Cost Accountant

Our Client is the global market leader in the design, testing, and manufacture of specialty filter solutions for the tobacco industry. Headquartered in Singapore, the company operates nine manufacturing facilities across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, supported by two Innovation Centres, an accredited Scientific Services laboratory, and a Centre of Excellence dedicated to sustainability.

With a workforce of approximately 2,000 employees, Our Client serves customers in more than 120 countries worldwide.

Guided by a strong sense of partnership, Our Client’s purpose is to support its partners in transforming their businesses and realizing sustainable growth—succeeding together through collaboration. Its mission is to be a responsible, customer-focused innovation leader, delivering excellence in sustainable solutions for today and the future.

Responsibilities:

Product Costing

• Calculate and maintain standard costs for products.
• Determine labor rates and overhead absorption rates.
• Maintain costing sheets and databases, including new product costing and pricing support.
• Perform quarterly standard cost updates (cost roll).

Cost Analysis

• Analyze and explain variances including:
• Purchase price.
• Material usage.
• Labor and machine rates.
• Efficiency and overhead.
• Compare actual costs to standard costs and investigate deviations.
• Identify root causes of cost fluctuations.
• Analyze cost trends and evaluate cost behavior (fixed vs. variable).

Month-End Activities

• Support month-end close with cost accounting entries.
• Prepare journal entries with appropriate documentation.
• Ensure accurate Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) reporting in P&L.
• Reconcile general ledger accounts with subledgers.

Budgeting & Forecasting Support

• Support preparation of cost budgets for operations/production.
• Provide historical cost data for planning and analysis.
• Calculate standard costs for budget models.
• Monitor actual performance vs. budget.
• Support forecasting through cost projections.

Cost Optimization & Business Partnering

• Identify cost reduction opportunities through data analysis.
• Track and validate savings from cost improvement initiatives.
• Partner with procurement on material cost updates.
• Work closely with production on labor and overhead rates.
• Provide cost insights to support operational decision-making.

Requirements:

• Education & Experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field.
• Professional accounting qualification is a plus.
• Minimum 3+ years of experience in cost accounting (manufacturing environment preferred).
• Experience in product costing and standard costing methodologies.
• Exposure to SAP or similar ERP systems.

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of cost accounting principles and practices.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Knowledge of Power BI and/or VBA is an advantage.
• Familiarity with integrated systems and costing modules.

Functional & Industry Experience

• Experience working in a manufacturing or production environment.
• Understanding of production processes, cost drivers, and operational workflows.
• Hands-on exposure to plant-level costing and operational finance.

Core Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Structured and organized approach with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and collaborate with operations and supply chain teams.
• Strong communication skills in English (written and verbal).