What are the primary functions & responsibilities of the position?
If you are a Cost Accounting professional looking for an opportunity to grow, Lakeland Europe has an exciting opportunity for you! Based in our Manchester, UK office, the Assistant Accountant will be responsible for reviewing and calculating product costs from our manufacturing facilities, with a focus on identifying cost-saving opportunities. This newly created position will work to streamline processes and drive improvements that help us achieve our target pricing and overall margin optimization. In addition, you will be supporting the implementation of SAP in our European sites. We’re looking for someone who is ready to make an impact, drive change, and help us achieve cost optimization goals while working in a collaborative and dynamic environment.
As the Costing Analyst you will:
- Prepare monthly product cost analysis for use in determining cost of sales and inventoriable cost.
- Driving analytics and processes to evaluate product cost, identifying cost reductions, and tracking to realization seasonally, annually, and for strategic plans.
· Maintaining accurate and up-to-date data in our systems to ensure consistent, reliable information.
· Conducting cost analysis to improve margin performance and deliver measurable results.
- Participates in strategic projects and initiatives, often cross-functional and across multiple geographies.
- Completes analysis on operations specific aspects of the finance operating cycle (Cost of Sales, Other Cost of Sales, and Inventory) and other manufacturing topics to provide meaningful insight into the company’s financial performance.
· Leading and contributing to ad hoc projects to drive sourcing optimization with measurable outcomes.
- Assists in developing the company’s annual plans.
- Works with regional finance teams to design and implement best practices to streamline processes and provide data-driven insights to business leaders.
· Analyzing and identifying opportunities for cost savings and process optimization across various facets of the business.
- Other ad hoc projects as assigned.
How are the job responsibilities of the position currently being filled?
Currently the responsibilities are being filled by the current team at Lakeland Europe. Retirement of a key team member has created this opportunity.
Are they any specific qualifications, requirements, or experience to be successful in the position?
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, economics, finance, or related discipline.
- International experience is a plus.
- Excellent technical, analytical and communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, great team player, attention to detail, organized and thorough with the desire for continuous improvement.
- Ability to meet assigned deadlines and strong organizational and critical thinking skills.
- Knowledge of accounting practices related to inventory costing, intercompany and foreign currencies, and problem solving and prioritization skills.
- Multi-lingual a plus
- Professional qualification, such as Qualified Accountant or CFA, is a strong plus.
· At least 3 years of solid experience in data analysis, preferably in the apparel or footwear industry.
· Proficient in MS Office, particularly Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP) and PowerPoint. Experience with SAP and Sage is a plus.
- Strong work ethic with a positive continuous improvement mindset.
- Strong quantitative abilities, process oriented and attention to detail combined with ability to understand the bigger picture.
