KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Management Accounts Reporting:

Manage team to prepare monthly management accounts with commentary on a timely basis enabling department managers to make and review commercial decisions taken
Investigate all material variances, proactively highlighting the impact these have on the business
Work with sales channel owners to deliver value added analysis, insight into business performance and improvement to support in driving the group's profitability
Work with merchandising to ensure stock is controlled and reported correctly.
Produce analytical commentary on monthly accounts for the Board of Directors
Business partnering and support in order to assist in understanding of monthly management accounts and to increase accuracy
Ensure key reconciliations are completed on a monthly basis (sales, margin, balance sheet, cash, etc.)
Review all reconciliations performed by the team and lead investigations into any areas of uncertainty
Ensure accuracy of the books (by nominal account and cost centre)
Ensure strong controls are in place, in particular for stock, cash, A/P, A/R and payroll

Year End Process and Statutory Reporting:

Work with retail operations to manage the year end stock take process
Manage the interim and year end audit process
Manage the year end process, producing full sets of UK statutory accounts for the group and various subsidiaries

Budgeting & Forecasting:

Coordinate and prepare the annual budget and reforecasts including P&L, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow. This will involve planning the timetable, coordinating inputs from the business and taking responsibility for updating budget models.
Prepare packs for the CEO and FD to explain budget variances. Contribute to board packs on all planning cycles.
Analyse risks and opportunities in weekly sales and margin results compared to budget/forecast
Assist with other forecasting needs within the business including scenario analysis, adding value in decision making, and building of financial models for business initiatives
Build commercial models to aid decision making, eg around new stores or offering free delivery

Other Requirements

Oversee production of other management reporting (e.g. daily sales, weekly sales and KPIs, other ad hoc analysis)
Coordinate turnover rent reporting to landlords, obtaining audited certificates as required
Review all VAT and sales tax processes, including UK, EU and US.
Ensure tax reconciliations are correct
Work with insurance brokers annually to ensure correct level of insurance is in place across the business

Stock Control

Oversee the stock count process in partnership with Retail and Logistics
Review and reporting of stock balances (weekly), write offs and stock provisions (monthly)
Ensure overall integrity of the cost value for stock lines and cost prices used in margin calculations
Understand the production cycle and impact on accounts
In conjunction with the management accountant, ensure overall integrity of the cost value for stock lines and cost prices used in margin calculations
Review of monthly stock provision and write the year end stock provision policy.

Team Management

Day to day support and management of the team, including recruitment of any new team members as required
Regular performance management and completion of annual appraisals against objectives for all team members
Supporting team members in identification and implementation of areas for process change.
Regular meetings with SAP specialist to coordinate IT projects affecting the finance function and testing and sign off of changes made

Experience & skills required / preferred

CIMA, ACA or ACCA qualified - essential
Experience with full ownership of the month end and year end close of the books process - essential
Advanced Excel skills - essential
Retail industry background, preferably with a multi-site, multi-channel organisation - essential
Excellent Excel

Financial Controller