Management Accountant

MISSION

Working as part of the Central Management & Financial Accounting team of 4, this role supports across a broad range of accounting, compliance, reporting & analysis activities. The Central Management & Financial Accounting team are responsible for all month end processes, reporting to our European HQ and through to Japan. 

This role reports into the Financial Reporting Manager and it represents a great opportunity for somebody to build their career in a fast-paced retail/FMCG environment. It would suit somebody with a background in financial and management accounting with strong GL accounting ability and a good understanding of financial reporting who is looking to build broad exposure to a range of different accounting activities. The business always looks to provide a platform for personal & professional development and will provide study support for professional qualifications.

Our mission : Beauty Innovations for a Better World

Founded in 1872 in Japan, Shiseido Group is within the Top 5 leading cosmetics companies in the world and aims to inspire a life of beauty and culture. Operating in 120 countries with 42,000 employees and 70 nationalities, Shiseido offers a unique selection of Skincare, Makeup and Fragrance brands with a projected turnover over £7.0bn in 2022. Celebrating 150 years of heritage in 2022, Shiseido constantly creates high-quality, safe and innovative cosmetics and develop brands deeply loved by people from all over the world, in line with our mission: Beauty Innovations for a Better World.  Did you know that Shiseido is the most awarded company in terms of innovation with a record 31 FSCC Awards?

ABOUT SHISEIDO

Founded in 1872 in Japan, Shiseido Group is within the Top 5 leading cosmetics companies in the world and aims to inspire a life of beauty and culture. Operating in 120 countries with 42,000 employees and 70 nationalities, Shiseido offers a unique selection of Skincare, Makeup and Fragrance brands with a projected £6.8bn turnover in 2021. Celebrating 150 years of heritage in 2022, Shiseido constantly creates high-quality, safe and innovative cosmetics and develop brands deeply loved by people from all over the world, in line with our mission: Beauty Innovations for a Better World.

Did you know that Shiseido is the most awarded company in terms of innovation with a record 26 FSCC Awards?

Shiseido UK & Ireland plays a central role in the EMEA region and is biggest affiliate, leading the Digital acceleration agenda thanks to a team of local experts, but is also constantly reinventing its Retail footprint in the world Nr4 biggest beauty market.

To deliver our strong Growth & Profitability ambitions, we will follow 4 strategic streams

1.            Leverage our unique portfolio of premium Beauty brands across all 3 categories

2.            Stay agile and capture new retail opportunities

3.            Customer-driven decisions

4.           Create a great place to work in Beauty

Our first strength is Make-up, led by NARS, UK’s Nr4 color brand with incredible success globally and that gained 4 rankings in the last 2 years thanks to its unique tone of voice and exceptional complexion and lip products. 

Skincare is a key priority for expansion, with 5 very diverse and complementary brands covering the full scope of consumers needs and profiles. From brand Shiseido that is recognized for its uncompromising quality and showing huge growth potential in UK&I, to already iconic Drunk Elephant (+75% growth this year, about to enter Top10 Skincare) with its most sought-after formulations and Skin Smoothies, or the spectacular Clé de Peau Beauté that embodies the ultimate of stem-cell technology to the service of radiance. This year, we just launched ULÉ a newly created Skin-Tech brand with breakthrough credentials around Sustainability and botanical performance, as well as expanding Gallinée, our most recent acquisition from 2022 specialized around skin microbiome with unique patents.

We are also growing fast in Fragrance, a category we want to accelerate with leading Designers brands such as Issey Miyake, Narciso Rodriguez, Tory Burch, Zadig&Voltaire and Serge Lutens.

Year to date, October 23, SHISEIDO Group is the fastest growing Beauty Group in the UK market, both in Stores and Online. Our clients include high-street retailers such as department stores, beauty chains as well as online pure players and specialty stores. We also have 4 boutiques and 3 direct e-commerce websites.  Our mix of sales is 55% online and 45% in brick & mortar.

ABOUT SHISEIDO BRAND                                   

Recently voted as No5 most trusted brand in Health & Beauty worldwide, Shiseido has defined the concept of beauty and spread its knowledge and power across the world. Heralding an army of devoted followers, we feel that by inspiring empathy, beauty can become a positive force in the world and guide the next generation boldly into the future.

