Commercial Accountant in North East

The role will support both the financial control and commercial decision‑making functions of the business by combining core management accounting responsibilities with a strong focus on commercial analysis. They will be responsible for ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting, including reconciliations, accruals, forecasts and management accounts, while also providing insight into performance, profitability and risk. By working closely with business leaders, the role will contribute to budgeting, forecasting and investment appraisal, as well as supporting bids, pricing decisions and contract reviews. This position is designed to act as a bridge between finance and the wider business, delivering high‑quality financial information and analysis that enables informed decision‑making and drives sustainable growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Process foreign supplier payments and ensure accurate payment loading into the bank.
• Schedule urgent or manual payments where required and ensure proper authorisation.
• Raise and issue sales invoices and credit notes, ensuring accuracy and compliance with contractual terms.
• Perform regular reconciliations, including bank-to-accounts receivable, bank reconciliations and intercompany reconciliations.
• Maintain the Chart of Accounts, ensuring suspense accounts and coding are reviewed and cleared.
• Monitor goods received not invoiced (GRNI), preparing reports and clearing balances monthly.
• Calculate stock in transit and process related journal postings.
• Prepare and post accruals, prepayments, depreciation and management recharges.
• Record stock movements and ensure provisions are recognised as required.
• Prepare and distribute the Weekly Sales Flash File to provide timely performance updates.
• Produce monthly management reports, including P&L, cash flow and KPI reporting, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Analyse variances between actual results, budgets and forecasts, providing clear explanations to stakeholders.
• Report results by cost centre, project and product/service line to support business decision‑making.
• Track and report on sales growth, margin by product group and customer profitability trends.
• Provide leadership team with insights and analysis to support day‑to‑day decision‑making.
• Build the annual budget in collaboration with business managers and update rolling forecasts on a regular basis.
• Prepare weekly and monthly cash flow forecasts and communicate updates to leadership.
• Support bids and pricing decisions through margin analysis and profitability reviews.
• Review customer contracts and assist in structuring commercial deals.
• Model business cases for new projects and investments, highlighting key risks and returns.
• Perform investment appraisals using ROI, NPV and IRR to support capital expenditure and project decisions.
• Assess profitability by product, service or customer segment to inform strategic choices.
• Work with auditors by preparing reconciliations, schedules explanations as requested.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of management accounting principles, including accruals, prepayments, reconciliations and variance analysis.
• Good knowledge of financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Commercial awareness with the ability to analyse profitability, pricing and investment opportunities.
• Experience in preparing and interpreting financial and management reports (P&L, cash flow, KPIs).
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to model business cases and assess ROI, NPV and IRR.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookups, financial models) and confidence using accounting/ERP systems.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail when working with financial data.
• Ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to non‑finance stakeholders.
• Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines.
• Problem‑solving ability with a proactive approach to improving processes.
• Experience of working with auditors and understanding of audit requirements.
• Knowledge of tax compliance and handling queries from authorities (desirable).
• Team player with the confidence to challenge, influence and support decision‑making.
• Positive, self‑motivated attitude with a focus on delivering high‑quality work.

For more information on this fantastic opportunity please contact Adam Pearson at Imperial Recruitment Group. Imperial Recruitment Group is committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We celebrate diversity and are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences and abilities, ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process.