Title:  Operations Cost Analyst

Operations Cost Analyst

Position Description

• Contribute to delivering KiwiRail’s cost intelligence capability
• Wide and varied responsibilities
• Permanent, Auckland based

He kōrero mō mātou | About us:

At KiwiRail, we connect New Zealanders sustainably, powering economic growth and ensuring vital freight and passenger services run smoothly. Our mission, "Stronger Connections, Better New Zealand," highlights our dedication to sustainability and community well-being. 

Our people make KiwiRail exceptional. By fostering a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace, we empower everyone to contribute their best. If you’re passionate about innovation and safety, we’d love to welcome you aboard. 

He whakamārama mo te tūranga mahi | About the role:

The Operations Cost Analyst supports the Operations Cost Manager in delivering KiwiRail’s cost intelligence capability. The primary focus of this role is the production of standard costs and cost-to-serve analytics that underpin pricing decisions and profitability assessment across KiwiRail’s freight and logistics operations.

• Develop and maintain standard cost models: Build and update product and corridor-level standard cost structures, ensuring they accurately reflect operational drivers and input costs.
• Generate cost-to-serve analytics: Produce regular CTS reporting that enables the business to understand the full cost of delivering services by product type, trading corridor, and customer segment.
• Analyse operational cost drivers: Develop unit-cost and efficiency measures that explain the relationship between operational activity, resource consumption, and financial outcomes.
• Support pricing, planning, and margin analysis: Provide costing inputs and analytical support to Pricing, Commercial, Finance, and Operations teams, enabling data-driven pricing, forecasting, and profitability decisions.
• Deliver profitability insights: Develop P&L analysis at the corridor, product, and customer level to identify opportunities for productivity, margin, and cost improvement.
• Maintain and enhance financial models: Continuously improve the accuracy, efficiency, controls, automation, and usability of cost models and analytical tools.

Key accountabilities include:

• Develop and maintain standard costing models
• Deliver cost-to-serve, profitability and P&L analysis
• Develop cost and support profitability analysis
• Analyse operational cost drivers and performance
• Undertake variance analysis and performance reporting
• Provide analytical support for pricing, planning, forecasting, business cases and investment decisions
• Support investment evaluations and asset utilisation analysis
• Develop and maintain unit-cost and performance measures
• Maintain the integrity of costing data and models
• Support the development and ongoing enhancement of KiwiRail’s costing capability
• Drive continuous improvement, automation and responsible use of AI-enabled tools
• Lead the costing contribution to cross-functional commercial reviews
• Support benefit identification and tracking
• Prepare reports, presentations and commentary

Ngā pukenga e rapu nei mātou | What (skills) you will bring:

Knowledge and experience

Essential:

• 5–6 years of relevant experience in a financial analysis, management accounting, costing, operational analytics, or commercial analysis role.
• Demonstrated experience in standard costing and/or cost-to-serve methodology — candidates with previous costing experience are strongly preferred.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and financial modelling, including the ability to build, maintain, reconcile, document, and improve complex multi-driver cost models.
• Sound understanding of cost allocation approaches including activity-based costing (ABC) or ABC Lite principles.
• Experience in actual-to-standard, cost-driver, or performance variance analysis, including the ability to identify, quantify, and explain material variances.
• Experience working with large and complex financial and operational datasets, including data extraction, reconciliation, validation, exception analysis, and control checks.
• Experience in P&L analysis at a product, corridor, or customer level.
• Understanding of unit-cost, productivity, utilisation, and operational performance measures and how these influence cost and profitability outcomes.
• Ability to translate complex cost data into clear, actionable insights for non-finance stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to challenge data, assumptions, and methodologies constructively, while maintaining positive working relationships.
• Experience working collaboratively across Finance, Operations, and Commercial teams.
• AI literacy and responsible use capability, including the ability to use approved AI-enabled tools to support analysis, reporting, documentation, automation, and problem solving, while validating outputs and protecting confidential or sensitive information.

Desirable:

• Experience in the transport, logistics, or infrastructure sectors, with an understanding of operational cost structures.
• Exposure to cost-to-serve modelling in a freight, supply chain, or similar operational environment.
• Familiarity with ERP, asset-management, transport-management, or operational systems, such as SAP, Maximo, or comparable platforms.
• Experience with business intelligence tools such as Power BI.
• Experience with data-query or transformation tools such as Power Query, SQL, or equivalent.
• Knowledge of pricing methodology and its relationship to cost structures.
• Understanding of fleet, asset, labour, fuel, terminal, maintenance, and network-related cost drivers.
• Experience developing automated reporting, management dashboards, or repeatable analytical processes.
• Experience applying AI-enabled productivity or analytics tools to improve finance, reporting, modelling, data preparation, or decision-support processes.
• Experience facilitating or contributing to cross-functional operational, commercial, or costing workshops.

Ways of working / Work-related qualities

• You communicate clearly and confidently, tailoring your message to different audiences.
• You collaborate effectively with colleagues and contribute to team success.
• You stay calm and composed under pressure and adapt to changing priorities.
• You take ownership of your outputs and seek opportunities for continuous improvement.
• You apply sound judgement, validate your assumptions, and surface data issues proactively.
• You are curious about emerging tools and technologies, including AI, and apply them responsibly to improve the quality, efficiency, and impact of your work.

Qualifications

• You hold a relevant tertiary qualification in accounting, finance, economics, data analytics, engineering, operations research, or a related discipline, or have equivalent industry experience.
• A CA, CPA, CIMA, or similar professional accounting qualification, or progress towards one, is desirable.

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you:

• Competitive salary plus 4% KiwiSaver employer contribution
• Access to discounted travel, health insurance & holiday houses across NZ as part of the Staff Welfare Trust 
• A strong Zero Harm policy to keep you safe

Kua rite, kia rite | Ready to Make a Difference?

Rā aukati | Applications close: 19 November 2026