About Us
Lotus Natural Foods, the healthy snacking division of Lotus Bakeries and a portfolio of 5 incredible brands; BEAR, TREK, nakd. Kiddylicious and Peter’s Yard, all having their own distinct proposition and role within our business.
We have great ambitions for all our brands, ensuring that as a business we deliver sustainable growth over the long-term. We believe that taste and quality are 100% of what underpins us as brand leaders within our categories, and what pulls us apart from our competitors. All of our brands started right here in the UK, as the first market for distribution, but over the years we can now be found across the globe, our ranges have got bigger, along with us as a business.
To date we have achieved so much, but there is still plenty of room to grow further and that means we need more brilliant people, those that share an ambition for making a difference and want to join us in delivering the next chapter of growth. Fancy getting involved, then read on…
About the Role
The Business Controller – BEAR and Peter’s Yard role acts as finance business partner to these UK Sales Offices. The role is based in St Albans reporting into the Finance Director Natural Foods UK.
You will be part of the leadership team of BEAR and Peter’s Yard, collaborating closely with the Managing Director and Sales, as well as Marketing and Operations where needed too. Close alignment with the G/L Accountant, and AP/AR teams is required to ensure the quality and precision of our results.
The key focus areas of the role and where you will spend the majority of your time are:
1. Business Partnering: Act as the finance business partner to the Managing Director of BEAR and Peter’s Yard, along with the wider commercial team, managing and driving various projects and providing ad-hoc analysis on commercial and other cases Be the first point of contact to support the business and closely monitor and improve profitability and efficiencies.
2. Planning, budgeting & forecasting: Challenge & translate commercial volume forecasts to sales and related costs Template & process owner of planning, budgeting & forecast process for the two brands Ad-hoc forecast updates, simulations and analyses.
3. Monthly Closing: Ensure timely and accurate closing on a monthly basis of accounts, including all necessary accruals and prepayments Template & process owner of commercial reporting, and other areas on an as needed basis. Provide key input in the monthly report that is distributed to ExCo Ensure accuracy of both P&L and B/S for areas of responsibility.
4. Pricing, Costing & Profitability Management Ensure provisions for rebates & discounts are created, followed-up and corrected frequently Ensure reported margins are analyzed, disseminated and improved where needed Identify cost drivers and ensure long term cost improvements
5. Other Prepare business reviews for senior management Support with audit queries Support SAP implementation: testing
Team
6. Be a team player, we all get stuck in to achieve results here at Lotus Natural Foods and we love our team to look beyond their own role, whether that be contributing to innovation workshops or building upon ideas to amplify the overall result that perhaps sit outside of your role.
7. Culture is hugely important to us here at Lotus Natural Foods and we look to our employees to positively contribute to that.
Please note this role is a full-time position at our beautiful offices in St Albans, with four days a week spent on-site. Please only proceed if this works for you.
About You
From playful snacks like BEAR to artisanal treats like Peter’s Yard, this is your chance to make a real mark. You will need:
8. To be a qualified accountant, with several years of relevant experience.
9. A bachelor’s degree, in an analytical/economic/finance field preferred, from a good university
10. Strong Excel skills – experience in compiling and analysing financial data
11. Strong analytical capabilities, analysing financial data, identifying trends, writing commentary and making informed recommendations
12. Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential
13. Robust analytical capabilities, analysing financial data, identifying trends, writing commentary and making informed recommendations
14. Demonstrated experience of month end closings, reporting and budget process.
15. Good relationship building and stakeholder management qualities, with experience working with and presenting information and ideas to senior staff members.
16. An agile personality – you enjoy working on a variety of tasks, and supporting the wider finance team as needed.
17. Experience with SAP preferred