Cost Accountant

Time Personnel; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in Johannesburg is seeking a Cost Accountant to enhance financial performance and assist in strategic decision-making. The successful candidate will be instrumental in driving process improvements, managing costing files, liaising with procurement, and supporting the preparation of budgets. Ideal candidates will have CIMA qualifications, relevant experience in management accounting, and strong analytical skills. Experience with tools like Power BI will be an advantage.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years experience in management accounting, ideally in a manufacturing or FMCG environment.
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills required.
• Strong understanding of product costing and margin management.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and manage costing files for pricing decisions.
• Lead S&OP meetings with cross-functional teams.
• Assist in the preparation of annual and rolling budgets.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical capability

Effective communication

Organizational skills

Commercial acumen

Team leadership

Education

BCom in Accounting / Finance

CIMA qualification

Tools

Excel

Syspro

Power BI

Job description

Cost Accountant position available in Johannesburg.

Are you a qualified Cost Accountant and have your CIMA or are working towards this, and looking for a career change to use your experience gained in manufacturing?

Join this team to play a pivotal role driving financial performance and supporting strategic decision-making. This will involve working closely with operations, contribute to process improvements, and help shape the financial future of this growing business.

If you are using added tools like Power BI this will offer valuable support in cost analysis, variance analysis, and identifying cost-saving opportunities.

Requirements:

• BCom in Accounting / Finance or equivalent qualification required.
• CIMA qualified or actively working towards a CIMA qualification preferred.
• 3–5 years of relevant experience in management accounting, ideally in a manufacturing or FMCG environment.
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills
• Experience with ERP systems (Syspro preferred).
• Strong understanding of product costing and margin management.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams including procurement and production.
• Effective communicator and team leader, especially in cross-functional meetings.
• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and analytical capability.
• Strong organisational and reporting skills.
• Commercially minded with good business acumen.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure.

Duties and Responsibilities::

• Maintain and manage costing files to support customer pricing decisions.
• Liaise with procurement to track and incorporate cost updates for timely pricing adjustments.
• Lead the S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning) meetings with procurement and other cross-functional teams.
• Work closely with production to understand material usage and ensure accurate costing.
• Develop a working knowledge of all production processes to improve costing accuracy.
• Assist in the preparation of annual and rolling budgets.
• Support financial managers by checking supplier and service provider payment documentation.
• Asset control and verification
• Capex control process administration
• Develop and maintain relevant reports to support sales and margin management.
• Coordinate and administer stock takes when required.
• Assist with ad-hoc finance tasks as requested by financial managers.
• Prepare procurement cost information to support price negotiations during pricing review windows.
• Maintain accurate records of all client pricing history and changes.
• Perform ad-hoc variance analysis across cost, margin, and operational performance.
• Review, understand, and verify standard cost information in the ERP system (Syspro).