Senior Cost & Operations Analyst – Manufacturing at Soko

• The Senior Cost & Operations Analyst will play a pivotal cross-functional role, serving as a bridge between the finance, production, and merchandising teams. This individual will be responsible for collecting, analyzing, and validating production-floor data to ensure accurate product costing and seamless integration with the ERP system. The role requires a strong understanding of operational workflows, cost accounting, and data integrity.
• This position will report directly to the Financial and Operations Controller, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the General Manager. Designed with long-term growth in mind, this role offers a clear pathway to more senior leadership opportunities within the organization.
• This role requires a strong foundation in finance/accounting and a deep interest in understanding manufacturing processes. The successful candidate will help drive data integrity, cost transparency, informed decision-making, and play an important supporting role in budgeting and cash flow planning within the finance team.

Key Responsibilities

• Production Data Collection & Validation
• Work closely with Merchandising and Production teams to gather real-time, accurate data on materials, labour, and overhead.
• Ensure data consistency across departments and alignment with financial reporting standards.
• Lead initiatives to improve data accuracy and process efficiency on the factory floor.
• Costing & Pricing Analysis
• Support the development and continuous improvement of costing models.
• Assist in pricing decisions with GM and Finance through analysis of cost components and production efficiency.
• Prepare cost variance reports with an explanation of the reasons behind the variances.
• Identify the root cause and implement process improvements across finance and production functions to enhance data flow and operational performance
• ERP Implementation Support
• Act as a key resource during ERP rollout by mapping workflows and ensuring correct financial data inputs.
• Maintain up-to-date costing data and collaborate with the ERP implementation team to test and validate system functionalities.
• Help document SOPs around ERP usage related to costing and production.
• Non-Biased Status Reporting
• Provide factual production status to finance and leadership.
• Collaborate with merchandiser to gather updates; report without bias or justification.
• Support cash flow forecasting by giving real-time visibility on production progress and delays.
• Consultant Collaboration (Oct–Mar)
• Co-develop costing processes, ERP workflows, and reporting tools alongside the operations efficiency consultant.
• Take ownership of embedding consultant outputs into day-to-day processes.
• Metrics & Reporting
• Generate weekly and monthly operational and financial reports for strategic decision-making.
• Develop dashboards tracking cost accuracy, order progress, efficiency, and scrap/rework rates
• Budgeting & Cash Flow Support
• Supply accurate cost and production data to support budgeting and forecasting.
• Align production spend with the weekly cash flow plans.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• CPA (K) or equivalent qualification preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a manufacturing or production environment, preferably in a cost accounting or production finance role.
• Hands-on experience with ERP systems is highly desirable.
• Strong analytical skills with a high level of attention to detail.
• Mid to advanced skills in Excel and/or Google Sheets, including pivot table creation and advanced formulas.
• Process-oriented, with a clear understanding of manufacturing workflows and cost structures.
• Curious, proactive, and eager to work cross-functionally.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.