Cost Accountant

Cost Accountant Location: Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 4EL Salary: Competitive, DOE Contract: Full-time, Permanent Benefits: Competitive salary, Private medical insurance, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, Salary sacrifice pension scheme, Life assurance, State-of-the-art working environment and the Opportunity to shape and influence business growth! Join VACGEN and Help Drive Financial Excellence in a World-Leading Manufacturing Environment VACGEN is a leading specialist in ultra-high vacuum technology, supplying innovative solutions to customers worldwide. We are seeking a motivated and analytical Cost Accountant to join our Finance team in Lower Dicker, East Sussex. Reporting directly to the Financial Manager, you will play a key role in delivering accurate product costing, inventory valuation, margin analysis, and financial reporting to support strategic business decisions and operational performance. This is an excellent opportunity for a finance professional with experience in manufacturing who is looking to further develop their career within a dynamic and growing organisation. As our Cost Accountant you will:

• Perform quarterly cost roll-ups and Bill of Materials (BOM) reviews.
• Analyse manufacturing variances, including material, labour and overhead costs.
• Monitor inventory valuation and reconcile inventory accounts.
• Coordinate and support inventory counts, cycle counts and stocktakes.
• Investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies.
• Prepare product and customer profitability analysis.
• Complete month-end journals relating to inventory and cost of sales, including: Obsolescence accruals, Labour and overhead reallocations and Absorption adjustments
• Produce daily and weekly labour efficiency reports.
• Prepare balance sheet reconciliations.
• Maintain the fixed asset register and process monthly depreciation.
• Prepare monthly board reporting on inventory ageing and inventory segmentation.
• Maintain and improve costing systems and ERP modules, including Microsoft Dynamics AX.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of financial and cost data.
• Develop reporting tools using Excel and Business Intelligence platforms.
• Drive continuous improvement and standardisation across finance processes.
• Ensure compliance with relevant accounting standards including IFRS and UK GAAP.
• Maintain robust internal controls relating to inventory and costing.
• Support year-end audit requirements and costing-related enquiries. In order to be successful in this role you must have:
• 1-2 years' experience in Cost Accounting or Management Accounting.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing or operational business environments.
• Experience using ERP systems such as Dynamics AX, SAP, Oracle or similar.
• Advanced Excel skills including pivot tables, modelling and data analysis.
• Strong knowledge of standard costing and absorption costing methodologies.
• Experience interpreting and presenting financial data for decision-making.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing or process improvement methodologies. It would be great if you had:
• Experience using Sage Payroll and Sage HR.
• Previous experience with Microsoft Dynamics AX.
• Professionally qualified or part-qualified (CIMA, ACA, ACCA or equivalent). Why Join VACGEN At VACGEN, you'll become part of a highly skilled team supporting advanced manufacturing and engineering solutions used around the world. You'll have the opportunity to influence business performance, improve processes, and develop your career within a supportive and innovative environment. Apply today and take the next step in your finance career with VACGEN