Cost Accountant

Role: Cost Accountant

Industry: Manufacturing

Location: Philippines (supporting Australian operations)

Reports to: CFO (functional) / COO (operational interface)

1. Role Purpose

Own and embed robust unit-based manufacturing costing across rotor moulding, precast concrete, and related production lines.

This role will drive:

Accurate BOM and routing structures

Full absorption costing integrity

Margin visibility by product, plant, and project

Inventory valuation accuracy

Operational decision support

The position supports three Australian manufacturing sites and works directly with the COO and Head of Projects to ensure costing reflects operational reality not spreadsheet theory.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Manufacturing Costing & Systems

Design and maintain unit-based costing models (labour, materials, overhead absorption, scrap, freight allocation)

Build and maintain accurate Bills of Materials (BOMs) and routings

Embed full absorption methodology aligned with accounting standards

Partner with plant managers to validate standards vs actual performance

Analyse production variances (labour, material yield, overhead recovery)

B. Inventory & Controls

Ensure accurate inventory valuation across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods

Monitor inventory turnover and identify leakage in absorption

Lead standard cost updates and periodic cost roll-ups

Support cycle count reconciliation and audit processes

C. Operational & Project Support

Partner with COO and Head of Projects on:

New product costing

Capex ROI modelling

Plant utilisation analysis

Margin improvement initiatives

Support tender and project costing accuracy

Provide weekly/monthly manufacturing P&L analysis by site

D. NetSuite Ownership

Maintain costing configuration in NetSuite

Ensure correct GL mapping and inventory accounting

Improve reporting dashboards and data integrity

Reduce manual journals through system-based controls

NetSuite experience is mandatory or highly desirable.

3. Required Experience

Manufacturing Accounting:

5+ years in a manufacturing environment

Unit-Based Costing:

Proven experience building or operating standard/absorption costing models

Industry Exposure:

Rotor moulding, precast concrete, or similar heavy manufacturing preferred

Systems:

NetSuite experience strongly preferred

Variance Analysis:

Deep understanding of labour/material/overhead variances

Inventory Accounting:

Strong WIP and absorption knowledge

4. Technical Competencies

Standard costing & cost roll-ups

BOM structuring

Absorption recovery modelling

Production variance analysis

Advanced Excel modelling

ERP configuration knowledge (NetSuite preferred)

Strong understanding of accounting standards relating to inventory

5. Behavioural Profile

We are looking for someone who is:

Humble Low ego, open to feedback, team-first mindset

Hungry Proactive, improvement-driven, ownership mentality

Smart Strong analytical capability with practical business judgement

6. Working Relationships

Chief Operating Officer

Head of Projects

Plant Managers (AU)

Finance Team (AU & PH)

CFO

7. Success Measures

Clean absorption framework embedded across 3 sites

Reduced manual cost journals

Accurate manufacturing P&L by plant

Improved inventory accuracy and visibility

Standard cost governance framework implemented

8. Why This Role Matters

Manufacturing margin drives enterprise value.

This role will directly influence:

EBITDA quality

Inventory integrity

Operational decision-making