Management Accountant - Operations in Cardiff

ABOUT THE ROLE

Based from our Cardiff office, this is an exciting opportunity for a confident, proactive and commercially minded finance professional to play a key role in supporting Group Operations Finance. As Management Accountant – Operations, you will work closely with operational teams to turn financial and operational data into clear insight, helping to drive performance, support decision‑making and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. Reporting to the Head of FP&A – Operations, you will support key areas including product costing, variance analysis, scenario planning, operations finance reporting, KPI development and capital expenditure analysis.

KEY ACTIVITIES

• Support the Head of FP&A – Operations in all aspects of operations related Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A).
• Key business partnering for operational teams.
• Support group product costing including twice‑yearly standard cost revisions and understanding cost absorption methodology for each manufacturing operation.
• Provide quality financial reports to operations management across sites to aid in decision making.
• Support a group project to implement an operations finance module into the Cardiff and Comber sites including manufacturing work orders and WIP management.
• Produce and support relevant business metrics (KPIs) to add visual representations of operations data, including labour productivity, material scrap rates, operations cost per unit and cost per hour, and other production & delivery metrics.
• Monthly variance analysis to standard cost, enabling operation managers to understand and interpret data to facilitate continuous improvement (CI), including material price and usage variances, direct labour rate and efficiency variances, and production overhead cost and efficiency analysis.
• Produce and support Capital Expenditure (Capex) proposals through quality analysis including return on investment, net present value and payback modelling.
• Support the New Product Introduction (NPI) process through scenario planning, modelling, analysis and reporting.
• Challenge ways of working, standardise common tasks and champion CI within the function.
• Support the month‑end and year‑end processes for operations as part of a wider finance team role.
• Support the wider Finance, HR and Operations functions as required.

OTHER

• To adhere to the company’s Equal Opportunities policy and Dignity at work policy in all activities and to actively promote equality of opportunity wherever possible.
• To be responsible for your own health and safety and that of your colleagues, in accordance with the company’s Health and Safety policy.
• To adhere to the company’s Quality policy and Environmental policy.
• To undertake other duties as may be reasonably required.

KEY SKILLS

• Hold a recognised accountancy qualification (or part qualified) such as CIMA, ACCA, ACA etc.
• Operations finance experience.
• Strong data analytics capability, with the ability to translate metrics into clear, meaningful insights.
• Up‑to‑date knowledge of current costing/management accounting practices through CPD.
• Demonstrable experience of partnering with operations stakeholders to review financial performance, challenge assumptions and provide clear, practical recommendations based on financial analysis.
• Advanced Excel skills, with the ability to manipulate, analyse and present financial and operational data accurately and effectively.
• Highly organised and detail‑focused, with the ability to manage priorities efficiently and deliver accurate work within agreed timescales.
• Proven ability to review, improve and embed effective financial processes, compliance requirements and internal controls.

• Previous experience in large manufacturing enterprises advantageous.
• Previous experience gained in: Sage X3 / Power BI, Microsoft Navision, Microsoft Office, Lean / Six Sigma, Anaplan.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

• Wider Finance team
• Operations Team
• IT team
• Managers and general personnel

• Auditors
• Software providers
• Ad hoc external stakeholders

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The role is predominantly Cardiff based, but there will be a requirement to travel to other Group sites from time to time.

COMPETENCIES

• Financial Acumen: Interpreting and applying understanding of key financial indicators to make better business decisions.
• Action Oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Plans and Aligns: Planning and prioritising work to meet commitments aligned with organisational goals.
• Ensures Accountability: Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.
• Balances Stakeholders: Anticipating and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders.
• Optimises Work Processes: Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.

The closing date for applications is midnight on 2nd July 2026. If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close this role earlier than planned.