Cost Accountant

Job Brief

The Cost Accountant is a critical role to ensure success in leading cost savings initiatives, understanding profitability by platform-by-product, and serves as a key financial partner to Production, Supply chain, Operations, and Sales functions. This role helps influence company decision-making by performing complex analyses and presenting recommendations based on these analyses to senior leadership. The Cost Accountant is also responsible for the calculation of regional cost standards and manages the process for calculating COGS for the monthly/annual operating plan and revised forecasts.

We are located in the Free Trade Zone in Cartagena and require a bilingual Cost Accountant with at least 3 years of professional experience and knowledge of the accounting processes in Colombia and the Free Trade Zone to perform the following functions:

• Accounting of accounting movements: bank reconciliations, purchases, portfolio.

• Management and preparation of taxes (Withholdings, VAT, income tax).

• Control the accounting system and records.

• Carry out the process of purchasing consumables, PPE, among others to ensure the good performance of the operation.

• Register all suppliers and make payments according to the guidelines of the management of the operation.

• Experience and Knowledge of Magnetic Media.

• Manage regional cost accounting function and inventory accounting for all products. Ensure accurate calculations of monthly raw material price and usage variances as well as actual production costs compared to standard costs. Responsible for allocation of certain budgets in Controlling (CO) and Profitability Analysis.

• Confirm analysis of factors driving variances and issue commentary to upper management explaining variances. Provide clear information on cost and budget allocations. Prepare operational metrics and recurring management reporting. Manage the reconciliation of the annual physical inventory count to the general ledger.

• Coordinate process for establishing annual cost standards based upon forecasts of material prices, production volumes, and terms of contracts with supply chain partners. Calculate annual cost standards. Manage process for calculating COGS for the annual operating plan and revised forecasts.

• Update policies and procedures related to cost accounting, inventory, and cost of goods sold for all products. Ensure variances and write-offs to the income statement are properly authorized, documented, recorded, and communicated per company policy. Ensure proper systems, internal controls, procedures, and metrics are in place.

• Develop and implement the strategies to reduce overheads and other costs, while striving to improve profit margins, using internationally accepted accounting and finance principles/standards.

• Documents financial transactions and reconciles financial discrepancies by collecting, entering, and analyzing account information.

• Prepares and processes payments by verifying documentation, and requesting disbursements.

• Maintains accounting controls by preparing and recommending policies and procedures.

• Handle employee reimbursements, travel allowances, and random expenses.

• Handling utility and other bills swiftly.

• Develop and maintain a database to ensure smooth transactions for all financial processes.

• Perform month-end and year-end procedures including, but not limited to preparing all month-end reconciliations and year-end working papers and reports (Weekly reporting of Debtors Collections/Accounts Receivable Records - Monthly reporting of CTG Expense Accounts and Individual Suppliers Accounts) for the PTNW annual audit.

• Run monthly budget performance reports for Departments and distribute them to department managers.

• Proven work experience as a Cost Accountant or similar role, where Free Trade Zone Taxes were managed.

• Advanced knowledge of MS Excel / Google Sheet (creating spreadsheets and charts and using financial Excel functions).

• Systems experience with Quickbooks/Magnetic Media or other relevant software.

• Good understanding of bookkeeping procedures.

• Able to plan and execute inter Auditing.

• Experience with International Forex, Banking, and reconciliation.

• Capable of working in production environments.

• Time-management and organization skills.

• BSc degree or similar qualification in Finance, Accounting, or Economics.

• 5+ years of general accounting experience.

• 3+ years of experience working with free trade zone regime.

• Experience with evaluation and analysis of financial information and making actionable recommendations that deliver results.

• Experience managing the finance function (accounting, budgeting, control, and reporting) within a global organization.

• Previous exposure and experience in global operations, control, tax, etc.

• Working knowledge of financial software, G-Suite and MS Office.

• Solid knowledge of basic and advanced accounting and financial principles and practices.

• Experience in reverse engineering companies, materials export industry or telecommunication industry will be beneficial.