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