Financial Controller

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…

Our Values

Constructively cooperates to achieve a common goal while respecting each other and in mutual trust and consultation.

Listens actively, communicates proactively and gives constructive feedback.

Gives the best of oneself, projects energy and commitment, is eager to learn and proud to be working for Lotus.

About You

From playful snacks like BEAR to artisanal treats like Peter’s Yard, this is your chance to grow your skills and make a real mark.

• Fully qualified accountant (CIMA preferred)
• Bachelor’s degree, in an analytical/finance field preferred
• Very strong Excel skills – managing and analysing both operational and financial data, modelling/forecasting experience, working with multiple currencies
• Strong verbal and written communication is essential – to both guide and influence non-financial key stakeholders
• Strong analytical capabilities, analysing financial data, identifying trends, writing commentary and making informed recommendations
• Demonstrated experience in driving efficiencies and savings
• Experience in project management, from kick-off to completion
• Experience in multiple senior-stakeholder management – strong relationship building qualities
• An agile personality – adaptability and flexibility to work on a variety of tasks and projects, along with providing support to the wider finance team as needed.
• Experience with SAP preferred

About the Role You will report to the Finance Director and support on Operational Control of the four business units, as well as key across-group projects, processes and reporting. The key focus areas of the roles and where you will spend the majority of your time are:

Operational

• Key business partner to Operations Director of Natural Foods UK.
• Management, control, modelling and reporting of the costs of our Supply Chains: Costs to Service orders alongside other operational costs.
• Alignment, benchmarking to industry, sourcing efficiencies and savings across the four businesses, e.g. Packaging Tax Schemes, CHEP pallets methodology.
• Stock, packaging and raw materials write-off mitigation, management and reporting.
• Costing: key point of contact for both NPD costings as well as annual budgeting and year-end revaluation.
• Packaging Tax: working with Director of Tax & Stat. Compliance alongside the operational teams to ensure effective timely reporting, alignment of approach and scheme, forecasting/budgeting of costs as well as cost mitigation recommendations.
• Operational Projects key member – e.g. 3PL, capacity.
• Budgeting/Forecasting: For operational costs including Costs to Serve, Operational and Buying Margin, working with the Heads of Operations as well as the other FCs ensuring a robust and aligned approach.
• Audit – key point of contact for the audit relating to operations and stock.

Group Natural Foods UK

• Group SG&A Reporting and Control: Working with the Finance Director and General Manager on effective control of SG&A spend across Natural Foods UK.
• Group Reporting and Analysis: helping to create decks that review the group P&L (commercials, operational, SG&A) for key business reviews and monthly reporting.
• Group Working Capital: refreshing, reviewing and summarising the status with recommendations for improvement.
• Group Projects: e.g. an alignment of tools or processes.
• Team support: provide support to other team members, be that within an operational project or across the Finance team.

Team

• 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.
• Culture is hugely important to us here at Lotus Natural Foods and we look to our employees to positively contribute to that.

Reporting into

Finance Director