Background The UK based Lowe & Fletcher Group is a family-owned business founded in 1889 for which both the fifth and sixth generation are actively involved. As a family business the Group takes a long-term approach to strategy and capital investment. The Group employs 1,000 staff and has a turnover of circa £90m. It is organised into two divisions: Locking Systems and Fire Safety. Within the divisions each operation is autonomous with its own management team, and there is a high degree of co-operation and support within the Group at all levels. Lowe & Fletcher (Wednesbury) Limited is based in Wednesbury and is the location of the UK’s main Locking Systems manufacturing facility. It designs, manufactures, assembles, and distributes specialised locking systems to a wide variety of customers throughout the UK and to its export markets. The company has implemented two new computer systems this year: Sage 200 as its accounting system and KAPS as its Manufacturing ERP system. Job Description The Management Accountant position will be based on site at Wednesbury, working within the Finance Department at Lowe & Fletcher (Wednesbury) Ltd. The role will report to the Head of Finance (HoF) and be part of a finance team of five. The successful candidate will be involved in all aspects of the operation's financial activities, including: Preparation of the monthly management accounts and the group reporting pack for review by the HoF. Balance sheet control account reconciliations. Maintenance and management of the Fixed Asset Register with support from the Accounts Assistant. Bank account reconciliations. Monthly expenditure analysis and follow up review with the respective budget holder. Develop business partnering with the internal management team. Completion of quarterly VAT returns. Provide backup support and absence cover for other members of the finance team, being Payroll, Sales Ledger / Credit Control and Purchase Ledger. Assisting the HoF in developing new internal reporting information, specifically for Gross Margin analysis. Assisting the HoF with product costings and stock valuations within the KAP’s manufacturing system. Support the HoF with the monthly stock valuation reporting and analysis of movements and with the year-end stock take and the year-end valuation. Assisting the HoF with the preparation of the annual budget. Preparation of year-end financial accounts and associated audit and taxation packs. Consulting with the external auditors during the year-end audit. Providing professional finance support to specific projects including, but not limited, to following: Working capital reduction review, specifically stock reduction. Fixed Asset Register cleansing and verification and identification of assets held. Merging of the current four payrolls into one monthly payroll. Margin review and analysis of costings. Compilation of the strategic, budget, and other financial plans. Control of cash flow within defined parameter. 3. Education and Experience The successful candidate must: Be qualified ACCA or CIMA, or an experienced QBE Accountant. Have experience of working in a manufacturing SME business. Have advanced Excel knowledge. Good system knowledge especially with ERP systems. 4. Professional and personal qualities A confident, positive, dynamic individual. Structured, organised, and independent. Good team and project management skills. Ability to self-motivate, manage, and organise time effectively and achieve positive results. Aptitude for challenging the status-quo and being able to recommend alternative solutions. Good people skills with experience of dealing with key personnel across multiple disciplines. The ability to work effectively under pressure. Reliable, high integrity, consistent and fair. A good communicator with high standards of presentation, both personally and professionally. Willingness to learn. A desire to work in a manufacturing environment. Willing and able to travel to other UK sites and potential to travel abroad as and where needed