Cost Accountant job summary
A great job description starts with a compelling summary of the position and its role within your company. Your summary should provide an overview of your company and expectations for the position. Outline the types of activities and responsibilities required for the job so job seekers can determine if they are qualified, or if the job is a good fit.
Example of a Cost Accountant job summary
Our clothing manufacturing firm needs a Cost Accountant to join our team. If you have worked in the manufacturing industry before and have advanced accounting skills, we’re interested in speaking with you. In this position, you will report directly to the Staff Accountant and provide your services in end-of-month and end-of-year accounting resolution tasks. Our firm produces a wide variety of clothing products, and we rely on cost-benefit ratios to drive our production line. We also need strict regulation over the costs of materials, supplies, machinery, shipping and other processes in the plant.
Cost Accountant responsibilities and duties
The responsibilities and duties section is the most important part of the job description. Here you should outline the functions this position will perform on a regular basis, how the job functions within the organisation and who the employee reports to.
- Prepare monthly journal entries manually or by initiating electronic creation through our software program
- Review JEs carefully for anomalies and other inconsistencies
- Prepare monthly and quarterly accounting reports for submission to management
- Conduct inventory reserve analysis on a quarterly basis and generate reports for senior management
- Assist the Staff Accountant with suggesting changes to policies or procedures to increase cash flow
- Review rates of depreciation, labour and overhead and suggest policy changes to improve numbers
- Classify costs accurately
- Generate PPV reports and analyse findings
- Establish standard costs and update them as appropriate
- Maintain and review the general ledger and reconcile balance sheets
- Analyse costs of raw materials and other supplies and create cost-benefit analyses for changing vendors
Cost Accountant qualifications and skills
Next, outline the required and preferred skills for your position. This may include education, previous job experience, certifications and technical skills. You may also include soft skills and personality traits that you envision for a successful hire. While it may be tempting to include a long list of skills and requirements, including too many could dissuade qualified candidates from applying. Keep your list of qualifications concise, but provide enough detail with relevant keywords and terms.
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field required
- 6+ years’ experience in general accounting or cost accounting
- General familiarity with the apparel industry preferred
- Experience in a manufacturing warehouse or facility a plus
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