Role: Finance Controller / Finance Manager – Food Manufacturing (Blended Powder Site)
Reporting Line: You will report to the Senior Finance Controller, who leads group finance strategy, governance, and external financial relationships.
You will be the site-based financial leader responsible for execution, insight, and performance delivery.
Location: – on site, Leek, Staffordshire (On-site)
Position: permanent -Full-time | Permanent | Monday–Friday (37.5 hours)
About the Role
We’re looking for a commercially driven Finance Controller to take ownership of finance at a fast-paced blended powder food manufacturing site in Leek.
This is a key site leadership role where you will act as the financial lead for the factory, responsible for driving performance, improving margin, and ensuring robust financial control across a complex manufacturing environment.
You’ll partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain, and the Senior Leadership Team to turn financial data into action—helping the site operate more efficiently, profitably, and sustainably.
You will report to the Senior Finance Controller, who owns group-level strategy and governance, while you lead site-level execution and performance delivery.
What You’ll Be Doing (including but not limited to)
Driving Site Performance
- Own financial performance for the manufacturing site, including profitability, cost control, and working capital
- Deliver clear insight into production efficiency, yield, waste, labour usage, and margin drivers
- Act as a trusted business partner to Operations and Supply Chain teams
Manufacturing Finance Leadership
- Lead standard costing, variance analysis, and inventory control across a blended powder production environment
- Improve visibility and control of material usage, batch performance, and production waste
- Drive margin improvement through better cost understanding and operational challenge
Planning & Decision Support
- Lead budgeting, forecasting, and monthly performance reporting
- Build strong cashflow and operational forecasting models
- Support commercial and operational decision‑making with robust financial modelling
- Own and develop finance and reporting capability within the ERP system (Infor M3)
- Improve automation, data quality, and reporting efficiency across site finance processes
- Strengthen financial controls and support audit and compliance activity
ESG & Sustainability (Site‑Level Contribution)
- Support site‑level ESG reporting including energy, waste, and emissions data
- Partner with operations to identify cost‑saving and sustainability improvements
- Ensure ESG data is accurate, consistent, and aligned to group requirements
- Support integration of sustainability into financial planning and investment decisions
Capital & Investment Support
- Partner with the Enterprise CI to lead financial evaluation of site investment proposals (equipment, automation, process improvements)
- Build ROI and payback models and track post‑investment performance
- Present business cases for approval to senior finance leadership
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for someone who thrives in a hands‑on manufacturing environment and enjoys being close to operations.
Qualifications & Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field (professional qualification such as ACCA/CIMA preferred or equivalent experience).
- Proven experience in a Finance Controller / Finance Manager role within manufacturing (food, FMCG, or process industry preferred).
- Strong understanding of manufacturing costing, variance analysis, and inventory control.
- Experience working in ERP systems (Infor M3 advantageous).
- Advanced Microsoft Excel and Microsoft 365 skills.
- Strong commercial acumen with ability to link operational activity to financial outcomes.
- Experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial modelling.
- Understanding of ESG or non‑financial reporting desirable.
- Strong problem‑solving and analytical capability
- Commercial awareness and cost focus
- Excellent verbal and written communication and stakeholder management skills
- Ability to influence cross‑functional teams
- Detail‑oriented with strong technical documentation skills
- IT literate across Microsoft 365 and TEAMS
- Friendly, collaborative, and Professional demeanour
- Solutions orientated
You’ll bring
- Experience in a Finance Controller / Finance Manager role within manufacturing, FMCG, food, or process industries
- Strong understanding of costing, variance analysis, and inventory control
- Confidence working with operational teams to influence performance
- Strong Excel and ERP systems experience (Infor M3 advantageous)
- Commercial mindset with the ability to turn data into action
- Experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial modelling
What Makes This Role Different
This is not a back‑office reporting role.
- Embedded in the factory, working directly with operations
- A key driver of profitability and efficiency at site level
- Trusted to challenge decisions and influence outcomes
- Central to how the site improves cost performance and operational excellence
You’ll have real visibility, real influence, and real ownership of results.
If you thrive in a factory‑floor finance role where you genuinely influence performance, and want to make your mark in an established business in a growth phase, this is a standout opportunity.
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