Cost Accountant

Location: Harmony Organics Pvt. Ltd., Kurkumbh (MIDC, Daund, Pune)

Function: Finance (Manufacturing Costing)

Reports to: Plant Finance Controller (dotted-line to Corporate CFO)

Experience: 3–5 years in a chemical/process manufacturing environment

Qualification: ICWA/CMA (mandatory). B.Com/M.Com/CA (Inter) preferred.

Role Purpose

This is a hands-on plant-based costing role owning end-to-end product costing, process costing, inventory valuation, and margin analytics for a Major Accident Hazard (MAH) category aroma-chemicals facility. You will institutionalize standard costing, drive yield/utility variance controls, and provide decision-grade insights to Production, Maintenance, Procurement, QA/QC, EHS and Supply Chain to improve unit economics, working capital turns, and profitability.

Key Responsibilities

A. Product & Process Costing

· Build and maintain Standard Cost (BOM, BOP, routing, machine time, utilities, catalysts/solvents, packing material) in ERP (SAP/CO or equivalent).

· Perform process costing across reaction, hydrogenation, distillation/extraction, blending & packing; account for co/by-products, re-works, recoveries, and scrap/evaporation losses.

· Monthly roll-ups of Material, Labour & Overhead (M/L/OH); reconcile Absorption vs. Actuals; publish PPV/MPV/LEV/OEV (price, mix, labour efficiency, overhead efficiency) with root causes.

· Map and cost utilities (steam, power, chilled/brine water, nitrogen, instrument air), effluent treatment (ETP/STP/MEE), and environmental compliance costs per KL/MT.

B. Inventory & Valuation

· Ensure accurate WIP, RM, PM, SFG, FG valuation; perform cycle counts and full physical verifications with Stores & Production.

· Close month-end on time with clean GR/IR, production confirmations, variances posted, and COSTING RUN executed; reconcile consumption vs. yield.

· Control NRV provisions, slow/non-moving and quality holds with QA/QC; track recovery of solvents/catalysts.

C. Margin, MIS & Decision Support

· SKU/Customer/Market contribution analysis; landed cost versus transfer prices for CDMO/job-work.

· Should-cost models for new products, trials, and tech-transfers; scenario modeling for RM volatility, FX, freight, and duty structures.

· Weekly Cost Bridge & Margin Walk (Std → Actual), highlighting top drivers: yield drift, utility spikes, downtime, changeovers, off-specs, rework.

· Partner with Procurement on PPV and alternate sourcing; with Maintenance on TPM/OEE cost impacts; with Projects on Capex IRR/Payback.

D. Compliance & Controls

· Maintain cost records in line with Companies (Cost Records & Audit) Rules, 2014 as applicable to chemicals; support Cost Audit and Statutory/Internal/TfS/EcoVadis/Customer audits.

· Adhere to Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) where applicable; ensure robust controls for issues, backflush, re-work, re-classification, scrap handling and disposal.

· Support GST implications on valuation (job-work, captive consumption, stock transfers) and related-party pricing documentation (in consultation with Corporate Tax).

E. Systems & Continuous Improvement

· Be the process owner for CO/PP/MM costing master data integrity (BOMs, routings, cost centers, activity rates).

· Develop Power BI/Excel dashboards for real-time visibility of cost/MT, yield variances, and utility benchmarks; automate reconciliations via templates & queries.

· Run Kaizens on batch size optimization, changeover reduction, solvent/steam economy, rework minimization, and waste-to-value initiatives.

Success Metrics (KPIs)

· Month-end close for costing completed ≤ T+3 with zero critical errors.

· Std vs. Actual variance within ±2–3% at plant level; top 10 drivers tracked with CAPA.

· Yield variance (RM/solvent/catalyst) improvement ≥ 50 bps QoQ on targeted SKUs.

· Inventory accuracy ≥ 98%; WIP age & slow/non-moving stock reduced ≥ 20% YoY.

· PPV tracked weekly; savings opportunities quantified and agreed with Procurement.

· Utility cost/MT reduction on focus products ≥ 3–5% YoY (in partnership with Operations).

Candidate Profile

Must-Have

· CMA/ICWA qualified with 3–5 years in chemical/process manufacturing costing.

· Strong command of process costing, standard costing, absorption costing, variance analysis, and inventory valuation (AS/Ind AS aligned).

· Hands-on with SAP (MM/PP/CO) or equivalent ERP; Advanced Excel (Power Query, Pivot, LOOKUP/XLOOKUP, Power Pivot) and Power BI working knowledge.

· Understanding of EHS/MAH operating environment costs (ETP/MEE/STP, hazardous waste, solvent recovery).

· Demonstrated business partnering with Production, Maintenance, QA/QC, Procurement.

Good-to-Have

· Exposure to Cost Audit working papers and CAS documentation.

· Knowledge of GST valuation, job-work, stock transfers, captive consumption.

· Experience with OEE/TPM cost linkages, S&OP impacts, and CDMO/job-work costing.

Behavioral Competencies

· Ownership & Bias for Action: closes books on time, flags issues early.

· Detail Orientation with Plant Gemba Mindset: validates numbers at the shopfloor.

· Influencing & Challenge Constructively: data-backed pushback where required.

· Integrity & Compliance Orientation: zero-tolerance on misclassification and control lapses.

Working Conditions

· Base: Kurkumbh factory (on-site).

· Schedule: Plant hours with flexibility during month-end/quarter-end closure and audits.

· Safety: Compliance with all ISO 9001/14001/45001, MAH & site EHS protocols; mandatory PPE during shopfloor visits.

Day Mandate

30 Days

· Stabilize Std Cost master, map top-20 SKUs, validate BOMs/routings with Production & QA/QC; publish current Cost Bridge.

60 Days

· Implement weekly Yield & Utility Variance dashboard; close first costing run ≤ T+3 with reconciled GR/IR/WIP.

90 Days

· Deliver SKU-wise margin tree and should-cost for 5 priority products; institutionalize month-end playbook & RACI across Finance/Stores/Production.

RACI Snapshot (Costing Close)

Activity

R (Responsible)

A (Accountable)

C (Consulted)

I (Informed)

Prepare Std Costs, Variances

Cost Accountant

Plant FC

Production/QA

CFO

BOM/Routing Accuracy

Production

Plant Head

Cost Accountant/QA

Stores

Inventory Valuation & Count

Stores

Plant FC

Cost Accountant/QA/Production

Internal Audit

Utility Allocation Rates

Cost Accountant

Plant FC

Maintenance/Utilities/Projects

CFO

Equal Opportunity

Harmony Organics is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to a safe, inclusive, gender-neutral and meritocratic workplace aligned to our Integrity, Customer Obsession, Innovation, Teamwork, Performance Excellence, and Sustainability values.

How to Apply

Email your CV with subject "Cost Accountant – Kurkumbh | CMA | 3–5 yrs" to (attach last drawn CTC, notice period, and location preference).

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: ₹40, ₹90,000.00 per month

Benefits:

• Cell phone reimbursement
• Commuter assistance
• Health insurance
• Leave encashment
• Paid sick time
• Paid time off
• Provident Fund

Work Location: In person