Cost & Operations Accountant

Profile Personnel; East London; On-site; ZAR 520,000 - 860,000; Full time

Job summary

Profile Personnel is assisting a client in East London, South Africa, to fill the Cost & Operations Accountant role in a manufacturing environment. The successful candidate will oversee product costing, inventory accounting, manufacturing financial analysis, operational reporting and strong financial controls to support profitability.

You will partner with Production, Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality, Regulatory and Finance teams to provide accurate insights, cost modelling, budget and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or cost/accounting.
• 3–5 years’ experience in costing/manufacturing finance.
• Experience in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, FMCG or similar manufacturing environments.
• Strong understanding of inventory accounting and product costing.
• Analytical and financial reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain and review standard costs for raw materials, packaging, WIP and finished goods.
• Analyse product costs, manufacturing variances and gross margins.
• Review BOMs and production routings to ensure accurate costing.
• Monitor material usage, yield and overhead variances.
• Support cost modelling and profitability analysis for new products.
• Manage inventory valuation and reconciliations across materials and finished goods.
• Ensure IFRS compliance and internal costing policies.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements and cost savings.
• Assist with capital expenditure evaluations and manufacturing investments.
• Prepare manufacturing budgets and operational forecasts.
• Monitor performance vs budgets and provide variance analysis.
• Support month-end and year-end financial reporting.

Skills

Costing

Manufacturing finance

Variance analysis

Inventory accounting

Financial reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

Excel

ERP system

Job description

Our client is seeking a Cost & Operations Accountant to join their manufacturing environment. The successful candidate will be responsible for product costing, inventory accounting, manufacturing financial analysis, operational reporting and financial controls.

This role will work closely with Production, Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality, Regulatory and Finance teams to provide accurate financial insights that support profitability, cost optimisation, operational efficiency and sound financial decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain and review standard costs for raw materials, packaging, WIP and finished goods.

• Analyse product costs, manufacturing variances and gross margins.

• Review Bills of Materials (BOMs) and production routings to ensure accurate costing.

• Monitor material usage, yield and manufacturing overhead variances.

• Support new product development through cost modelling and profitability analysis.

• Manage inventory valuation and reconciliations across raw materials, packaging, WIP and finished goods.

• Ensure inventory costing complies with IFRS and internal policies.

• Investigate inventory discrepancies, stock losses, obsolescence and expired stock.

• Analyse production yields, batch performance, waste, scrap and rework costs.

• Identify opportunities for process improvements and cost savings.

• Assist with capital expenditure evaluations and manufacturing investment decisions.

• Prepare manufacturing budgets and operational forecasts.

• Monitor actual performance against budgets and forecasts and provide meaningful variance analysis.

• Support month-end and year-end financial reporting.

• Assist with financial modelling and scenario analysis.

• Ensure adherence to internal controls, accounting policies and financial governance requirements.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Cost & Management Accounting or a related field.

• 3–5 years’ experience in costing, manufacturing finance or management accounting.

• Experience within pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, FMCG or similar manufacturing environments.

• Strong understanding of inventory accounting, product costing and manufacturing variances.

• Solid analytical and financial reporting skills.

• Strong Excel and financial systems/ERP experience.

• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.

• Ability to work collaboratively with operational and production teams.

Key Performance Areas

• Inventory accuracy and control

• Cost and manufacturing variance management

• Gross margin performance

• Cost reduction and operational efficiency

• Stock provision management

• Budget and forecast accuracy

• Accurate and timely month-end reporting

• Effective financial controls and governance