Senior Cost Accountant

KOS International Talent Group; Johor; On-site; MYR 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Our client, a leading multinational manufacturing organization in Asia, seeks a Senior Cost Accountant to drive cost control and inventory management in its manufacturing operations. You will partner with production, supply chain, procurement, and finance to deliver insights and support strategic decisions.

The ideal candidate has 5–8 years in manufacturing cost accounting, strong costing and BOM expertise, and proficiency in ERP systems, especially Oracle, with excellent Excel and stakeholder

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance or related field.
• Professional accounting qualification (ACCA/CPA/CIMA) or equivalent.
• 5–8 years in finance with at least 3 years in manufacturing cost accounting.

Responsibilities

• Provide financial analysis on manufacturing costs and inventory performance with cross‑functional teams.
• Develop and maintain standard costing models; verify BOM accuracy.
• Perform cost variance analysis and recommend cost‑saving actions.
• Monitor fixed and variable manufacturing costs; drive improvements.
• Manage inventory accounting, reconciliations, and GL postings.
• Support monthly closing, budgeting, and rolling forecasts.
• Assist audits, statutory reporting, and internal controls.

Skills

Cost accounting

Standard costing

Inventory management

Budgeting

Variance analysis

ERP (Oracle)

Excel

Financial analysis

Stakeholder management

English & Mandarin

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

ACCA/CPA/CIMA or equivalent

Tools

Oracle ERP

Job description

Our client is a leading multinational manufacturing organization with a strong footprint across Asia. As part of its continued business growth and operational expansion, the company is seeking a highly capable Senior Cost Accountant to join its finance team and support manufacturing operations.

This position plays a critical role in driving financial performance through effective cost management, inventory control, budgeting, and manufacturing analysis. The successful candidate will work closely with production, supply chain, procurement, and finance stakeholders to provide meaningful cost insights that support strategic decision-making and operational excellence.

The ideal candidate will possess solid experience in manufacturing cost accounting, inventory management, and standard costing, preferably within the manufacturing, industrial, chemical, energy, or oil & gas sectors.

About the Role

This role reports directly to the Senior Finance Manager, and its primary duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Partner with operations, production, procurement, and supply chain teams to provide timely and accurate financial analysis on manufacturing costs and inventory performance.
• Develop, maintain, and review standard costing models and ensure the accuracy of Bills of Materials (BOM).
• Perform cost variance analysis on production, manufacturing, purchase price, yield, scrap, and wastage variances, providing actionable recommendations to improve cost efficiency.
• Monitor and analyze fixed and variable manufacturing costs, identifying opportunities for cost savings and operational improvements.
• Manage inventory accounting, including inventory reconciliation, stock control, physical stock counts, and inventory module reconciliation to the general ledger.
• Participate in monthly financial closing activities, including cost analysis, performance reporting, and budget versus actual variance reviews.
• Support annual budgeting, business planning, and rolling forecast processes by providing accurate costing data and financial insights.
• Prepare inventory account reconciliations and ensure accurate recording of manufacturing-related transactions.
• Support external audits, statutory reporting requirements, tax-related matters, and internal control compliance.
• Participate in finance transformation initiatives, process improvements, ERP enhancement projects, system implementations, e-invoicing initiatives, and user acceptance testing (UAT).
• Lead and mentor junior finance team members, including task allocation, performance management, coaching, and development.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders across regional and global operations.
• Participate in ad-hoc projects and assignments as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or related disciplines.
• Professional accounting qualification such as ACCA, CPA, CIMA, or equivalent.
• Minimum 5-8 years of relevant finance experience, including at least 3 years focused on manufacturing cost accounting.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, inventory accounting, costing methodologies, and BOM structures.
• Experience within manufacturing, industrial, engineering, chemical, energy, or oil & gas industries will be an advantage.

Required Skills

• Strong expertise in cost accounting, standard costing, inventory management, budgeting, and variance analysis.
• Hands-on experience with ERP systems; exposure to Oracle ERP and system implementation projects is advantageous.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with excellent attention to detail.
• Good knowledge of financial reporting standards, taxation, compliance, and internal controls.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial data analysis.
• Self-motivated, independent, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively in both English and Mandarin to support interactions with regional stakeholders.