Finance Director / Chief Financial Officer

Job Title: Finance Director / Chief Financial Officer

Location: Blackburn

Salary: Competitive depending on experience

Job Type: Full Time, Permanent

Pets Choice is a leading pet food manufacturer whose industry knowledge spans over 135 years. The Company has a portfolio of brands offering a variety of products for pets and wild animals under its brands; Webbox, Bob Martin, TastyBone, Meatiful, Spike’s, WildThings, Feathers & Beaky and Vitakraft. Each brand offers a unique insight into animals from dogs to ducks and produces high-quality products that cater to a wide variety of consumer needs.

As a trusted partner, the Company provide private label goods including extruded food, wet food and retorted trays, and baked fresh meat treats. The business also offers additional services such as packaging design, fulfilment and logistics.

We are excited to be working with this dynamic and rapidly growing family-owned business in to recruit a CFO. The client is a leading manufacturer whose industry knowledge spans over 135 years and is based in Blackburn, Lancashire. The business has revenues in excess of £70m and is looking for a CFO to help lead and drive the business forward over the next 3-5 years. This role will report directly into the CEO.

The business has a global footprint but it’s employees and manufacturing operations are all based in the UK.

As the CFO you will primarily oversee a finance team of 10 but more importantly you will have a major role in the long-term business plan and strategic direction of the business; supporting the other board members over the coming years with a strong emphasis on maximising efficiencies and synergies within the operation.

You will be the leader in a similar finance department and will be responsible for all aspects of financial reporting and control function across a multi-site operation based in the UK. We need someone with real vision and ideas who will tackle any problem as well as the ability to roll your sleeves up and get involved.

Key Responsibilities:

• Interface directly with the CEO, Senior Leadership and central departments across the business
• Establish financial reporting and control function and ensure full financial compliance across all UK locations
• Lead, develop and evaluate the current 5 year business plan / financial model, ensuring it is embedded across the business
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of management information, including but not limited to the management accounts
• You will lead and motivate staff and ensure that they receive appropriate support, training and development to achieve their full potential
• Lead the rolling forecast process across the business
• Identifying financial and business risks within the businesses to develop and implement a risk mitigation plan
• Facilitate the quarterly detailed business review and forecasting process, monitoring the financial performance of the business against targets
• Providing finance subject matter expertise to the management teams
• Lead, develop and support the Commercial teams in all contract and pricing matters
• Ensure the accounting, fiduciary and statutory compliance requirements are met across the business
• Develop and lead a fully functional and visible finance team
• Lead the finance function to ensure that high standards of control and accountability are in place and the business is supported in the most effective way
• Management of the annual audit process and managing the treasury requirements of the business to best effect.
• Lead the development of current management information systems
• Lead communications with all external advisors with regard to audit, IT, tax, insurance and ensuring compliance with all required reporting to relevant authorities

About you:

• Proven experience at a CFO or Finance Director level
• Qualified to degree level with an accounting qualification (ACA, ACMA, ACCA equivalent)
• Proven ability to direct a diverse group of professionals in accomplishing complex tasks
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and team building skills, comfortable interacting and motivating personnel at all levels of the organisation
• Ability to influence the decisions of senior business leaders through effective verbal and written communication, logical reasoning, and the presentation of alternatives
• Solid business judgment capable of driving an organisation to achieving corporate KPIs with a focused, pragmatic approach
• Intellectually capable, with the ability to act as a true commercial business partner to the owner and Board
• Ability to work under pressure to tight time-scales
• High integrity with strong work ethic and personal motivations aligned with the goals and aspirations of the business
• Strong team player
• Self-motivated starter, able to instigate and manage change
• Sound understanding of internal audit and the assessment of financial and commercial risk
• Strong attention to detail, continuously monitors day to day financial metrics and performance, spots issues quickly and finds solutions.
• Highly computer literate, with particular reference to excel, accounting and management software and their application in a manufacturing environment
• FMCG experience preferable but not essential.

Please click on the APPLY button to send your CV and Cover Letter for this role.

Candidates with the relevant experience or job titles of; CFO, Head of Finance, Head of Accounts, FD, Director of Finance may also be considered for this role.