Cost Accountant - Sohar Plant

**Job Title: Cost Accountant** **Location:** Sohar **Industry:** Chemicals Manufacturing **Reporting Line:** Accounting Manager **Employment Type:** Full\-time **About ZL Chemicals** ZL Chemicals is a global energy chemicals company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with operations across the Americas and the Middle East. For over 25 years we have developed and delivered advanced polymer chemistry, including polyacrylamide\-based friction reducers and proprietary automated hydration systems that make oil and gas operations more efficient, reliable, and sustainable. **Role Summary** The Cost Accountant owns product costing and inventory accuracy for the Sohar manufacturing operation. Reporting to the Accounting Manager, you will maintain the standard cost system, explain material, labour, and overhead variances to the people who can act on them, and produce the cost and profitability reporting management uses to price, plan, and control spend. This is a hands\-on role with daily contact with production, procurement, and the warehouse. Success looks like a costing model the business trusts, inventory that reconciles without surprises at year\-end, and variance analysis that leads to corrective action rather than commentary. **Key Responsibilities** **Cost Accounting** * Maintain and update standard costs for materials, labor, and manufacturing overhead. * Analyze material, labor, and overhead variances, investigate root causes, and recommend corrective actions. * Participate in annual standard cost roll\-ups and maintain accurate product costing data. **Inventory Management** * Review and maintain Bills of Materials (BOMs), production routings, and costing master data. * Support inventory valuation and reconciliation while ensuring compliance with accounting standards and company policies. * Coordinate cycle counts and annual physical inventory counts and investigate inventory variances. **Financial Reporting \& Analysis** * Prepare monthly cost reports, inventory analysis, and profitability reports to support management decision\-making. * Support month\-end closing, budgeting, and forecasting activities related to inventory and manufacturing costs. **Process Improvement \& Operational Support** * Monitor production efficiency, scrap, yield, and manufacturing cost trends to identify improvement opportunities. * Support ERP costing module maintenance and participate in process improvement initiatives to enhance costing accuracy and operational efficiency. * Other ad hoc tasks as assigned by Accounting Manager **Core Competencies \& Key Focus Areas** * **Cost Control \& Cost Reduction**: Identifying savings and optimizing manufacturing spend. * **Product Costing \& Profitability Analysis**: Ensuring accurate margins and pricing support. * **Manufacturing Performance Analysis**: Evaluating efficiency, yield, and scrap metrics. * **Production Budgeting \& Forecasting**: Driving accurate financial planning for operations. * **Procurement Cost Analysis**: Evaluating supply chain costs and vendor pricing impacts. **Job Requirements** * Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field. ACCA, CIMA or CPA designation is an asset. * Minimum 5 years of cost accounting experience in a manufacturing environment. * Solid knowledge of standard costing, inventory accounting, and cost variance analysis. * Experience with ERP systems and proficiency in Microsoft Excel. * Strong analytical, problem\-solving, and organizational skills. * Good communication skills in English, and ability to work collaboratively across functions. * Detail\-oriented, responsible, and able to meet deadlines in a fast\-paced environment.