Full time FP&A/Commercial Accountant (Makes Sums Work)

Ella’s Background

Ella’s Kitchen was set up by Paul Lindley, CEO, to promote healthy eating amongst babies and young children.  This highly entrepreneurial and values driven company has achieved impressive growth to £60m turnover and a team of 60+ employees based at Ella’s barn near Henley.  Their baby and toddler food pouches can be found in key retailers across the UK as well as the Scandinavian and BeNeLux markets.  Ella’s is recognised for its high quality ingredients and ethical credentials which are visible throughout their supply chain and in their social and charity work. Ella’s recently became part of the Hain Celestial Group.

Already having achieved rapid growth to date, Ella’s is about to embark on an exciting new phase of development, to bring out more ranges of products and reach a wider international audience.  With an ambitious growth target in a 5 year period, Ella’s Kitchen is looking to recruit a Financial Planning + Analysis (Commercial) Accountant to work as part of our Sums (Finance) team.

You will be joining a team of people who meet personal and business challenges with hard work and a massive smile. They not only see things as they are and ask why - but see things that never were and ask why not.

Purpose of role

To add value to Ella’s Kitchen by working closely with the Financial Controller, Commercial Finance Manager and commercial teams to ensure robust financial analysis supports commercial decision making at Ella’s Kitchen.  To work with the commercial teams to prepare the quarterly forecasts and the annual budget for the business (to gross margin). To understand and report on the actual results compared to these forecasts. To support the use of Cognos and Exceedra within the business and to improve understanding of forecast sales and customer profitability. Month end accounting for marketing and trade spend including production and presentation of related reporting material. 

Role activities / responsibilities

  • Support the Commercial Finance Manager in working  with the Deals (Sales) team – understand trading performance and related trade spend costs and help prepare financial evaluations of joint Business Plans with key customers 
  • Help provide support for the Yummy New Stuff (Product Development) Team – preparing financial evaluations of the profitability of new SKUs
  • Forecasting & Budgeting – Work cross functionally to support the preparation of the quarterly forecasts and the annual budget for the business
  • Prepare and post trade spend and marketing accruals for inclusion in the monthly management accounts, understand actual trade spend costs and report variances on these
  • Manage master data within Cognos and support the development and go live of Exceedra (preparation of standing data re trade spend and entering of data into the model)
  • Support the Financial Controller by helping to prepare management reporting for the business – sales reporting and management accounts
  • Production of weekly and monthly reporting for senior management team

Location: Henley-on-Thames
Reports to:Commercial Finance Manager(Runs Making The Sums Work)
Direct Reports: None
Contract: Full time, 40 hours (Monday to Friday)
Responsible for: Supporting the Commercial Finance Manager in financial planning and analysis for the Sales and New Product Development teams. Supporting the Financial Controller in management reporting. Management/ownership of commercial data within Cognos and Exceedra and development of these systems. Preparing and processing month end positions for customer trade in conjunction with sales team.

You will need:

  • Be a qualified accountant with an ACA, CIMA or ACCA qualification
  • Embrace, embody and exude all that is special and unique about Ella’s Kitchen
  • Have really strong Microsoft Office skills
  • Have a solid commercial outlook – experience within FMCG would be preferable
  • Experience of SAP B1, Exceedra or Cognos  would be advantageous
  • Have an interest in or willingness to become a super user of Cognos  and Exceedra – performing a key role in the business on both these systems
  • Be bright and analytical, with great people skills
  • Be driven and results orientated with a desire to achieve
  • Have a willingness to throw yourself into a varied and busy role
  • Have a strong attention to detail with great organisational skills
  • Demonstrable ability to live and breathe our values: We Want to Win, We’re Business Minded, We’re Childlike, We Think Differently, We’re Good to Each Other

Salary and benefits

Bucket loads of training and development, supporting your career pathway Competitive salary

A Box of Treats, including private medical, dental, pension, life assurance, 25 days holiday and the ability to buy more, high street discounts, a yummy breakfast every morning, pamper days, Give It A Go days… to name only a few!

A really awesome place to come to work every day… our beautiful Barns in the Oxfordshire countryside
Interested in applying? Please send your CV and covering letter to:

ellaskitchen@markssattin.com