Cost Analyst

RS Group•Richland Hills, TX

21h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Cost Analyst role sits within the Pricing & Procurement organization, a core commercial function responsible for protecting margin, enabling competitive positioning, and ensuring the accuracy and integrity of cost and pricing data across the Americas. The team operates at the center of supplier cost changes, contract driven pricing obligations, and commercial decision making—making it a high impact area with direct visibility to leadership. Cost Analysis is a strong place to build a career because the team works with real time market data, evolving supplier dynamics, and complex cost structures. Team members gain exposure to strategic pricing decisions, supplier negotiations, system upgrades, and enterprise-wide process improvements. Examples of the team’s work include: Translating supplier cost files into standardized formats used across legacy and modernized systems. Executing cost updates that directly influence margin performance and go to market pricing. Driving continuous improvement initiatives that reduce cycle time and operational risk across the cost update workflow. This environment is well suited for individuals who want to develop strong analytical skills, influence commercial outcomes, and contribute to cross functional operational excellence. The Cost Analyst ensures accurate, timely, and financially sound implementation of supplier cost updates into RS Americas systems. The role safeguards margin performance by validating supplier data, assessing business impact, and coordinating cross functionally to execute material cost and resale price updates. The Cost Analyst function is undergoing a strategic transformation driven by automation, data intelligence, and stronger supplier challenge capabilities. As automated cost conversion workflows mature, the role will shift from manual file processing to higher value commercial analysis, supplier engagement, and contract compliance oversight. Future Cost Analysts will spend more time analyzing supplier behavior, market conditions, and margin risks—and less time formatting data. Analysts who can interpret basic code to understand workflow logic, and identify points of failure in the automation process will be the most successful in this evolving environment.

Requirements

Advanced data analysis capability, including the ability to detect corrections and structural issues within large datasets.
Strong data extraction and manipulation skills.
Advanced Excel capability with strong command of VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, data modeling, and analytical functions.
Ability to reformat varied supplier cost inputs into standardized, system ready structures.
Strong focus on data quality, process rigor, and operational accuracy.
Excellent communication skills with an inquisitive, problem-solving mindset.
Demonstrated ability to constructively challenge existing processes.
High level of self-motivation; able to operate independently without micromanagement.
Ability to manage multiple priorities across recurring tasks and project-based work.
Ability to read and interpret code (e.g., Python or similar) at the basic level to understand workflow logic and identify failure points in automated cost conversion processes.
Ability to leverage Copilot and other AI tools effectively; comfortable querying AI systems to accelerate analysis, check logic, and identify anomalies.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Power BI for data visualization and dashboard consumption.
Previous experience with PriceFX or similar pricing, costing, or CPQ tools is preferred.
Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).
Background in pricing, cost management, procurement, or supply chain analytics.
Familiarity with cost modeling, margin analysis, or ERP driven cost workflows.
Ability to consolidate complex data inputs into unified reporting or system formats.

Responsibilities

Review, validate, and process vendor cost files—including tariff related updates—into standardized upload formats for legacy systems.
Update material costs and adjust resale pricing to maintain margin targets.
Identify data discrepancies, required corrections, and structural adjustments within large datasets.
Analyze and communicate financial impacts of cost changes to stakeholders.
Coordinate with Product Management, Supply Chain, and Pricing to ensure accuracy and timely execution of cost updates.
Maintain organized, proactive communication across functional teams.
Drive continuous improvement to enhance process efficiency, data quality, and processing speed.
Manage workload prioritization to meet tight timelines across both project work and daily activities.
Monitor supplier cost increase submissions, analyze underlying drivers, and identify opportunities to challenge unjustified increases using data, contracts, and market benchmarks.
Conduct contract compliance checks to confirm supplier cost files align with agreed notice periods, pricing terms, escalation mechanisms, and index-based adjustments.
Track commodity indices relevant to assigned product categories and proactively recommend cost reduction requests to supplier managers.
Respond to queries from internal stakeholders, validating cost/margin questions with clear, accurate, data driven explanations.