Job Description

COST CONTROLLER
Location: Queenstown, Eastern Cape
NON-NEGOTIABLE REQUIREMENTS:
-Diploma or Degree in Finance
-Minimum 3 years' experience in a Cost Accounting role
-Experience within the Dairy industry
-Advanced knowledge conducting Bill of Materials (BOMs)
ROLE OVERVIEW:
The Cost Controller will play a key role in maximising profitability by ensuring accurate product costing, disciplined financial analysis, and proactive cost monitoring. The role provides clear visibility of production efficiencies, monitors daily gross profit performance, and supports continuous improvement initiatives across the factory.
Minimum Requirements:

• Diploma/Degree in Cost & Management Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• 3-5 years' experience in cost accounting or management accounting within the Dairy industry.
• Strong understanding of standard costing, BOMs, and manufacturing cost structures.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Sage, Syspro, or similar).
• Excellent analytical ability, accuracy, and attention to detail.
• Comfortable engaging with operational teams and interpreting financial data for non-financial stakeholders.
• Ability to manage deadlines in a fast-moving production environment.

Duties/Responsibilities:
Reporting & Financial Insight:

• Prepare accurate cost and expense reports for management.
• Analyse production performance and highlight key trends and variances.
• Monitor and report daily gross profit and margin performance across product categories.
• Conduct product profit margin analysis, including variable and fixed cost structures.Issue daily operational and financial reports to internal stakeholders.

Control, Standard Costing & Process Improvement:

• Maintain and update product costing, including materials, labour, and overhead allocations.
• Monitor and track BOM accuracy, standard costing, and actual vs standard cost performance.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction and process improvement across operations.
• Work with procurement, supply chain, and production teams to ensure all costs are accurately captured.
• Analyse cost movements, material prices, and consumption trends.
• Support the development and maintenance of cost forecasts.
• Allocate variable and fixed costs to correct cost centres.

Stock Administration, Inventory & Reconciliation:

• Capture daily production transactions and ensure cost data is accurate and up to date.
• Participate in annual physical inventory counts and provide variance analysis.
• Perform monthly inventory and cost of sales reconciliations.
• Investigate unusual fluctuations in stock or cost balances.

Skills Required