Management Accountant

Job Title
Management Accountant

Location
Denbigh Head Office

About us

Lock Stock Self Storage is the largest container storage company in the UK. We are a modern, dynamic and growing business operating across multiple sites, providing storage solutions to a wide range of customers.

About the role

We are looking for an experienced Management Accountant to take ownership of a defined range of accounting, financial control and project responsibilities across our six group companies.

Based at our Denbigh Head Office, this is an office-based role that cannot be carried out remotely. Reporting directly to the CFO, you will work alongside our existing finance colleague, with distinct areas of responsibility and support from our Finance Assistant.

An important initial focus will be bringing the accounting for our smaller group companies fully in-house. Working with our external accountants, you will establish accurate opening balances, fixed-asset registers, depreciation and supporting schedules, allowing us to produce reliable monthly profit and loss accounts and balance sheets. These companies have significantly fewer transactions than our main trading business, but need a consistent and well-controlled accounting process.

Alongside this, you will maintain budgets and forecasts, strengthen balance-sheet and revenue controls, and contribute to finance systems improvements and the integration of new sites and acquisitions. The role also includes some hands-on accounting duties, including company credit-card entries and gathering information for external tax advisers.

This is a role for someone who can take a clear brief, establish what is required and carry the work through to a reliable conclusion with limited supervision. You will be expected to investigate discrepancies, explain financial information clearly and make sensible decisions within agreed parameters, while recognising when a material or unusual matter needs escalation.

We are looking for someone proactive and naturally curious, with the confidence to question inefficient processes, suggest practical improvements and help develop the finance function as the business grows.

Key Responsibilities

• Bring the accounting for the smaller group companies in-house, working with external accountants to establish accurate opening balances and complete supporting records.
• Prepare monthly accounts for those companies, including profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, journals, reconciliations and supporting schedules.
• Complete agreed Lock Stock month-end schedules, working alongside colleagues to deliver accurate information within agreed deadlines.
• Own allocated balance-sheet reconciliations, investigating historical differences, resolving discrepancies and ensuring balances are clearly explained and supported.
• Maintain intercompany reconciliations across the group, ensuring transactions and balances agree between companies.
• Maintain fixed-asset registers and capital-expenditure records, including additions, disposals, depreciation and reconciliation to Sage.
• Monitor expenditure against agreed budgets, investigate coding issues and highlight significant variances.
• Prepare and maintain budgets and forecasts, updating agreed assumptions and explaining significant differences between actual results and expectations.
• Maintain cash-flow forecasts for the smaller group companies, identifying funding requirements and emerging risks.
• Maintain debt, hire-purchase and covenant schedules, with clear supporting calculations for review by the Head of Finance
• Reconcile revenue and customer-finance information between Space Manager and Sage, investigating differences and working with colleagues to resolve them.
• Validate the source data and definitions used in financial reporting, ensuring information is accurate, consistent and traceable.
• Prepare detailed financial analysis and supporting schedules for the Head of Finance and external advisers, responding to queries and following investigations through to resolution.
• Support year-end work by providing accurate records, reconciliations and explanations for the areas owned by this role.
• Take ownership of agreed finance projects, including process improvements, automation and the financial integration of new sites and acquisitions.
• Work with colleagues and external system providers to test changes, improve controls and document effective working procedures.
• Post company credit-card transactions accurately into Sage, checking coding and supporting documentation and coordinating with colleagues on missing information.
• Gather and organise personal tax information for external advisers, maintaining confidentiality and tracking outstanding requirements.
• Share knowledge, document key processes and contribute to effective cover within the finance team.

Skills & Experience Required

• Strong practical management accounting experience, with the ability to prepare reliable accounts and supporting schedules independently.
• AAT qualified, part-qualified or qualified ACCA/CIMA, or able to demonstrate equivalent competence through relevant experience.
• Experience of month-end accounting, including journals, accruals, prepayments, depreciation and balance-sheet reconciliations.
• The ability to investigate incomplete or inconsistent accounting records, establish the correct position and implement a reliable ongoing process.
• Practical experience maintaining budgets, forecasts and fixed-asset records.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, authorisation processes and the importance of complete supporting evidence.
• Confident Excel and accounting-system skills, with the ability to reconcile, analyse and explain financial information accurately.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the confidence to investigate unfamiliar issues and propose a sensible course of action.
• Excellent attention to detail, sound judgement and the ability to manage competing deadlines with limited supervision.
• Clear, professional communication skills and the confidence to deal directly with external accountants, system providers and senior colleagues.

Desirable

• Experience preparing accounts across several legal entities, including intercompany transactions and reconciliations.
• Experience bringing accounting work in-house or establishing accounting processes for smaller businesses.
• Practical experience using Sage 200 and Sage 50.
• Experience maintaining borrowing schedules and preparing financial covenant calculations.
• Experience improving finance systems, reporting data or implementing automation.
• Experience supporting acquisitions, new-site integration or other significant finance projects.
• Experience preparing detailed financial information and resolving queries from external advisers.

Personal Attributes

• Discreet, trustworthy and consistently professional when handling confidential financial, commercial and personal information.
• Self-reliant and accountable: able to take a clear brief, work out the necessary steps and see the task through to completion.
• Organised and methodical, with the ability to balance recurring accounting deadlines and longer-term project work.
• Curious and thorough, willing to investigate discrepancies and reach a reasoned conclusion before escalating.
• Proactive and comfortable challenging inefficient ways of working and suggesting practical improvements.
• Approachable and collaborative, able to build constructive relationships while maintaining appropriate financial controls.
• Willing to contribute to the practical work of a small finance team alongside the wider responsibilities of the role.

Salary & benefits

£38,000–£44,000 depending on experience.

• You will be joining a strong, well-connected and supportive team.
• You will be working in a large, spacious, modern office with refreshments included during office attendance.
• Free on-site parking.
• 28 days annual leave, increasing incrementally to 33 days after five years’ service.
• Additional 1.5 days leave in December (Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Christmas party day).
• Your personal development is important to us and training will be provided.
• Your pay will be reviewed annually.
• 5 days paid sickness leave per year.
• We hold at least two fully paid social events each year.

Pay: £38,000.00-£44,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Additional leave
• Bereavement leave
• Company events
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee discount
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Sick pay

Work Location: In person