Commercial Finance Analyst

Job Description

Job Title: Commercial Finance Analyst

Function: Ornua Foods Europe

Reports to: Finance manager

Location: Grattan House, Dublin

6 Month Fixed Term Contract

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Ornua is a leading dairy co-operative which sells premium dairy products globally on behalf of its Member Co-operatives, Ireland’s dairy processors and, in turn, Irish dairy farmers. 

Ornua has revenues of €3.4 billion and is supported by a global team of approximately 2,800 employees. The Group operates as a commercial organisation across 10 business units, including 12 production facilities located in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa. 

The commercial organisation is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua’s consumer brands including Ireland’s most successful food export: Kerrygold. Consumer markets are served by production facilities in Ireland, Germany and the UK and by in-market Sales & Marketing Teams in Asia, Germany, Ireland, MEA, Poland, Spain, rest of Europe and North and Latin America. 

It also manages the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products, the sale of dairy ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers globally, and the implementation of de-risking and trading strategies to manage market volatility. These activities are supported by production facilities and in-market teams in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa. 

WHY THIS ROLE IS VALUABLE

The Commercial Finance Analyst will be based in Dublin, and will report directly to the Finance Manager, Ornua Foods Europe. The ideal candidate for this role would have strong commercial experience and a good understanding of how a P&L works and the key levers that will affect and improve profitability. They would have a proven track record with pricing and optimizing trade expenditure.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Commercial Analyst

• Pricing and commercial support
• Work closely with Finance manager Foods Europe & team on projects requiring finance support
• Enable decision making through evaluation of new business opportunities including new product and market launches
• Analyse and advise upon trade investment decisions to help guide the commercial team.

Financial Performance Management

• Deliver monthly analysis of results and suggest corrective actions to be taken to deliver EBITA targets.
• Prepare periodic (weekly, monthly, quarterly as appropriate) reporting on performance by market, region, product category, customer etc. and provide financial insights
• Provide strong balance sheet and working capital management by tracking spend, monitoring Accounts Receivable, highlighting slow moving inventory and tracking accruals and reserves
• Perform variance analysis to Budget and provide commercial narrative on causes of variance

Budgeting and Forecasting

• Coordinate annual budget process for Foods Europe, delivering a clearly articulated and initiative driven business plan
• Lead preparation of detailed quarterly forecast (3+9, 6+6 and 9+3) throughout the year
• Lead preparation of 5/6 Year strategic plans
• Prepare monthly Flash forecasts

Other

• Support for project and other ad hoc task as required

KEY REQUIREMENTS:

• Qualified Accountant (CIMA/ACCA/ACA) or working towards professional qualification.
• Experience operating in a commercial finance role, working closely with non-Finance functions
• Demonstratable influencing skills
• Ability to oversee and drive change
• Good team player with excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Commercial experience with astute well-developed analytical skills

Ornua Core Competencies

• Customer Focus: Advocates for the customer, balances customer and business needs, and spots opportunities for growth.
• Forward-Looking: Helps others to accept change, implements change, and looks ahead to anticipate change.
• Curious: Open to asking questions and willing to learn and continuously improve.
• Working Together: Encourages co-operation in own team and supports cross-functional working.