Our Client in Tarlton, Gauteng, has a permanent role available for a Cost Accountant and Business Systems Analyst (mid-level role).
This role will report into the Production Business Manager. Open to all ethnicities with a valid South African ID.Job Summary: The Cost Accountant will be responsible for analyzing, tracking, and managing production costs to help control expenses, improve profitability, and optimize production processes.
This role requires a strong understanding of cost accounting, production processes, financial analysis, and systems/report development.
The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, analytical, and experienced in managing budgets and improving reporting capabilities within an agriculture environment. Key Responsibilities: Cost Analysis and Tracking•Analyse production costs, including input materials, labour, and overhead. •Track production expenses and compare them to budgeted costs. •Monitor variances between actual and standard costs, investigating significant discrepancies. •Ensures the processing of all transactions through the ERP and business systems is accurate and up to standard. Budgeting and Forecasting •Assist in the preparation of the annual production budgets. •Collaborate with production and financial teams to develop forecasts. •Provide analysis for monthly and quarterly budget variances. Inventory and Inputs Costing •Oversee the costing of production inputs, ensuring accurate valuation. •Work with supply chain and inventory teams to manage inventory levels and reduce excess or obsolete stock. •Perform monthly reconciliations of inventory accounts and adjust for discrepancies. Standard Costing and Variance Analysis•Establish and maintain standard costs for products. •Conduct variance analysis on standard costs versus actual costs and report findings to management.•Implement cost-control initiatives to align actual costs with standards. Systems and Report Development•Develop and enhance cost reporting tools and dashboards to support timely, accurate decision-making to top management as well as the production managers. •Improve ERP and business systems to enhance data collection, reporting accuracy, and efficiency. •Collaborate with IT and finance teams to customize and optimize ERP and financial systems. •Generate regular and ad hoc reports for production teams and top management (costs, inventory, and variances) ensuring alignment with management needs. •Implement and train end-users in any system changes or new developments. •Continually evaluating and auditing production systems, ensuring system functionality, efficiency, accuracy and integrity of data. Collaboration and Communication •Work closely with production, finance and logistics teams. •Provide insights and support to managers in decision-making processes. •Maintain clear and timely communication regarding cost-related information. Qualifications•Education- Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field. •Experience- 3-5 years of experience in cost accounting within a production environment. Skills•Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. •Proficient in cost accounting software, ERP systems and Microsoft Excel. •Familiarity with standard costing principles, and reporting tools. •Experience in report development, systems enhancement, and data visualization. •Excellent attention to detail and accuracy. •Effective communication skills to collaborate across departments.