Costing Manager – Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Johannesburg, South AfricaFull-timeSeniorOn-sitePosted 29 Oct 2026

Job Overview

Ultra Personnel is recruiting a Costing Manager for a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer in Johannesburg (Roodepoort; CareerJunction 2645702; posted 28 October 2026). The Costing Manager leads and manages the costing function across all manufacturing and supply chain units – establishing, maintaining and enhancing accurate standard cost systems and financial controls that underpin operational efficiency, profitability and strategic decision-making.

The role owns standard costs and bills of material, variance analysis and cost reporting, new-product costing and annual costing budgets (submitted to the Costing Committee), production cost control, CAPEX evaluation and monitoring, year-end and half-year stock counts, and the internal controls and compliance framework for costing – while leading and developing the costing team and partnering with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement and Finance.

Key Responsibilities

Develop, implement and maintain standard costing systems for materials, labour and overheads; keep BOMs and standard costs current in the ERP
Monitor, analyse and report production cost variances and usage deviations; identify root causes and drive corrective actions
Present actual vs standard cost performance reports to stakeholders monthly
Compile costing packs for new products with projected costs and margin analysis; prepare annual costing budgets for Costing Committee approval
Review monthly production expenditure, identify cost-saving opportunities and run post-season cost reviews
Evaluate CAPEX proposals (cost-benefit, ROI, payback) and monitor CAPEX spend against budget
Oversee year-end and half-year stock counts; investigate stock variances and ensure accurate valuation
Establish internal controls for costing, approve reconciliations and audit costing data integrity
Develop rolling cost forecasts with Finance and Operations and analyse cost-driver trends
Lead, train and develop the costing team

Required Qualifications

Chartered Accountant (CA) or CIMA qualification essential
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Cost & Management Accounting or Finance; postgraduate qualification advantageous
Minimum 5 years’ cost accounting experience within a manufacturing or supply chain environment
Strong command of standard costing, BOMs, raw-material costing and ERP-based cost management
Continuous professional development in cost accounting, ERP systems and manufacturing finance recommended

Skills & Requirements

Cost AccountingStandard CostingBills of MaterialVariance AnalysisCAPEX EvaluationStock ValuationManufacturing FinanceBudgeting & ForecastingInternal ControlsERP SystemsCIMATeam Leadership