Cost Base Accountant

BAE Systems; Sherfield on Loddon; Hybrid; GBP 54,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defence contractor is seeking a Cost Base Accountant to support performance optimisation and decision-making. This role is based in the Reading area with potential for flexible arrangements. The ideal candidate will have experience in cost accounting and the ability to collaborate across various levels. BAE Systems offers comprehensive benefits including pension schemes and health plans. Join a company committed to inclusive workplace culture and impactful work.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Employee share plans

Flexible health and wellbeing benefits

Green car scheme

Private health plans

Shopping discounts

Qualifications

• Experience in cost and management accounting.
• Good understanding of organisational efficiency drivers.
• Ability to relay financial concepts to diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Analyse organisation cost base for performance optimisation.
• Produce regular and ad-hoc reporting for budget holders.
• Support calculation of rates and investigate pricing.

Skills

Cost and management accounting

Organisational efficiency

Stakeholder collaboration

Problem-solving

Education

Relevant financial qualification or studying towards it

Job description

Job title: Cost Base Accountant (Edgewing)

Location: Reading area. The role could be contracted to any BAE Systems site (preferably Frimley) but on commencement will immediately be assigned to our Edgewing JV in the Reading area. A financial support package may be available to enable this assignment if required, dependent on certain criteria being met. Due to the nature of this assignment, we envisage there will be a need for mostly on site working, however, flexible working arrangements may be possible – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this role.

Salary: £53,211+

What you’ll be doing

• Analyse the organisation cost base in order to support performance optimisation and decision-making, producing regular as well as ad-hoc reporting to be presented to senior budget holders
• Analysis of monthly actuals to understand key drivers for both labour and non-labour costs, including a focus on throughput and utilisation metrics as well as overhead management
• Support the calculation of rates and price investigation through subject matter expertise on the organisation’s cost structure
• Supporting budget holders with ad-hoc queries
• Support the delivery of optimisation initiatives for the business through ad-hoc pieces of work as required

Your skills and experiences

Essentials:

• Experience of cost and management accounting
• Good understanding of the key drivers of organisational efficiency
• Ability to collaborate with stakeholders of various seniorities and backgrounds, relaying financial concepts in a simple and understandable manner
• Problem solving mentality and ability to work in a fast-moving and dynamic environment

Desirable:

• Proven experience in establishing processes and workflows for new teams at project inception
• Relevant financial qualification (or studying towards it, depending on the level of seniority)

Benefits

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Edgewing – Finance Team

By joining Edgewing, you will have a unique opportunity to help shape the company from the ground up, setting the foundations for generations to come, influencing how we work, and helping us build something world-class together. At Edgewing, we’re united by a shared purpose to drive what’s next in defence – uniting UK, Italian, and Japanese expertise to shape the future of global defence. With trust at the heart of everything we do, we empower our people to dare to go beyond, bring their best as one, and leave a mark that matters on a truly global mission, making a lasting impact through work that truly matters.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 16th December 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.