Cost Accountant

Employment Solutions; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 450,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

Employment Solutions is seeking a Cost Accountant for a manufacturing-focused role in Sandton. The position involves developing standard costing, analyzing product costs, and ensuring accuracy of BOMs and inventories in a fast-paced environment.

You will partner with production, procurement, and sales to drive cost controls, budgeting, and profitability analysis. Advanced Excel skills and ERP experience are essential.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years' experience as a Cost or Management Accountant.
• Experience in food manufacturing, FMCG, or high-volume manufacturing environments.
• Strong understanding of inventory management and manufacturing processes.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and manufacturing costing modules.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent analytical and variance analysis abilities.
• Experience with budgeting and financial forecasting.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and review standard costing models for all products.
• Calculate and analyse product costs, including raw materials, labour, packaging, and overheads.
• Monitor actual manufacturing costs against standards and investigate variances.
• Perform inventory valuations in line with company policies and accounting standards.
• Ensure BOMs and recipes/formulations are accurate.
• Prepare monthly cost reports and management accounts for manufacturing.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes.
• Collaborate with production and procurement on cost controls and pricing decisions.

Skills

Cost accounting

Management accounting

Tools

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Costing modules

Job description

Are you passionate about driving cost efficiencies and supporting manufacturing excellence? Our client, a leading organization in the manufacturing and FMCG sectors with a strong focus on operational efficiency and financial integrity, is seeking a skilled Cost Accountant to join their dynamic team. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to a company committed to innovation and quality, ensuring optimal cost management in a fast-paced environment.

Duties:

• Develop, maintain, and review standard costing models for all products
• Calculate and analyse product costs, including raw materials, labour, packaging, and overheads
• Monitor actual manufacturing costs against standards and investigate significant variances
• Perform inventory valuations in line with company policies and accounting standards
• Ensure accuracy of product bills of materials (BOMs) and recipes/formulations
• Conduct regular stock reconciliations, cycle counts, and annual stock takes
• Analyse inventory movements, wastage, shrinkage, and obsolete stock
• Monitor production efficiency, yield losses, and material consumption variances
• Track direct labour costs and manufacturing overheads
• Collaborate with production teams to enhance operational efficiencies and cost controls
• Review manufacturing processes and support continuous improvement initiatives
• Prepare monthly cost reports and management accounts related to manufacturing operations
• Analyse gross profit margins, investigate variances, and support profitability analysis
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes
• Provide insights for pricing decisions and new product development
• Work with Procurement on raw material pricing and supplier performance
• Assist Operations and Production teams with cost analysis and efficiency initiatives
• Collaborate with Sales on pricing reviews and margin analysis
• Support capital expenditure evaluations and investment decisions
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, policies, and external standards
• Maintain accurate costing and inventory records

Requirements:

• 3-5 years' experience as a Cost or Management Accountant
• Experience in food manufacturing, FMCG, or high-volume manufacturing environments
• Strong understanding of inventory management and manufacturing processes
• Proficiency with ERP systems and manufacturing costing modules
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel
• Excellent analytical and variance analysis abilities
• Experience with budgeting and financial forecasting

Nice to Have:

• Knowledge of relevant accounting standards and regulatory requirements
• Familiarity with process improvement methodologies