Cost Accountant

Buckman; Chennai District; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Buckman is seeking a seasoned Cost Accountant with 10+ years of experience to manage product costing, inventory valuation, and manufacturing variances for its Chennai operations. The role collaborates with Operations, Supply Chain, FP&A, and Finance leadership to drive profitability and cost controls.

Ideal candidates will have a CA/CPA/CMA or equivalent qualification, strong Excel and SAP FICO skills, and proven ability in month-end close, budgeting, and forecasting in a manufacturing

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, commerce, business administration, economics, or related discipline.
• CMA, CPA, CA, or equivalent professional qualification preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial reporting tools.

Responsibilities

• Perform product costing, inventory accounting, and manufacturing cost analysis.
• Support month-end close, budgeting, and forecasting processes.
• Provide financial insights to operations and supply chain leadership.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls and reporting standards.

Skills

Analytical skills

Excel advanced

Communication

Independent worker

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance/economics

CI/CA/CMA/CPA preferred

Tools

SAP FICO

Power BI

Job description

Location: Chennai,India
Required Language: English
Employment Type: Full-Time
Seniority Level: Associate
Travel Mode: Moderate

About Us:

Buckman is a privately held, global specialty chemical company with headquarters in Memphis, TN, USA, committed to safeguarding the environment, maintaining safety in the workplace, and promoting sustainable development. Buckman works proactively and collaboratively with its worldwide customers in pulp, paper, leather, and water treatment to deliver exceptional service and innovative specialty chemical solutions to help boost productivity, reduce risk, improve product quality, and provide a measurable return on investment. Buckman is in the middle of a digital transformation of its businesses and is focused on building capabilities and tools in support of this.

Purpose:

The Cost Accountant is responsible for ensuring accurate product costing, inventory valuation, manufacturing variance analysis, and cost reporting for North America manufacturing operations. This role partners closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, FP&A, and Finance leadership to provide financial insights, strengthen cost controls, support month-end close activities, and improve profitability through effective cost management.

Q ualifications & experience:

Bachelor’s degree in accounting , Finance, Commerce, Business Administration, Economics, or related discipline.

CMA, CPA, CA, or equivalent professional qualification preferred.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial reporting tools.

Mandate Experience:

10+ years of relevant experience in Cost Accounting and Manufacturing Finance

Experience supporting manufacturing operations and inventory accounting.

Strong experience with ERP systems, preferably SAP.
Experience in standard costing, inventory valuation, and variance analysis

Experience supporting month-end close, budgeting, and forecasting processes.

Accountabilities:
Perform product costing, inventory accounting, manufacturing cost analysis, month-end close activities, and financial reporting support while ensuring compliance with accounting policies, internal controls, and reporting standards. Provide analytical insights that improve operational efficiency, profitability, and informed business decision-making

Maintain and update standard costs for raw materials, labor , and overhead components.

Validate Bills of Material (BOMs), routings, and cost structures to ensure costing accuracy.

Perform cost rollups and support new product costing activities

Monitor inventory transactions and inventory valuation processes.

Reconcile inventory accounts with the General Ledger.

Support cycle counts and physical inventory programs.

Investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies and valuation issues

Ensure compliance with internal control and audit requiremen ts.

Manufacturing Cost Analysis & Reporting

Analyse Purchase Price Variances (PPV), labour , material usage, and overhead variances.

Prepare monthly cost and margin analysis reports for management review.

Provide root cause analysis and actionable recommendations on cost variances.

Support profitability and margin improvement initiatives .

Deliver financial insights to Operations and Supply Chain leaders.

Strong knowledge of Standard Costing and Inventory Accounting

SAP experience, particularly costing and inventory modules.

Strong financial planning, analysis, and reporting capabilities.

Advanced Microsoft Excel skills; Power BI experience preferred.

Strong understanding of financial controls and compliance requirements

Review and analyze inventory and margin reports and conduct research and analytical studies regarding cost variance/movements and profitability.

Perform variance analysis of the price, cost, efficiency, and volume drivers related.

Others

Manage sales Incentive computation & accruals together and regular review with HRD and FD

Provide support to the FP&A Manager and Finance Director -APAC for any initiatives/projects assigned such as new reporting application implementation or training.

Required Skills

Familiar with ERP system and must have SAP FICO system.

Knowledge of statutory requirement / regulations / acts / various taxes (GST / VAT / Excise) in countries like India, Indonesia and Pakistan is an advantage

Computer proficiency in QlikView/Qlik Sense, SAP, RPA, and Microsoft Office applications (particularly MS Excel)

Good written, and verbal communication skills and ability to communicate effectively

Ability to work independently, be resourceful and be an effective team player and adapt to rapid changing environment in a fast-paced, changing, and high-volume environment with emphasis on accuracy and timeliness

Good interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity and able to deal & collaborate with people from various cultural backgrounds and countries