Kenneth Brian Associates are working on behalf of a well-established, Europe-wide business based in Croydon who are seeking an Cost Accountant to join their growing finance team.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with experience in a manufacturing environment who is looking to develop their skills in a commercially focused and supportive setting.

Reporting directly to the Management Accountant, you will play a key role in the day-to-day accounting function while supporting strategic financial decision-making across the business.

You will act as a key liaison between the bookkeeping team and external auditors, ensuring all financial data is accurate, timely, and audit-ready.

A strong focus of this role will be on costing and manufacturing analysis, giving you real exposure to production performance and margin optimisation.

• Ownership of product costing and margin analysis, including standard costing and variance analysis
• Assist in the Inital preparation of monthly management accounts (P&L, balance sheet reconciliations, and commentary)
• Acting as the main point of contact for external auditors, including year-end preparation
• Managing VAT returns, payroll journals, and cashflow forecasting
• Supporting budgeting and forecasting processes
• Providing guidance to the bookkeeping team and assisting with ledger duties when required
• Producing ad-hoc financial reports to support business decisions and process improvements

• 2–5 years’ experience in a finance role, ideally within manufacturing
• Strong understanding of costing principles
• Actively studying towards a professional qualification (e.g. ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
• Advanced Excel skills
• Experience with ERP systems such as SAP or Sage is advantageous
• Highly organised, detail-oriented, and able to produce audit-ready work
• Strong communication skills
• Proactive and able to work independently within a small team