Rutherford Cross is delighted to be working in partnership with a growing, manufacturing business, John McGavigan Ltd, to appoint a Management Accountant

Established in 1861, John McGavigan Ltd is a leading manufacturer of plastic components for the automotive, consumer electronic, medical and domestic appliance markets. The business is renowned for its expertise and the high-quality products it makes. The company has developed a comprehensive and long-standing network of suppliers and partners, globally. John McGavigan Ltd is built on a team ethos of; taking pride in their work, the success of their clients, and the results they achieve together.

In 2009 the company went through an MBO following the downturn of the automotive industry. The MBO provided an opportunity for John McGavigan Ltd to renegotiate healthier agreements with its key trading partners. The business is owned by a combination of company directors and private equity backing from Maven Capital.

The business is made up of 2 trading entities, John McGavigan Ltd and its Chinese subsidiary McGavigan Decorative Technology (Suzhou) Ltd. The combined turnover is close to £30m, with significant growth expected to continue in China and a period of stability anticipated for the UK based business. For the year ending 31st December 2017, the company made an overall profit of £4,867k in the year. The business has invested £1m in Capex in the last year.

Sustained and profitable growth remains central to the business's strategy, delivered through maintaining a balanced portfolio of clients, continued innovation of new production processes and a capital investment policy aligned to delivering further operational efficiencies across the Group.

The Group's operational capabilities equip the business to serve clients globally through competitive manufacturing in Europe and Asia, supported regionally by engineering and development resources who work closely with clients locally.

The Management Accountant role has been created in response to the retirement of a long-standing member of the finance function and the Group Finance Director taking an opportunity to redistribute duties. The purpose of this change is to provide the Site Plant Director with greater management information to support operational decision-making. The company’s finance function is lean for a manufacturing business that trades globally. This role will provide broad exposure and the opportunity to liaise directly with senior stakeholders within the business.

The company has undergone significant growth over the last few years and provides an excellent opportunity for a motivated and proven finance leader who is keen to play a key role in a manufacturing business. With continued growth anticipated, should the successful candidate prove to be a valuable member of the team, there is scope to take on additional duties. It is envisaged that over time this role will develop and grow and therefore it is key that applicants are flexible and adaptable to those changes.

This is an exceptional opportunity to join a growing business which is leading the way in its field and to contribute to its future success by playing a key role in its journey.

It is critical that the Management Accountant can effectively support the Financial Controller whilst taking a pro-active approach to continuously improving accounting procedures. Given the size of team, it is expected that the post-holder will act as a positive communicator and an effective team player.

A summary of the key candidate requirements are as follows:

• Fully qualified accountant with appropriate post-qualification experience

• An understanding of standard-costing

• Ability to develop high quality management information to support decision making

• Excellent analytical skills and financial modelling experience would be advantageous

• Excellent IT skills, particularly in relation to Excel and other Microsoft applications

• Self-starter, willing to be involved in the detail, whilst having sufficient gravitas to support and challenge key stakeholders as required

• Confident communicator who is prepared to listen and develop a stronger understanding of the business’ operations

• Self-motivated, organised and capable of progressing in the business over time

• Committed individual, displaying drive, ambition, and professionalism

• Prepared to travel to other subsidiary sites should the requirement occur

The Management Accountant is a key member of the finance team and will play a pivotal role in supporting the Financial Controller. The successful candidate will deliver accurate and high-quality management information whilst taking a pro-active approach to continuously improving accounting procedures.

The main duties and responsibilities will involve:

• Creation and development of a management accounting system which helps the site management understand the financial performance of the factory on a regular basis and at the appropriate level to assist in decision making

• Production of monthly management accounts in a format to be agreed with the Group Financial Controller and Group FD

• Maintenance of appropriate product costing information for the site

• Engagement with site management as required to provide a framework for effective decision making

• Development of annual budgets and regular financial forecasts as required
• Reconciliation of key accounts on a regular basis as directed by the Group Financial Controller
• Analysis of key cost trends across the business as management accounting processes are developed

• Support for the Group Financial Controller as required across a wide range of financial matters for site and group purposes

• Liaison with auditors on an annual basis as appropriate

• Build strong relationships with site management

• Other tasks as required

Basic Salary:                     Competitive

Pension:                           Employee contribution 3%, employer 4%

Healthcare:                       BUPA Healthcare

Holiday Entitlement:  25 days per year plus 9 statutory days

(Some holidays will be needing to be kept aside for plant shut-                                         down periods)

Working Hours:                  37.5 hours per week