Cost Accountant

Job Location and Working Arrangement

This position is based in Kildare, County Kildare, Ireland, requiring commuting by car. The role offers a hybrid work model with two days per week working remotely.

Compensation

The salary ranges between 2,000 and 7,500 annually, with additional benefits.

Role Overview

Our client, a prominent FMCG group, seeks an experienced Cost Accountant to contribute significantly to operational and commercial teams. This role involves comprehensive product costing, financial evaluations, and delivering commercial insights to assist strategic decision-making, enhance cost management, and secure sustained profitability.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage complete end-to-end product costing for new launches, including initial estimations, recipe adjustments, packaging modifications, and financial assessments after launch.
• Ensure accurate maintenance of product costings, bills of materials (BOM), and routing costs aligned with operational information and necessary updates.
• Support pricing strategies, commercial offers, and tender applications through detailed costings, scenario analyses, and sensitivity assessments.
• Lead the annual Cost of Production budget process by setting sound assumptions, promoting cross-team collaboration, and assigning clear responsibilities.
• Continuously improve product costing methodologies to aid strategic choices and optimize profit margins.
• Establish strong internal controls, governance, and comprehensive documentation across all costing operations.
• Collaborate closely with operational and product development departments, delivering timely financial insights to inform decisions.
• Work with Procurement to confirm cost variations, track cost-saving initiatives, and maintain comprehensive audit documentation on cost fluctuations.
• Support the deployment of new systems through testing, validating data, overseeing go-live procedures, and conducting post-implementation evaluations.
• Examine weekly material and labor variance reports to identify patterns, inefficiencies, and potential improvements.
• Analyze Purchase Price Variance reports to uncover key drivers and trends, providing actionable insights.
• Assist in monthly performance reviews by presenting clear explanations of cost dynamics, operational results, and recommended corrective measures.

Required Skills and Experience

• Qualified accountant credentials such as ACA, ACCA, or CIMA.
• Proven background in standard costing and variance analysis within a manufacturing or product-centric setting.
• Strong experience using ERP systems, specifically relating to product costing, BOMs, routings, inventory, and reporting.
• Exceptional analytical capabilities combined with meticulous attention to detail and accuracy.
• Confidence in conveying financial data effectively to both finance professionals and non-financial stakeholders.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Self-motivated, organized, with a focus on solutions, and able to work collaboratively across multiple departments.

What We Offer

• A commercially focused position with wide-ranging cross-functional collaboration opportunities.
• Involvement spanning costing, operational finance, and strategic business decisions.
• Flexibility through hybrid work post initial onboarding and training.

Additional Information

Due to a large number of applications, only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted.