Cost Accountant

Key purpose:

To model, interrogate and provide insights on detailed cost and profitability information in support of both current operational management decisions and planning for the future.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Prevent wastage and identify process improvements to contain and reduce costs
  
• Provide input into costing projects involving a segment, business unit, function or country/region (as applicable)
• Influence creative business solutions, optimise processes and inform strategic decisions through cost modelling and data analysis
  
• Build, run and execute profitability models and provide required reports for business
  
• Provide feedback to the business on monthly and ad hoc analysis and reports to support decision making
• Build and calculate cost models and work within established work and service processes
  
• Conduct review and scenario planning to provide guidance on budgetary process in terms of spend and forecast adjustments
  
• Develop new insights into situations and apply innovative solutions to make organisational improvements
  
• Provide input into the development of the tactical strategy, and develop and implement a supporting operational strategy
  
• Build working relationships across teams and functional lines to enhance work delivery, collaboration and innovation
  
• Deliver internal and external customer service excellence through adherence to quality service standards
  
• Continuously assess own performance through seeking timely, and clear feedback and request training where appropriate.
• Prepare and complete monthly costing journals in line with SLA methodology
• Responsible for planning and running of budget and forecast processes
• Build and maintain costing models
• Prepare costing and ad-hoc reports on a monthly basis
• Report on periodic variances and their causes
• Identify, control and escalate potential risks which may lead to increased costs.
• Manage costs within approved budget to achieve cost efficiencies

Qualifications and experience:

• Matric
• Minimum Qualification - Relevant Diploma/ Undergraduate Degree in Finance, Costing, Mathematics or similar
• Preferred Qualification - Relevant postgraduate degree, Financial or analytical modelling, qualifications, CIMA or ACCA
• Experience - 3 to 5 years experience in costing/commercial/ finance/pricing, of which 1 to 2 years ideally at a junior specialist level
• Knowledge and experience in Analytics Costing/Pricing principles
• CIMA/Associate General Accounting (SA)/ACCA or SAIPA will be advantageous
• Strong SQL and / or Power BI skills
• Banking / Financial Services Industry exposure