Assistant Cost Accountant (Harare)

Job Description

You will ensure accurate, timely, efficient and quality reporting and analysis for manufacturing costing. You will cover activities during Period End close for group reporting and internal management reporting. You will also drive the COGs module of the Dynamic Forecast within their scope of business units/factories. Additionally, you will be a key facilitator to the annual Standard Cost Budget process by working with the factory, business units, Costing Centre competence, Operations and Procurement

Duties and Responsibilities

A day in the life of an Assistant Cost Accountant:

• Review and analyze Factory Variances and provide transparency on variances to management (Operations and Business Units).
• Review and analyze actual costs of production (identify key drivers, provide analysis and explanation on results, provide insight on trends).
• Provide business and management with insight on how costs of production translate to COGs on the profit and loss statement.
• Drive and own the strategic planning process or costs of production and COGs (Monthly and Quarterly Dynamic Forecasts; Standard Cost Budget). Deliver and develop processes and solutions to report forecast COGs.
• Analyze and validate material price assumptions from procurement /CPCC; provide insight to management/Factories on financial impact of price movements.
• Review and analyze factory key performance indicators including operations performance, financial performance and compliance measures.
• Provide benchmarking and cost analysis requests for ESAR and support the business on SKU optimization reviews.
• Collaborate with Costing Centre of Competence on operational activities such as the Period End Close (PEC); Master Data; Factory health checks.
• Ensure timely communication of targeted information to the relevant parties; ensure services providers are in line with agreed expectations.
• Deliver and provide costing knowledge to the Business Units and Factories.

Qualifications and Experience

• University Degree in Accounting, Business or Finance.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in in Costing, Accounts payable, Accounts Receivable and Decision Support Analysis.

What will make you successful?