to £65,000 + Car Allowance + Bens

Bristol   CCR  1171

This highly successful and innovative internationally backed business designs, manufactures and supplies premium products for international, commercial aerospace market. Due to internal promotion, the company is offering an excellent opportunity for an ACA (preferably big 4 trained) to make their first or second career move into a position of influence and responsibility.

Working closely with the CFO in a dynamic environment you will be responsible for the P&L and Balance Sheet, Working Capital, Cashflow, Budgeting, and Forecasting. Your duties will include all management reporting to the parent company together with managing and developing the finance function, and ensuring the robustness of all control accounts.

You will be a commercially aware ACA with excellent interpersonal skills, good communication skills, the drive to achieve and the ability to lead a team. Experience of aerospace audits would be highly desirable but not essential.

to £35,000 + Industry Leading Bonus + Profit Share + Bens

Birmingham  CCR 1170

Due to a very strong reputation for quality and integrity, CCR has been retained to recruit on behalf of this highly successful accountancy recruitment consultancy in Birmingham.

Possessing an enviable client portfolio, a reputation for high levels of integrity and the ability to attract upper quartile candidates, this consultancy is very profitable, growing, and increasing its’ market share. Consequently the need has arisen for this leading independent in the Midlands to strengthen its team by recruiting an experienced recruitment consultant as part of its growth strategy.

Responsibilities will include:- business development; building and maintaining long term relationships with clients and candidates; developing candidate resourcing; client presentations and candidate evaluation; associated administration; developing initiatives; and keeping up to date with developments both within the business community and the recruitment industry. You will work in a commercially driven team based environment that is supportive, dynamic, strong in entrepreneurial spirit and high in ethical values.

Qualities and skills you should possess include:- a natural warmth together with the ability to strike up and maintain a rapport with clients and candidates at any level; a drive to succeed; the ability to win sales; a genuine interest in industry and a wide variety of personal interests. These should be combined with strong ethical values, a work hard/play hard mentality and the ability to spot and take advantage of opportunities. Your motivation should come from not only profit but also a job well done, and the knowledge of satisfied clients and candidates. You will be joining the consultancy at an exciting phase in its development and could play a key role in driving it forward.

Interviews will be held in Birmingham

to £40,000

Chippenham  CCR 1169

This UK Bluechip seeks to appoint a commercially aware Qualified by Experience, or Qualified accountant to the role of Manufacturing Accountant in one of its divisions. You will be responsible for the complete analysis, maintenance and if necessary overhaul of the costing systems in a number of recently acquired small manufacturing units throughout the UK. Pivotal to the success of the division will be ensuring profitable and cost efficient business units.

Reporting to the Divisional Finance Manager and working closely with the Site Managers, specific duties will include forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, commentary and monthly management accounting. Central to the role will be maintaining an effective costing system with accurate reporting on materials and labour, overheads, wastage, and variances, together with the development of KPIs.

Extensive experience and knowledge of costing in a manufacturing/engineering environment is an essential prerequisite, together with a demonstrable record of tight financial control and systems improvement. Working in a department at the Divisional offices requires a team player who is flexible in attitude to work and willing to help out wherever needed. Some travel will be involved in carrying out the role.

Skoda almost marks a generational milepost. Some hearing the name Skoda will smile, and for good reason. Others will shrug and wonder at this reaction. For the latter group, this is why. In the 1970’s and 1980’s Skodas were considered as cars that you just wouldn’t go near, let alone be seen in one! They were an Eastern European bargain bucket car, lacking in just about every department and notoriously unreliable. Consequently Skodas became the butt of jokes that circulated widely and were regularly included in the routines of stand-up comics. For those who remember, the name still raises a wry smile and fond memories of exchanging the latest Skoda joke with friends, such as:-

“Why does a Skoda have a heated rear windscreen?”
“To keep your hands warm while you’re pushing it!”

“What do you call a Skoda with a sun roof?”
“A skip!

“How do you double the price of a Skoda?”
“Fill up the tank!”

“What do you call a Skoda at the top of a hill?”
“A miracle!”

“What is the difference between a school and a Skoda?”
“A school breaks up and a Skoda breaks down!”

“Why are a Skoda and a baby similar?”
“They both never go anywhere without a rattle!”

