Management Accountant in Knutsford

To act as an integral part of the JFD core finance function and a proactive finance business partner to the business, with an indicative time split of 50% business partnering and 50% core financial reporting and control. The role ensures accurate, timely actual and forecast financial information and translates that information into insight, meaningful actions and decisions for non-finance colleagues. This role will be part of a finance team of 25 people globally with the finance teams being principally based in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Knutsford and Australia. Working as a team to deliver the month end, forecast and budget to Group Finance for five reporting entities. The UK finance team will be responsible for delivery of the consolidated JFD group results.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Own the monthly performance conversation within allocated business areas and explain variances to budget/forecast. Challenge and support budget holders to improve financial outcomes (margin, cash, utilisation, overheads).
• Lead and co-ordinate elements of the quarterly forecasting and annual budgeting cycles.
• Identify and implement process and reporting improvements that make the numbers clearer for the business.
• Act as one of the key contacts for our external auditors for both group and statutory audit.

Business Partnering

• Prepare and deliver concise monthly performance packs for budget holders, including P&L, balance sheet, margin, utilisation, overhead and cash metrics, highlighting key movements, risks and opportunities.
• Lead monthly review meetings with budget holders to explain results, agree corrective actions, capture assumptions for the forecast and follow up on actions.
• Challenge assumptions on pricing, resourcing, project margins and overheads to improve profitability and cash, using scenario/sensitivity analysis.
• Support commercial/operational decision making (e.g. bids, change orders, capex, resource planning) with financial analysis and recommendations and escalate material items to the finance manager/financial controller.

Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting

• Work with key stakeholders in the business and finance team to prepare quarterly forecasts and the annual budget, ensuring assumptions are consistent and clearly documented.
• Build and maintain driver-based models for material cost lines and revenues to improve forecast accuracy.
• Consolidate forecasts for allocated entities and provide commentary on variances versus prior forecast, budget and prior year.
• Support the finance manager in presenting forecasts to the financial controller, director of finance and group.

Financial Reporting and Control

• Ledger maintenance including fixed asset function, stock function and journal posting.
• Deliver the month-end financial process for allocated areas, including profit and loss and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Report monthly results to the business and group finance team, ensuring completeness, accuracy and adherence to group accounting policies, and feeding key messages into the business partnering packs.
• Prepare statutory and management accounting statements within group timelines and liaise with external audit team, providing high-quality working papers and responses.
• Assist with treasury activities including cash management, banking approvals and ad hoc requirements.
• Preparation of documentation for local and overseas tax and compliance reporting.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement process improvements to increase the efficiency, accuracy and insightfulness of financial reporting.
• Collaborate with the finance transformation and business systems teams on improvements for existing systems and wider ERP developments.

Who are we looking for?

You will need the ability to prioritise tasks and manage time, working to tight deadlines across multiple entities. Enjoy working as part of a small team to deliver results whilst taking ownership of allocated areas.

Skills & Experience

• Professional Accounting Qualification; Chartered Accountant, ACCA or CIMA (Fully Qualified).
• Post qualification experience, preferably in a management accounting, finance business partnering or commercial finance role.
• Strong financial analytical skills, including variance analysis, forecasting and scenario modelling.
• Experience of using full ERP system (Glovia, SAP, Oracle, etc).
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite of products, particularly Excel.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with ability to explain financial information to non-finance colleagues and challenge constructively.

Why join us?

• Competitive benefits tailored to the division.
• Opportunities for career growth and visibility across the organisation.
• A supportive, inclusive culture that values your ideas and contributions.
• Work that truly makes a difference in safety, innovation, and global capability.

About Us

James Fisher is a global engineering services company operating across Energy, Defence, and Maritime Transport. With a strong heritage in maritime operations, we now deliver innovative solutions in challenging environments. Our One James Fisher strategy is focused on building a unified, sustainable business within the Blue Economy, driving progress through technology, expertise, and collaboration. With two centuries of maritime shipping and innovation, James Fisher is a trusted partner in the safe and efficient movement of the world’s critical resources. As a market leader in ship-to-ship transfer and coastal shipping, we help customers protect people, cargo and infrastructure while shaping the future of global maritime transport.

If this sounds like the ideal next step in your career, then click ‘apply’ now! Due to the volume of applications, we receive for our vacancies, on occasion applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment. James Fisher and Sons are committed to taking positive action on diversity and strongly encourage applications for candidates from all backgrounds. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and recognise that our success depends on our talented and diverse workforce.