ABOUT CLE DE PEAU BEAUTE

Clé de Peau Beauté, the premier luxury skincare and makeup brand from Shiseido Cosmetics, was founded in 1982 as the ultimate expression of elegance and science. Forever guided by exquisite aesthetics and intelligence, Clé de Peau Beauté has instilled its products with modernity, enchantment, and dynamism to emerge as an industry leader in delivering radiance so remarkable, it emanates from within.

ABOUT DRUNK ELEPHANT

We are committed to using only ingredients that either directly benefit the health of the skin or support the integrity of our formulations. We never take into account whether something is synthetic or natural, instead choosing ingredients based on biocompatibility.

ABOUT NARS                                               

Created in 1994 in New York by visionary makeup artist François NARS, NARS Cosmetics is one of the leading and most respected brands in the world of makeup artistry.

ABOUT DESIGNER FRAGRANCES

Shiseido Group’s fragrance brands are a collection of luxurious and exciting fragrance brands, which are amongst the leaders in the UK market. From the edgy Zadig&Voltaire to the sensual and effortless delicacy of Narciso Rodriguez; and the intriguing mix of natural and sophistication in Issey Miyake. In selected distribution, we also have the unique collection from the extraordinary perfumer, Serge Lutens and more to come to the market.

ABOUT ULE

At Ulé we are on a mission to promote botanical, conscious beauty, being the first skincare brand to grow its ingredients in our own indoor high-tech vertical farm.

Our formulas are obtained through an avant-garde method of culture that guarantees the purity and power of the plants to give you more resilient skin. We have created a sustainable way of beauty for those who want to enjoy life to the fullest, in harmony with the environment.

ABOUT GALLINEE                                   

At Gallinée we believe in working with your microbiome to help it to look after you. Our products contain a patented complex of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics to nourish and support the good bacteria that make your own personal ecosystem. Helping them to look after even the most sensitive skin.

ORGANISATION

Reports to: Financial Reporting Manager UKI

Job Location: London (Hybrid – 3 days office attendance per week)

Contract type: Permanent

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Ensure the integrity of month end reporting

• Work with the Finance Reporting Manager and Commercial Finance Team to deliver the month end close process across all UK&I Shiseido Group brands and Selling, General and Administrative (SGA) costs.
• Post journals and complete balance sheet reconciliations and other control checks post month end, including prepayments, accruals, provisions, bank reconciliations and leases

• Provide cover within the team
• Ensure that own knowledge of relevant accounting standards is kept up to date
• Support the Financial Reporting Manager in developing good working relationships with the EMEA Accounting Team in Paris

Budgeting, Forecasting and Reporting

• Assist in preparing financial statements and reports for senior management
• Support the Finance Reporting Manager in collating and communicating month end results for SGA costs, ensuring that costs are understood and owned by business owners
• Support the Finance Reporting Manager’s preparation of annual budgets and other regular forecasting reviews.

Developing and improving the control environment

• The Management Accountant will be expected to identify areas of continuous improvement, particularly in relation to opportunities for a fast month end close process and for more effective and systemised control checks

Audit and Tax Compliance

• Support the Senior Finance Manager through the year end close process and audit with KPMG, working to deliver the year end timetable as agreed with KPMG and other key internal stakeholders
• Support the Senior Finance Manager as required in tax matters, HMRC and compliance reporting

PROFILE

• Qualified or Part qualified accountant (ACMA, ACCA, CIMA)
• Recent exposure to IFRS and UK accounting standards 
• Experience of working in a management accounting role in a medium company with exposure to month end reporting and cashflow/treasury reporting
• Strong excel skills with proven ability to manipulate data
• Experience of a working with SAP
• Experience of how financial control environments operate and how they can be improved
• Ability to work to tight deadlines
• High level of attention to detail
• Strong team player
• Excellent written & verbal communication skills
• Alignment with the group’s « Trust8 » working principles: Think Big, Take Risks, Hands on, Collaborate, Be Open, Act with Integrity, Be Accountable, Applaud Success

The benefits you’ll love…

• 26 days holiday + bank holidays + your birthday day off   
• Holiday buy – up to 5 days
• Day off when you get married or move house
• Generous contributory pension scheme – match up to 8%
• Annual performance related bonus
• Private medical insurance with Vitality
• Enhanced parental allowance
• Generous product allocation & discount
• Life Assurance up to x4 your salary
• Flexible Friday finish
• Flexible & hybrid working
• Wellbeing programmes
• Annual performance and development reviews so you know your career is going in the right direction