can be made and how financial information can support better decision-making.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Producing and supporting management accounts, budgets and forecasts
• Analysing financial and operational performance, including variances and key trends
• Providing commercial insight to support business decisions and strategic planning
• Monitoring costs and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency
• Developing and reporting meaningful KPIs
• Supporting financial analysis around pricing, new projects and business proposals
• Working collaboratively with non-finance teams to help them understand the financial impact of their decisions
• Providing clear and concise financial reporting to senior stakeholders
• Contributing to improvements in financial processes, systems and reporting

This is a role where your analysis will have genuine commercial relevance. You'll be expected not simply to report the numbers, but to understand what they mean and help the wider business act on them.

About You

We're looking for an analytical and commercially minded accountant who enjoys getting behind the numbers and working with stakeholders across a business.

You are likely to have:

• Experience in management accounting, including budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting
• Strong analytical skills and excellent attention to detail
• Experience with cost control, variance analysis and performance reporting
• The ability to interpret financial information and communicate it effectively to non-finance colleagues
• Strong Excel and financial systems/ERP skills
• A proactive approach and a genuine interest in continuous improvement
• Excellent organisation skills and the ability to manage competing priorities
• A recognised accounting qualification such as CIMA, ACCA or ACA, or equivalent relevant experience

Experience within a manufacturing environment would be advantageous, but is not essential.

Why consider this role?

This is a great opportunity to join an established business where finance is closely connected to the wider operation. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to influence decision-making, improve financial visibility and contribute directly to business performance.

Working pattern: Office-based, standard business hours

Contract: Permanent