Cost Accountant

About the role

Our client, a global fruit industry leader based in Paarl, is seeking a Cost Accountant to join their finance team. This hybrid position requires 2–3 days per week in the office and offers the chance to influence product, inventory and production cost management across a multinational environment.

Key responsibilities

• Review operational and production costs, develop and maintain costing models, and analyse profitability, margins and cost variances.
• Maintain inventory costing methodologies, coordinate stock counts, investigate variances and ensure accurate cost‑of‑goods‑sold reporting.
• Support annual budgeting and forecasting processes, prepare departmental cost budgets and monitor performance against targets.
• Prepare monthly cost and profitability reports, produce operational performance dashboards and present financial insights to stakeholders.
• Evaluate capital expenditure proposals, conduct cost‑benefit and ROI analyses, and monitor approved projects.
• Identify and implement process improvements, enhance costing procedures and reporting capabilities.
• Maintain internal controls over inventory and costing, ensure compliance with accounting standards and support audit activities.
• Partner with operational and commercial teams to communicate cost information and build cross‑functional relationships.

Required profile

• BCom degree in Accounting, Management Accounting, Cost Accounting or equivalent.
• Professional registration (CIMA, SAIPA, SAICA) is advantageous.
• Proven experience in cost or management accounting, including costing models, inventory accounting, budgeting, forecasting and management reporting.
• Experience within the agricultural sector and a multinational company environment is preferred.

Required skills

• Cost accounting and cost analysis
• Inventory accounting and valuation
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Financial reporting and KPI monitoring
• Capital expenditure and ROI analysis
• Process improvement and internal controls
• Stakeholder engagement across operational functions