Cost Accountant

The financial controller will join our highly successful, European leading, sous-vide production site, which forms part of our rapidly expanding Irish consumer foods business. The incumbent will manage the site finance function, ensuring proper financial governance across the site. Reporting to the finance director for Karro Foods Ireland the post-holder will work closely with the operations director, site management team, central commercial team and central finance team, in relation to the financial impact of all commercial and operational matters. Overseeing the site finance team, closely supporting site management and focusing on the achievement of best practice, benchmarking against other organisations, working to develop the site as a centre of excellence within Karro Food Group. Ensuring that within operations the reputation of Karro is kept in line with the company code of conduct.

• Develop and maintain a strong working relationship with the finance director for Karro Ireland, operations director and site management team
• Liaise with other Karro site finance leads to ensure best practice is shared and adopted
• Work with the senior management team to develop and implement strategies for the growth of the business while improving the return on the shareholder’s investment
• Work with the senior management team to plan and implement working capital targets which will improve the cash flow of the business
• Work closely with the finance director in relation to the financial impact of all commercial and operational matters to ensure the maximisation of category performance
• Reconciliation and auditing of financial control information, providing accurate information to internal site departments, business units and group management
• Provide financial governance and control for all aspects of the site in line with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
• Maintain true and accurate financial records and audit trails
• Proactively seek opportunities for continuous improvement throughout
• Work with the senior management team to prepare the annual budget and weekly forecasts to agreed deadlines
• Work with the senior management team to deliver the agreed annual budget and weekly forecasts and when necessary provide analysis of variances from budget and forecast
• Motivate, train, recruit and select within the team for better performance and effective service, whilst also encouraging training and continuous development and that performance and development reviews are conducted in line with required timescales agreeing annual objectives

Essential experience:

• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or equivalent with post qualification experience
• FMCG finance experience within food manufacturing (preferably, fresh, chilled, frozen)
• Progressive track record of successfully operating at director/controller level within a food environment
• Previous experience of managing senior financial personnel
• Strong IT and systems knowledge with a skill set to effectively implement financial software projects
• Strong communication skills with the capability to communicate confidently internally and externally
• Good team working skills
• Able to work within an agreed established framework and cope with pressure, taking responsibility for decisions and owning the account plans
• Strong attention to detail and ability to report accurately
• Demonstrable skills of managing and developing a team
• High levels of professionalism, integrity and ethical awareness
• Determined and resilient, with the drive to complete tasks
• Excellent analytical and numeric skills together with the ability to identify and interpret market trends

Preferred experience:

• FMCG finance experience within the meat industry

Proactive health and safety is a prerequisite to employment at Karro Foods. All roles have a responsibility to demonstrate commitment to the companies’ health and safety goals, and as such it forms an essential component of all job descriptions, at all levels.

Benefits include:

• Competitive salary
• 20 days holiday

At Karro we are dedicated to rewarding and enriching the careers of the people who work for us. If you are hardworking, willing to get involved and respond well to a challenging and fast-moving environment, then you will find Karro to be a well-matched employer who will support you at every turn and reward your dedication with support, development and long-term career prospects.

About Karro:

Karro is a leading producer of both fresh and cooked pork products with c. 4,500 employees over 14 sites across the UK and Ireland. The business supplies to retail, foodservice and manufacturing customers across the UK, as well as export customers globally. We have full production chain visibility and our pork is eaten by millions of consumers every year.

Karro is part of the Eight Fifty Group which with the acquisitions of Youngs and Greenland Seafood is now one of the UK’s leading multi-protein food businesses, with sites across the UK, Republic of Ireland, Germany and France and sales of circa £1.9 billion.