Management Accountant

Management Accountant South Shields Competitive Salary Permanent, Full Time

Position Overview:

We are seeking an accomplished, commercially astute and professionally qualified Management Accountant to join the Barbour Finance team here at our Head Office in South Shields. This is a high-profile role for a strong accountant who can combine technical financial rigour with confident stakeholder partnership, providing timely, accurate and actionable insight to support decision-making, improve performance and strengthen financial control across the organisation.

The Management Accountant will act the finance lead for designated business areas, building a deep understanding of operational drivers, commercial priorities, risk and opportunities. Working closely with senior stakeholders, you will translate financial performance into clear commercial insight, challenge assumptions constructively and support the delivery of strategic and operational objectives. The successful candidate will take ownership of financial performance reporting, budgeting, forecasting and decision support for their business areas.

You will be expected to bring strong management accounting expertise, robust analytical capability, excellent stakeholder management skills and a continuous improvement mindset.
* The role is based at our Head Office in South Shields and the expectation is 4 days in the office and 1 day of homeworking

* Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Management Accounting & Performance Reporting Prepare, review and present high-quality monthly management information for designated business areas, ensuring reporting is accurate, complete, timely and clearly aligned to commercial performance drivers. Deliver insightful variance analysis against budget, forecast and prior-year performance, clearly explaining the operational and commercial factors behind results and highlighting key risks, opportunities and actions. Financial Insight & Stakeholder Support Act as a trusted finance contact for designated channels and senior operational stakeholders, providing clear financial insight, constructive challenge and value-adding commercial support.

Partner with cost centre owners and channel leaders to improve understanding of revenue, margin, cost and profitability drivers, supporting better decision-making and stronger financial accountability. Build credible and effective relationships across the organisation, ensuring Finance is seen as proactive, commercially focused partner that supports delivery of business objectives. Budgeting, Forecasting & Planning Own the budgeting and forecasting processes for designated business areas, coordinating inputs, challenging assumptions and ensuring financial plans are robust, evidence-based and commercially realistic.

Monitor performance against targets, identify emerging risks and opportunities, and provide recommendations to support corrective action and performance improvement. Support long-term planning, scenario modelling, investment appraisal and commercial decision-making through robust financial analysis. Lead orderbook reviews and flash forecasting activity, using current trading information to identify performance trends and provide clear forward-looking insight. Process Improvement, Controls & Wider Finance Support Drive continuous improvement, simplification and automation within finance processes, reporting and analysis.

Support statutory audit requirements, external reporting and wider Finance team priorities as required. Undertake ad hoc commercial analysis and project work to support business priorities.

Skills and Experience:

Fully qualified accountant: CIMA, ACCA or ACA. Strong post-qualification experience in management accounting, financial planning, commercial finance or stakeholder-facing finance roles. Proven experience producing high-quality management information, forecasts, budgets and commercially focused analysis. Strong numerical, analytical and commercial interpretation skills with the ability to convert data into meaningful insight. Experience in a retail, consumer goods, apparel or multi-channel commercial environment desirable.

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