UK Projects & Senior Cost Accountant

IDEX; Evesham; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

IDEX Material Processing Technologies, based at the Matcon Head Office in Evesham, UK, seeks a Finance Business Partner to support Operations, Project Management, Supply Chain and Engineering. You will scrutinise budgets, cost-to-complete estimates, inventory valuation and margin forecasts, driving robust controls and actionable insights.

You will lead inventory best practices, monthly cost reviews, cycle counts and provide clear reporting to senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Experience in variance analysis, standard costing and cost accounting.
• Proficient in cost modelling and budgeting processes.
• Strong Excel/Power BI capabilities for reporting and analysis.
• Knowledge of JDE and SAP or other ERP systems is preferred.
• Experience partnering with operations to improve inventory controls.

Responsibilities

• Drive best practices in inventory management across the business.
• Manage annual stock take, cost roll and monthly cost reviews.
• Review monthly inventory and EOQ with cross-functional teams.
• Maintain control of project budgets and profitability.
• Provide variance analyses and margin reporting for leadership.
• Monitor costs, budget allocations and month-end close.
• Support ad hoc cost analysis and reporting requirements.
• Lead and challenge project forecasts and cost-to-complete estimates.
• Partner with Operations, PM, Supply Chain and Engineering on insights.
• Own standard costing at the location, BOM/routing cost integrity.
• Coordinate cycle counts and strengthen inventory controls.
• Analyze purchase price variance, material use and overhead costs.
• Support budgeting, forecasting and percentage of completion work.
• Drive continuous improvement in reporting and controls.

Skills

Variance analysis

Standard costing

Inventory accounting

Cost modelling

Excel/Power BI

JDE knowledge

ERP systems

Financial reporting

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree in Business, Finance, Accounting or related field

Part Qualified CPA or CMA advantageous

Tools

JDE

SAP

Job description

Join IDEX Material Processing Technologies and be part of a team that provides specialist equipment & solutions for powder material handling & blending, particle size reduction, and liquid processing for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food, and biopharmaceutical sectors. Here, you’ll collaborate with talented professionals from our globally recognized brands—including Quadro, Fitzpatrick, Matcon, and Microfluidics—who are dedicated to solving complex manufacturing challenges. Our commitment to trust, teamwork, and excellence empowers every team member to contribute meaningfully to help our global customers. We celebrate diversity and inclusivity, ensuring that every voice is heard and valued. If you are passionate about creative problem-solving and want to make a real impact, come and discover a rewarding career with IDEX MPT, where every day is an opportunity to excel and drive positive change.

Overall purpose of role: Acts as a finance business partner to Operations, Project Management, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance and site leadership, leading and challenging assumptions behind project budgets, cost-to-complete estimates, inventory valuation and margin forecasts. Drives actionable insights, strong controls and continuous improvement across project cost accounting and inventory management.

Key Responsibilities:

• Driving best practices in inventory management across the business
• Annual Stock Take & Cost Roll
• Monthly Job Cost Review with PM Team
• Monthly Inventory & EOZ Review with Purchasing & Factory Teams
• Control of project budgets & profitability
• Relevant variance analysis and margin erosion/gain report preparation
• Cost/budget monitoring & allocations
• Month end close responsibilities
• Providing ad hoc support across the business
• Report and analysis preparation as per requirements
• Lead and challenge assumptions behind project forecasts, cost-to-complete estimates, standard costs, inventory reserves and margin projections.
• Act as finance business partner to Operations, Project Management, Supply Chain, Finance, Engineering, and senior leadership, translating cost and inventory performance into clear actionable insights.
• Ownership of standard costing at Evesham under direction of the Global Operations Finance Manager, including annual cost roll, BOM/routing cost integrity, labour and overhead rates, inventory valuation and COGS accuracy.
• Lead cycle counts and physical stock take process, investigate root causes of variances and strengthen inventory controls and audit readiness.
• Provide root-cause analysis on purchase price variance, material usage, labour efficiency, overhead absorption, scrap/rework, warranty/quality costs and margin erosion/gain.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, project cost-to-complete reviews and, where applicable, percentage of completion accounting.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across reporting, controls, inventory accuracy, cost transparency and complexity reduction.
• This list is not exhaustive and the job holder may be asked from time to time to undertake other duties so that the team or department can function efficiently. Such a request will be reasonable and will be within this role’s normal scope of authority.

Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to engage across teams and drive meaningful change across the business
• Excellent communication skills
• Advanced capability in variance analysis, standard costing, inventory accounting, cost modelling and repeatable reporting using Excel/Power BI.
• JDE knowledge/experience required; SAP or other ERP experience beneficial.
• Must understand item master, BOM/routing, work order, inventory and cost accounting flows.
• Proficiency in managing general ledgers, journal entries, and account reconciliations
• Strong analytical & solution driven mindset
• Attention to details
• Continuous improvement mindset with experience simplifying processes, improving controls and building scalable reporting routines.
• Ability to learn and provide clear guidance to non-finance teams
• Proactive approach to Strong business partnering skills, including the ability to influence operations and non-finance stakeholders with data-backed recommendations.
• Able to lead and challenge assumptions constructively, identify gaps in operational plans and es

Knowledge & Qualifications:

• Proven progressive cost accounting experience in similar role preferred, ideally in manufacturing, project accounting, engineered to order, or inventory intensive environments
• Degree in Business, Finance, Accounting or related field
• Part Qualified Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Management Accountant (CMA) would be advantageous
• Knowledge of project accounting and percentage of completion accounting desirable.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with Operations/Manufacturing and Supply Chain teams on inventory accuracy, cost controls, cycle counts and margin improvement.

Location and any travel requirements: Matcon Head Office, Evesham, Worcestershire, UK. Occasional travel may be required.

IDEX (NYSE: IEX) is a company that has undoubtedly touched your life in some way. In fact, IDEX businesses make thousands of products that are mission-critical components in everyday activities. Chances are the car you’re driving has a BAND-IT clamp holding your side airbag safely in place. If you were ever in a car accident, a Hurst Jaws of Life rescue tool may have saved your life. If you or a family member is battling cancer, your doctor may have tested your DNA in a quest to find the best targeted medicine for you. It’s likely your DNA test was run on equipment that contains components made by our growing IDEX Health & Science team.