Industrial Management Controller in Northampton

For more than 150 years, John Lobb has prided itself in upholding the highest standards and levels of craftsmanship and design in the creation of hand‑made shoes and boots for men. A company of the Hermes group since 1976, the bespoke footwear is still hand‑crafted in our workshop in Paris while the ready‑to‑wear collections are manufactured in our Northampton factory. John Lobb owns a distribution network that includes 18 stores established in 6 countries, and works with a highly selective network of partners and authorised retailers around the world.

The Industrial Management & Internal Controller is responsible for overseeing the financial performance of John Lobb’s manufacturing operations in Northampton. The role involves delivering accurate and reliable financial reporting, complementing quantitative analysis with qualitative insight gathered from operational teams, and proactively identifying opportunities for improvement. The postholder will also be responsible for maintaining and strengthening Internal Control standards across relevant Group processes.

This is an excellent opportunity for a highly analytical individual who is keen to play a meaningful part in the development of the finance function within one of the most iconic names in luxury menswear. The successful candidate will be comfortable working with a high degree of autonomy – the role is based in Northampton, while the broader Finance team sits in Paris – and will be confident engaging with operational and industrial stakeholders on financial matters. A proactive mindset and a genuine appetite for improving processes and deepening analytical frameworks are essential.

John Lobb’s Finance team is going through an exciting period of change, with a new CFO and Head of Management & Internal Control recently on board, raising the bar on financial rigour and commercial awareness. The team is looking forward to welcoming their new Industrial Management & Internal Controller and will offer real autonomy and flexibility in return for energy, commitment, and a genuine desire to make an impact.

Although John Lobb is wholly owned by one of the world’s leading luxury groups, it operates as a close‑knit, entrepreneurial business where cross‑functional communication, initiative, and analytical drive are absolute must‑haves in this role. The role reports to the Head of Management & Internal Control and maintains close working relationships with the CFO – both based in Paris – as well as with the Industrial Director in Northampton, a fellow member of the John Lobb Executive Committee. The postholder will serve as the Industrial Director’s primary Finance business partner, working alongside them on a regular basis. They will also line‑manage an Assistant Management Controller who brings strong operational knowledge of the production environment, supporting and developing them on financial matters. Finally, the postholder will work in close day‑to‑day collaboration with the Accounting team (2 people) based in the same Northampton office – building a strong and effective working relationship with this team will be key to success in the role.

The role is predominantly based on‑site in Northampton, with occasional travel as required.

Main activities

• Management Account Financial Closing: Analyse sales performance and margins, and conduct a comprehensive review of costs (labour, raw materials, equipment, etc.), providing clear explanations, ensuring the accuracy of financial records, and delivering variance analyses against budget and prior‑year data. Supply the Head of Management Control with the information required to complete the consolidated financial close. Oversee stock valuation and the calculation of stock provisions.
• Budget, Re‑estimates, 3‑year plan: Lead the budgeting process for the manufacturing operations of John Lobb in Northampton, in close coordination with the Paris global finance team, covering P&L (sales, costs and margins) and Capex. Partner closely with the Industrial Director to build the budget, translating operational decisions – such as recruitment, supplier changes or product mix shifts – into meaningful financial assumptions.
• Industrial Cost Pricing: Calculate and maintain standard industrial costs at article level. Review and validate bill of material (BOM) accuracy. Carry out costing exercises to support pricing decisions for future collections.
• Reporting, KPI and dashboards: Prepare and manage reporting packs covering production volumes, invoicing levels, productivity ratios and order intake, proactively suggesting enhancements where relevant.
• CAPEX: Track spend against budget and elevate any overspend risk promptly. Challenge the rationale behind investment requests. Review and oversee the bidding process.
• Internal Control: Foster a culture of internal control across the entity. Monitor the creation and updating of internal procedures to ensure compliance with Group and legal requirements across procurement, security & CSR, stock management and HR. Conduct regular and ad hoc checks to verify adherence to existing procedures. Define and oversee the annual Internal Control plan for the manufacturing operations of John Lobb in Northampton. Organise and lead stock‑takes, providing recommendations to drive continuous improvement.

Person Specification

• Education & Experience: Master's degree from a university or business school, with a finance or accounting background. Proven experience in industrial management accounting (a background in the shoe industry is an advantage, though by no means essential). Familiarity with M3 is an advantage.
• Skills & Personal Attributes: Strong analytical rigour, with the ability to deliver clear and reliable outputs to the central Finance team. A proactive mindset – there is real scope to improve existing analyses and processes, and the right candidate will relish that challenge. Highly organised, with the ability to manage shifting priorities without losing sight of tight deadlines. A natural collaborator, comfortable working across functions and translating operational realities into financial terms. Self‑motivated and able to bring others along – including operational teams who may not always prioritise data requests. Confident with IT systems and financial tools. Comfortable delegating, setting clear expectations, and providing constructive feedback to their direct report. Comfortable being based full‑time in Northampton, with occasional travel (to Paris and other Group or Suppliers’ sites).