Googling Accountant jokes, try as many searches as I might, the results were broadly the same. Rather than witticisms, like Skoda jokes of old, they run the gamete of humorous but derogatory quips such as:-

“What is the definition of an accountant?”
“Someone who solves a problem you did not know you had
in a way you don't understand!”

A lost balloonist lands in a random field and asks a man out walking his dog
"Where am I?"
The man replies "you are three feet in front of me in the middle of a field" 
"You must be an accountant!" retorts the balloonist 
"How did you know that?" the man asks incredulously
"Easy. What you just told me is 100% accurate but absolutely useless!"

A businessman tells his friend that his company is looking for
a new accountant.
His friend asks, "Didn't your company hire a new accountant
a few weeks ago?"
The businessman replies, "That's the accountant we're looking for."

VW bought Skoda in 1990 and set about improving the cars and their image. They also set about advertising and marketing campaigns to extol the virtues of the new Skodas as reliable, affordable and, in the sportier models, exciting to drive. The plan succeeded, Skoda sold to a wider demographic and VW made greater profits. As a by-product, Skoda jokes became consigned to history. When was the last time you heard an accountant joke of the Skoda genre? On the off chance that you or a colleague have recently had such quips from sales, operations, analysts, a client or a comic; don’t despair. Take a leaf out of the VW Skoda book!

As a postscript, observations from 20 plus years in recruitment lead me to believe that accountancy’s reputation is much improved on what it was, and that it has broadly trodden the same path as Skoda to the present day. However as with most things, it is still a work in progress.

c£39,000 + Benefits

Chippenham   CCR 1168

This division of a large company seeks to appoint a very capable and commercially aware Qualified by Experience, or Qualified accountant to the role of Factory Accountant at one of its small manufacturing units. You will be expected to contribute substantially to ensuring a profitable and efficient business which will play a significant role in the future success of the division.

Reporting to the Divisional Finance Manager and working closely with the Site Manager, you will be responsible for all financial reporting for the business unit. This will include forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, commentary and monthly management accounting. You will also be responsible for ensuring an effective costing system with accurate reporting on materials and labour, overheads, wastage, and variances. Key to this role will be the development of KPIs and dashboard .

You must have extensive experience and knowledge of cost accounting in a manufacturing environment together with a demonstrable record of tight financial control. A history of systems improvement should be evident in your CV. Working in a department at the Divisional offices requires a team player who is flexible in attitude to work and willing to help out wherever needed.

c£50,000 + benefits

Chippenham   CCR 1167

This is an interim role that, for the right candidate, will become permanent after six months. This growing autonomous subsidiary consists of a number of business units. It has now reached a critical point where it needs to strengthen its finance function, and develop its business systems. The addition of this post is seen as pivotal to both objectives.

Reporting to the Finance Director and supported by a small team, part of your responsibilities will be to further develop management information reporting for a manufacturing business. This will need detailed attention in terms of understanding the cost drivers and impact on margins and reporting accuracy. You will develop the management reporting so that profitability by product, customer and region can be tracked easily and that systems are sensitive and responsive to bespoke orders. In addition, you will also be responsible for financial systems development within the subsidiary and the business units. The overall strategy will be to ensure the existing system is fit for purpose:- to be able to consolidate reporting of the various businesses while maintaining the ability to report performance of each, and collectively as a group both vertically and horizontally. The project will demand a hands on approach in detailed financial mapping as well as the ability to overview. Other duties will include support for the Finance Director by ensuring robust financial controls, providing detailed budgets, forecasts, variance analysis and commentary, together with recommendations for business decision making.

You should be a qualified accountant with experience of successful financial management in medium sized businesses, who also possesses solid experience of manufacturing. Good financial modelling skills are essential to this role and you should be proficient with Excel. The position calls for a robust individual who can work in a fast moving entrepreneurial environment, who is very much a team player and who can also work independently. For the right candidate, the interim role will become permanent.

c£28,000 + car + bens

Bradford on Avon   CCR 1166

This successful global business seeks to appoint a commercially aware studier (CIMA, ACCA, ACA) to one of its growing and profitable subsidiaries. An exciting and varied role, it will enable you to further develop your commercial skills with high calibre managers in a fast moving environment.

