Cost Accountant – Finance & Manufacturing

About Us

Southern Cross Fertilisers runs Phosphate Hill and the Mount Isa Acid Plant. We are two operations in North West Queensland that depend on each other, and that our neighbours and the region depend on too. The fertiliser we make supports Australian farmers and helps put food on tables here and overseas.

We are Australian. We are resilient, diverse, invested and proud.

How we work matters to us. Safety is not a slogan here. It’s how we run every shift, and production never comes ahead of it. Our plants run on standards, not heroics: planned work, predictable tonnes, doing what we say we’ll do and when something goes wrong, we look at the system before the person. People here report openly because the focus is on improvement, not blame.

We’re an operation with a great reputation, and we back our people with meaningful work and high levels of ownership.

About The Role

This is a hands-on finance role at the intersection of finance and operations. You’ll own product costing, variance analysis and inventory valuation, turning manufacturing data into insights that leadership and plant managers act on.

Reporting to the Financial Controller, you’ll work closely with production, engineering and supply chain — close to the floor and to the decisions, not just reporting on them after the fact.

Key Responsibilities

• Cost Accounting & Product Costing
• Financial Reporting & Analysis
• Budgeting & Forecasting
• Inventory & Fixed Assets
• Compliance & Controls
• Systems & Process Improvement
• Cross-Functional Partnering

Qualifications & Experience

• CA, CPA qualified
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in a cost accounting, management accounting, or financial analysis role, ideally within a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Strong understanding of standard costing methodologies, inventory valuation, and variance analysis.
• Experience working with ERP systems and cost accounting modules.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel including financial modelling, pivot tables, and data analysis.
• High attention to detail with a commitment to accuracy and data integrity.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data and communicate findings clearly.

Highly Desirable

• Experience in the mining, resources, chemicals, or heavy manufacturing sector.
• Familiarity with bill of materials (BOM) structures, and production routings.
• Experience with data analytical tool, or other reporting and visualisation tools.
• Exposure to fixed asset management, capital project accounting, and depreciation schedules.

Benefits To You

• A team that shows up for each other
• 18 weeks paid parental leave for primary carer, 3 weeks for secondary carer
• Superannuation paid on unpaid parental leave, up to 12 months
• Salary packaging options
• Confidential employee assistance program
• Mental health and wellbeing program
• Options to purchase annual leave (where eligible)
• Real opportunities for career progression through succession planning and development

Everyone Gets a Fair Go

We want people from different backgrounds, experiences and walks of life. It makes us a better operation and a better place to work. We’re building a workplace that is safe and fair for everyone, with flexible work options that let our people do good work and have a life outside it. If that sounds like you, we’d like to hear from you.

About Our Process

Our recruitment process usually involves an interview (Teams or face to face), reference checks and a medical. Depending on the role, it may also include a site visit and psychometric testing.