Management Accountant
Role purpose
You will support management in financial
planning, performance management and decision-making across the business. The
role is responsible for budgeting, forecasting, management reporting, financial
modelling and performance analysis, working closely with operational teams to
understand key business drivers, identify risks and opportunities, and support
actions to improve financial performance.
The position will also support cost
accounting, capital investment analysis and the continued development of
management information and ERP systems.
Key responsibilities
1. Financial planning, budgeting
& forecasting
· Lead the annual budgeting
process, working with business and functional teams to develop robust
operational and financial assumptions
· Prepare periodic and rolling
forecasts covering financial and key operational performance
· Monitor forecast accuracy and
identify emerging risks, opportunities and corrective actions
· Develop scenario and
sensitivity analyses to support management planning and decision-making
· Support cash flow forecasting
and working capital planning.
2. Management reporting & performance
analysis
· Prepare timely weekly, monthly
and periodic management reports
· Analyse actual performance
against budget, forecast and prior periods, identifying the key drivers of
variances
· Provide clear and actionable
commentary on financial and operational performance
· Develop management reporting
that focuses on business drivers, trends, risks and opportunities rather than
financial results alone
· Support management in
translating financial analysis into specific performance improvement actions.
3. Financial modelling & decision support
· Develop financial models to
support operational and strategic decision-making
· Undertake profitability,
scenario, sensitivity and break-even analysis as required
· Evaluate cost reduction,
productivity and operational improvement initiatives
· Support business cases for new
projects, investments, outsourcing and other strategic initiatives
· Analyse the financial
implications of alternative courses of action and provide recommendations to
management
4. Cost accounting & operational performance
· Analyse costs of production,
cost of goods sold and gross margins across products and business activities
· Work closely with Operations
and Production teams to understand and monitor the key drivers of cost and
productivity
· Analyse actual production costs
against budget and operational standards and investigate significant variances
· Support development and
monitoring of cost of production and operational efficiency targets
· Identify opportunities to
improve margins, productivity and cost efficiency
5. Business partnering
· Partner with operational and
functional teams to improve understanding of financial performance and business
drivers
· Challenge operational and
financial assumptions where appropriate and support development of realistic
performance targets
· Provide financial support and
analysis to management on key commercial and operational decisions
· Proactively identify issues
requiring management attention and follow through on agreed actions
6. KPI & performance management
· Develop, monitor and report key
financial and operational performance indicators
· Ensure KPIs are aligned to
budgets, forecasts and the key drivers of business performance
· Analyse trends and exceptions
and provide management with early warning of adverse performance
· Support development of
appropriate performance dashboards and management information
7. Capital expenditure & investment appraisal
· Review capital expenditure
proposals and prepare financial evaluations including payback, return on
investment and other appropriate investment measures
· Monitor capital expenditure
against approved budgets and project plans
· Undertake post-investment
reviews where appropriate to assess performance against approved business
cases.
8. Management accounts & financial reporting
support
· Support the timely preparation
and review of monthly and annual management accounts
· Ensure management reporting
accurately reflects underlying operational performance
· Investigate significant
accounting or reporting variances affecting management information
· Work with the wider Finance
team to continuously improve the quality and timeliness of financial
information
9. ERP, systems & management information
· Play an active role in the
continued development and implementation of Sage and other integrated business
systems
· Support development of
reporting structures that improve cost accounting, production analysis and
management information
· Improve the use of systems and
data to automate reporting and reduce reliance on manual processes
· Promote data integrity and
consistency across financial and operational reporting
10. Audit & other financial support
· Provide analysis and supporting
information required for internal and external audits
· Assist in resolving audit and
control action items within agreed timelines
· Support the Financial
Controller, CFO and senior management on financial analysis and projects as
required
Requirements
Minimum qualifications & experience
i. Bachelor's degree in Commerce,
Accounting, Finance, Economics, Statistics, Business Administration, Business
Management or a related discipline from a recognised institution
ii. Professional accounting
qualification such as CPA, ACCA, CIMA or ACA
iii. Minimum 8 years' relevant
experience in management accounting, FP&A, cost accounting, budgeting,
forecasting or financial analysis
iv. Experience within agriculture,
manufacturing or another operationally intensive environment would be an
advantage
v. Demonstrated experience in
financial modelling, budgeting and management reporting.
Skills / attributes / knowledge required
a) Advanced Microsoft Excel and
strong financial modelling skills
b) Strong analytical ability with
the capacity to interpret financial and operational information and identify
key business drivers
c) Ability to translate analysis
into clear conclusions and practical recommendations
d) Strong commercial and business
acumen
e) Ability to challenge
assumptions constructively and independently investigate issues
f) Sound understanding of
budgeting, forecasting, cost accounting and management reporting
g) Good ERP knowledge; experience
with Sage would be an advantage
h) Strong communication and
business partnering skills, with the ability to work effectively with finance
and non-finance teams
i) Excellent planning and
organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet
deadlines
j) High level of attention to
detail and accuracy
k) Proactive, inquisitive and
solution-oriented approach to problem solving
l) Ability to work independently
while being an effective member of the wider Finance team.