Reporting to the Financial Controller your overall responsibilities will include business partnering sales and operations.Specifically this will involve monthly management accounting, commentary and analysis with a focus on customer profitability and pricing by region, product, service and customer. You will also be responsible for budgeting and forecasting, variance analysis, new business analysis, providing financial support for bid processes, presentations and ad hoc financial modelling.

To succeed in this role you will have the ability to grasp and deal with business challenges quickly. You will also be a confident individual with good communication and financial modelling skills who can deliver agreed objectives to tight deadlines. For the right person there are excellent prospects and the benefits package on offer is excellent.

c£45,000 + Benefits

Swindon  CCR 1165

Following promotion and increased business demands, this well established and financially secure SME seeks to strengthen its finance department with the addition of a newly created role of Financial Controller. The business is very successful and provides specialist scientific, engineering and technical services to national and international clients.

Reporting to the Managing Director and supported by a small team, your responsibilities will include all routine financial and management accounting. Working closely with budget holders and managers in the business you will review and advise on projects with regard to budgets, cost drivers and margins, to ensure good margins and healthy cashflow are maintained. Specific duties will encompass budgeting, variance reporting and commentary, cashflow forecasting and analysis. You will also be responsible for annual and quarterly statutory reporting and have significant involvement in implementing system and process improvements.

You should be Qualified accountant, with some experience of supporting commercial activities, who is capable of and has the desire to develop the role toward full commercial responsibilities. Good Excel and Access skills together with ERP systems knowledge are a prerequisite. Strong interpersonal and communication skills at all levels will be needed to lead a small team and dealing with senior managers.

c €115,000 + extensive ex pat benefits

Portugal  CCR 1164

The plant is a significant part of a highly innovative and profitable group with strong brands, sales of €80 million and 1700 employees worldwide. They are market leaders in the manufacture of specialist protective wear. Recent retirement has led to the need to appoint a talented and experienced Plant Manager to run an established site which employs c. 270 personnel.

This challenging, varied and rewarding role reports to an offsite Main Board Director and carries responsibility for the factory. The objective of this role will be to ensure the operation exceeds its key performance measures. The pivotal areas of impact will be the:-

• Development and motivation of cohesive & effective operations teams
• To develop and sustain  a genuine culture of continual improvement
• To deliver excellent site performance

Key duties will focus on; effective management of all budgets and operational costs, manufacturing personnel, the factory plant, equipment & facilities; achievement of KPIs for customer service, quality and costs; support for the development of new and existing products; and ensuring compliance with both Portuguese and internal procedures, quality, and health & safety standards.

Ideally you will be a graduate with formal management qualifications who possesses experience of onsite senior management in a manufacturing / engineering environment.  Strong leadership and communication skills are essential, together with a good working knowledge of modern management systems and a practical understanding of Lean Manufacturing. Though the senior team are good English speakers, a willingness to learn Portuguese is an advantage as is experience of SAP. Your CV should demonstrate both a track record of success in a commensurate role and relevant technical experience.  Overseas experience is a distinct advantage.

c£40,000

North Bristol  CCR 1163

This is a challenging and potentially rewarding role which is not for the faint hearted but more for the entrepreneurially minded. The business has just emerged from administration with its Bluechip customer base intact and a refreshed management team. Previously family owned it has just been joined by a talented MD who believes the business has great potential, enough to leave a secure and well paid job within a substantial plc.

Working very closely with the MD and supported by an assistant (yet to be appointed) the challenges are many and yet provide an excellent opportunity to not only establish the finance function from the ground up but also be part of a business with growth potential. Currently operating on Quickbooks there will be an urgent need to upgrade to Sage. Previously financial visibility was lacking within the business. You will establish this rapidly to produce meaningful management accounts for sound business decision making. There is also the need for very tight cash management and control in all areas and you will be responsible for this in the critical phase of re-establishing the business. This will be in addition to the usual budgeting, forecasting, monthly and annual routines.

The role is ideally suited but not exclusive to a commercially capable, Qualified By Experience accountant from an SME and who is currently out of work. To succeed you should be a robust individual capable of withstanding the demands and pressures of resurrecting a business from administration. Sound experience of cash control and cashflow management is essential.