General Ledger Lead (Europe)

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

Global Business Services (GBS) manages the financial processes for Kerry. Our multilingual and customer-focused employees concentrate on supplying cost effective, compliant and value add services to ensure sustainable growth for Kerry. Here in GBS, we work alongside our site colleagues to support the following services; Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Site Support, MDG, Finance and Inter-Company Invoice Processing, amongst other functions.

As part of the wider GBS Record-to-Report team, the GL Team manages General Ledger Accounting and month-end activities within the business. This team is responsible for completing an efficient and compliant end-to-end cycle for all stakeholders.

Reporting to the Record-to-Report Manager, the GL Lead is responsible for managing the GL Controller team, providing GL services to their respective entities and providing the thought leadership to drive improvements and being accountable for superior customer service.

Key responsibilities

Service Delivery

• Lead a team in managing the preparation of the monthly management accounts including analysis of accounts, journal postings, balance sheet reconciliations and other month-end processing.
• Support management and the team in key projects including new country integration, acquisitions and re-organisation - significant level of project work involved.
• Lead a team in managing the preparation of the monthly management accounts including analysis of accounts, journal postings, balance sheet reconciliations and other month end processing.
• Drive the improvement of processes and practices across each company/ledger with the entities for which they are responsible.
• Design and drive new processes and practices across company.
• Work with AR/AP teams to obtain comfort around balance sheet items in their control.
• Approval of salary and payroll postings, working closely with Payroll and Treasury departments.
• Review of detailed monthly P&L and Balance sheet reconciliations and bring improvements to process where possible.
• Work closely with other sites across the business to aid clean month-end close on key balances.
• Liaise with the manufacturing Plant Controllers to ensure timely and accurate reporting.
• Assist with interim and year-end audit, including preparation of year-end audit file, liaising with audit team and preparation of year end group reporting.
• Assist all company stakeholders with any technical queries which may arise.
• Assist in the reporting of Projections / Budgets.
• Assist in ad-hoc and project requirements.
• Ensuring all the data is accurate for reporting purpose.

People Management

• Manage and develop a GL team of Controllers (who in turn have GL Accountants reporting into them), ensuring that a proper team structure is implemented.
• Help to coordinating processes and workloads within AR Team.
• Develop employees to undertake new assignments and/or promotions.
• Maintain a stimulating work environment to motivate staff performance and facilitate employee retention.
• Ensure that the team members are cross trained to provide continuous customer service delivery during periods of leave or turnover.
• Recruitment and selection of new team members as required.
• Identify the training needs, develop the training, calendar for cross-training and skill development of employees after they have completed the initial new hire training process.
• Assess and coach individual employee development.
• Deliver performance appraisal discussions and annual assessments.

Qualifications and skills

• Qualified Accountant ACA / ACCA / CIMA (ideally ACA) with a minimum of 10+ years related experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Should have experience operating at Manager position for more than 3-4 years.  Previous Controller experience strongly preferred.
• Strong SAP Knowledge.
• Good English language and communication skills.
• Experience in preparing Accruals, Prepayments, Balance Sheet Reconciliations, Overheads Close, Process Bank Transactions and Reconciliations, Intercompany Accounting and Reconciliation, Complete Assessment Cycles / BPC Close, Local Tax processing, Audit Support (Internal and External), Fixed Asset Transactions, Gross Margin Close, Budget/ Projection/ Financial Statements.
• Master data Management (MDM) knowledge.
• Providing guidance to team on Analysis Review of Income Statement, Balance Sheets, period-end closing and year-end closing.
• Strong People Management Skills and Senior Stakeholder Management.