FP&A Manager - Accounting

Family and ideas have always been our ingredients. Our founding families believed biscuits and chocolates could bring moments of happiness to the world. Their ideas have stood the test of time. Their spirit continues to inspire our future. It’s in the care and the craft we bake into biscuits and chocolates that have been loved for generations. And it’s in the fresh ideas, the new twists, flavours and textures we add to old and new favourites. Our 16,000 colleagues across our global network of bakers, distribution sites and offices each with their own unique, diverse experience. To bring happiness with every bite.

If you’re a part of the pladis team, you know what it means to bring it. Whether it’s our resilience, team spirit or go-getting attitude. Our courage and compassion. Our ownership. Our whole selves. We Bring it. Day in, day out.

Our Purpose: Bring happiness with every bite! It’s a purpose that every one of our colleagues, all around the world believes in. And while we’re all unique, we also share the same values. Each of our values is important on its own. In combination they’re incredibly powerful. Our values have deep personal meaning to us. They’re part of who we are and what we stand for as an employer. Living our pladis values is a key part of success, look out for questions in your interview that link to these key pladis values.

Site Introduction: In 2021, pladis proudly opened the doors to our vibrant global hub, the MIU Campus. Located in the heart of Chiswick Park, West London. Just a short 5-minute walk from Gunnersbury Station, our campus is nestled within 33 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, offering a welcoming and inspiring environment for all. Chiswick Park is home to both our UK and Global Corporate teams, bringing together diverse teams across the business.

What will this role achieve? The Accounting Manager sits within the FP&A team and has end‑to‑end accountability for the UK&I month‑end close and SG&A accounting, ensuring timely delivery, high‑quality outputs, and strong financial discipline across the Finance function. The role leads the day‑to‑day operation of the month‑end close, including oversight and management of the offshore Management Accounting team, setting clear standards, expectations, and timelines to ensure a predictable, well‑controlled close. The role also carries direct line management responsibility for an FP&A Analyst with specific accountability for Direct Marketing spend, providing day-to-day guidance, objective-setting, and performance oversight for this individual.

Operating as an accounting lead within FP&A, the role is the owner of P&L integrity for SG&A, combining technical accounting judgement with strong process ownership and cross‑functional business partnering. In particular, the role partners closely with HR and IS, providing clear oversight of actual and forecasted spend, ensuring costs are well understood, appropriately controlled, and consistently reflected across accounting outcomes and forward‑looking views. The focus of the role is on ownership, control, and continuous improvement, ensuring accounting outputs are robust, explainable, and trusted by FP&A, Financial Accounting, and functional leadership.

What will be your key deliverables?

• Month‑End Close Leadership: Own and coordinate the UK&I month‑end close process, with specific accounting ownership for UK&I SG&A. Lead the day‑to‑day execution of close activities, including management of the offshore Management Accounting team, ensuring clear ownership, sequencing, and deadlines. Ensure close activities are timely and predictable, clearly owned with appropriate review and sign‑off, performed in line with group accounting policies and financial controls. Act as the primary escalation point for close issues, resolving problems pragmatically and at pace. Drive continuous improvement in close efficiency, quality, and discipline. Ensure a clean, well‑understood bridge from actuals to forecast and plan.
• SG&A Accounting Ownership & Business Partnering: Own the end‑to‑end accounting for SG&A, ensuring costs are complete and accurately recorded, correctly classified and allocated, and consistently reflected across actuals, forecasts, and plans. Act as the finance lead for SG&A accounting outcomes, partnering particularly closer with HR and IS. Provide clear visibility and challenge on actual and forecasted spend, ensuring variances are understood, explainable, and actioned where appropriate. Act as point of accountability for SG&A month‑end results, including accruals and prepayments, provisions and estimates, and review of material movements versus prior period and forecast. Apply accounting judgement consistently, balancing technical accuracy with commercial understanding.
• P&L Integrity, Review & Governance: Act as custodian of SG&A P&L integrity, ensuring clear ownership of cost lines, consistent application of accounting policies, and robust and supportable use of judgement and estimates. Engage directly with Cost Centre Managers to ensure SG&A spend is well understood, appropriately planned, and clearly explained. Challenge cost trends, timing, and classification where required. Reinforce accountability for cost control and financial discipline. Review and challenge unusual items, trends, or reclassifications, working collaboratively with HR and IS business partners and FP&A colleagues. Provide direct line management for the FP&A Analyst responsible for Direct Marketing spend, including regular 1:1s, objective-setting, performance reviews, and professional development support. Ensure accounting outcomes are transparent, explainable, and auditable, with no reliance on post‑close fixes or unexplained variances. Maintain high‑quality documentation supporting key judgements, estimates, and cost ownership.
• Controls, Standards & Best Practice: Ensure SG&A accounting and close processes operate within a strong financial controls framework. Define and embed clear standards and expectations for documentation and audit evidence, review and approval processes. Share best practice across Accounting and FP&A teams, improving consistency and reducing key‑person dependency. Partner with Internal Audit and Control teams, addressing findings promptly and sustainably.

Bring your experience. Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA or equivalent). Strong technical understanding of P&L accounting and month‑end close. Proven experience owning close processes in a complex organisation. Experience leading or coordinating offshore or shared‑service teams. Confident applying judgement, challenging constructively, and setting standards. Ability to translate accounting detail into clear, practical outcomes for non‑finance stakeholders.

What will the interview process be? Initial Telephone call with Talent Acquisition, 1st stage interview – 45 minutes competency-based interview based on our company values and your experiences, 2nd stage interview – 90 minutes – a technical interview to understand your skill set. pladis does also use both Psychometric and Aptitude tests to support our processes so you may be asked to complete these as part of your process. Some processes may differ, but we will keep you updated!

What does pladis offer you? Annual Incentive Plan (AIP) – this is the business’s annual bonus scheme. Opportunity to self‑enrol into Health Cash Plan, Private medical Insurance (if eligible by grade), Enhanced parental leave and a supportive phased return‑to‑work program to help colleagues balance family and career. Life Assurance Cover ~ upon enrolment to Stakeholder Pension Scheme, 25 days + bank holidays, 1 Volunteering Day per year, Cycle to work scheme, Discounted gym membership – Carlisle and Chiswick only, Discount and Cashback Scheme – make your everyday spending work hard for you on major high street brands, supermarkets and services, Access to Employee Assistance Programme, Financial Wellbeing Support, Access to great training and development opportunities.

Our Values: Purpose led – We’re energised and guided by our purpose to bring happiness with every bite. Agile – We’re ever evolving, we never stand still, always improving for our customers and our consumers. Positive – We’re highly motivated, optimistic, courageous, and we inspire each other to be better. Resilient - We’re persistent in the face of setbacks, quick to adapt, learn and move forward. Collaborative – We gain strength from operating as one pladis, winning and succeeding together.

pladis is an equal opportunities employer, like every great recipe we’re a thoughtful mix. A happy and inclusive place to work that’s as diverse as our consumers and the communities we support, live and work in, all around the world. Where every voice is heard, and difference is celebrated. Where fresh perspectives and new ideas help us grow and thrive.

Accessibility at Chiswick: Our Chiswick site has step‑free access, accessible entrances and lifts between floors to support individuals with mobility needs. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, and where possible to perform key job functions.