Plant Accountant

Kerry; Butterworth; On-site; MYR 85,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Kerry is seeking a Plant Accountant in Penang to support the leadership team with financial analyses, forecasting, and cost accounting. The role focuses on accurate plant financials, CAPEX governance, and continuous improvement in financial performance.

The successful candidate will engage with Plant Leadership, drive reporting and variance analysis, and partner with Supply Chain to optimize inventory and costing processes in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Degree or professional certificate in Accountancy / Finance.
• 5 - 8 years of experience in accounting and/or financial analysis.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel is required; familiarity with data query/data management tools extremely helpful (Microsoft Word, Power Point, Access, SQL, Business Objects).
• Knowledge of ERP, ideally SAP and related data analysis tools are an added advantage.
• Exposure to manufacturing environment.
• Strong project management skills essential with broad understanding of functional workings of each department within a standalone business
• Self-starter who can manage fluctuating workloads and projects using a high degree of initiative
• Strong team player with a clear focus on stakeholder engagement and solution delivery

Responsibilities

• Manage the accuracy of plant financials including production volume, conversion costs, material usage variance, and standard costs.
• Provide accurate financial reporting, variance analysis, and commentary for IO performance.
• Lead forecast and budget process with plant IO stakeholders; support S&OP-driven forecasting.
• Partner with Plant Manager and Engineering for CAPEX governance and project planning.
• Evaluate CAPEX proposals and ensure projects stay within approved budgets.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in financial performance and KPI tracking.
• Collaborate to ensure reliable EPM data and usage for plant performance insights.
• Ensure governance and compliance with site policies and internal controls.
• Coordinate product costing, material ledger timelines, and data connectivity with GBS.
• Support site leadership with strategic investment planning and financial validation.
• Maintain inventory control and coordinate with Supply Chain on IDOS adherence.

Skills

Analytical ability

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Team player

Communication

Education

Degree or professional certificate in Accountancy / Finance

Tools

Excel

SQL

SAP

Business Objects

PowerPoint

Job description

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About The Role

The Plant Accountant will assume key responsibility for supporting the leadership team through financial analyses, forecasting, cost accounting and insights on reporting packages for the Plant leadership teams. As Kerry's ways of working, processes and systems are implemented across Kerry’s manufacturing facilities, the Accountant is expected to be a strong Agent of Change and Kerry champion while balancing a strong commercial growth agenda. This position is a flexing role most suited to a commercially astute and ambitious person who is naturally comfortable working autonomously and acting with a high degree of stakeholder engagement and buy-in. The successful candidate will be a strong team player, capable of demonstrating key leadership competencies and working in a fast paced and dynamic environment.

• Location Penang, Malaysia
• Reporting to Finance Lead Malaysia

Key responsibilities

• Managing Financials– Responsible for the accuracy of all plant financials including production volume, conversion costs, material usage variance, and standard costs. A clear understanding of inventory and the controls process are key
• Reporting & Analysis– Provides accurate, actionable and timely financial reporting, variance analysis, and commentary that leads to an understanding of the IO performance, enabling improved decision making and identification of opportunities
• Planning– Lead the forecast and budget process with plant IO stakeholders. Support the forecast process driven by S&OP update on monthly or needed basis, to support the decision-making process.
• Capital Management– Site Capital Gatekeeper partnering with the Plant Manager & Engineering Team. Partner with and coach the Plant Leadership Team in ensuring compliance to CAPEX Approval requirements, including data gathering to develop business plans, insights to influence decision making, ensuring forward looking plans to mitigate against Food Safety and Machine Breakdowns.
• Capital control – evaluate proposals, monitor spend, associated phasing and review with the Plant Team to ensure projects are delivered within the approved budgets and agreed timeline.
• Accelerate & Other Projects – Identifies areas of opportunity in the business associated with continuous improvement in areas of financial performance, business acumen, processes, standard work, systems and other areas. Financial Insights on the project plans and actual performance v targets.
• Continuous Improvement Programme - Participate in the assessment and validation of Plant Performance Programs & Scenario Planning and financial assumptions. Specify plant strategic investment requirements, to deliver accelerate projects, work with SME’s to validate projects, payback and quantitative and qualitative KPI
• Inventory control - Gatekeeper for inventory at site and at 3PL’s – including stocktake and inventory valuation is aligned to Kerry’s and Inventory Policy. Consult, partner with Supply Chain to ensure Inventory IDOS adherence and SAR is minimised with aligned cross functional push strategies to minimize Kerry’s write off exposure. Engage closely with Supply Chain on inventory holding strategy to achieve the Inventory Holding & IDOS target and minimise inventory at risk.
• EPM - Collaborate with the Functional Leads to ensure EPM data is reliable and support Plant Leadership team in understanding EPM Metrics. Leverage KPI’s in EPM to influence Plant Performance and lead with data insights to align across functions
• Financial compliance risk - Deployment of a site Governance model to ensure compliance with site KCSA, internal and Group policies ensure compliance. Ensure site compliance in line with KCSA governance
• Product Costing & Valuation (Material Ledger) - Ensure connectivity and timelines with the GBS to ensure Material Ledger is closed in accordance with regional timelines and is accurate and complete
• Product/Process costing – ensuring that yields, labour and direct overhead standards reflect the true cost of manufacture. Working with the Plant, Business and Process Teams to resolve any differences
• Strategic business partner for the Site Leadership Team.

Qualifications And Skills

• Degree or professional certificate in Accountancy / Finance.
• 5 - 8 years of experience in accounting and/or financial analysis
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel is required; familiarity with data query/data management tools extremely helpful (Microsoft Word, Power Point, Access, SQL, Business Objects).
• Knowledge of ERP, ideally SAP and related data analysis tools are an added advantage.
• Exposure to manufacturing environment.
• Strong project management skills essential with broad understanding of functional workings of each department within a standalone business
• Self-starter who can manage fluctuating workloads and projects using a high degree of initiative
• Strong team player with a clear focus on stakeholder engagement and solution delivery
• Analytical and problem-solving in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to synthesize large quantities of complex data into actionable information
• Ability to work and effectively communicate with senior-level business partners
• Good communication and written of English.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Good time management skills and the ability to prioritise
• Negotiation skills and the ability to influence others
• Proven ability to multi-task, work under pressure, and meet tight deadlines
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team