Job Description
6Month FTC | Up to £55,000 | Preston, Lancashire | On-site | Manufacturing | Cost Accountant
Your new companyWe are currently partnering with a manufacturing business to appoint a Cost Accountant on a six-month fixed-term contract. The organisation operates across a mix of manufactured and externally sourced product ranges and has a strong focus on commercial accuracy and operational performance. This role will play a key part in ensuring cost transparency and pricing discipline, working closely with both manufacturing and sales functions. The successful candidate will support informed, data-led decision making by providing robust cost analysis, maintaining pricing integrity, and helping drive efficiency across the operation.
Your new role
* Managing, maintaining, and enhancing the cost and retail pricing systems to ensure accuracy and consistency
* Calculating product cost prices by consolidating and analysing data from multiple internal systems and databases
* Producing retail price lists for finished goods for the Sales Team, applying structured percentage markup models that reflect all direct and indirect costs, target margins, and maximum permissible trade discounts
* Delivering performance, efficiency, and productivity analysis across manufacturing operations to support operational improvement
* Applying sound commercial judgement to cost-related queries, identifying opportunities to improve business performance and cost efficiency
* Reviewing purchasing and costing information systems on an ongoing basis and recommending process or system enhancements where appropriate
* Creating, maintaining, and managing Bills of Materials and Operations (BOM / BOMO)
* Importing, updating, and validating raw material and purchased product pricing to ensure data integrity
What you'll need to succeedTo succeed in this role, you’ll bring a strong background in cost accounting, pricing, and manufacturing analysis, with the confidence to work across complex product structures and detailed operational data. You’ll be highly analytical and detail-focused, with the ability to translate accurate costing into meaningful commercial insight and influence decision-making across the business.
What you'll get in return
* Six-month fixed-term contract
* Salary up to £55,000, dependent on experience
* A commercially influential role with direct exposure to both manufacturing and sales teams
* Hands-on involvement with complex costing, pricing, and operational systems within a manufacturing environment
What you need to do nowIf you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or email me directly at benjamin.stanton@hays.com. If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new interim position, please contact me for a confidential discussion about your career. # 4792302