Financial Controller

The Industrial Management & Internal Controller is responsible for overseeing the financial performance of John Lobb's manufacturing operations in Northampton. The role involves delivering accurate and reliable financial reporting, complementing quantitative analysis with qualitative insight gathered from operational teams, and proactively identifying opportunities for improvement. The postholder will also be responsible for maintaining and strengthening Internal Control standards across relevant Group processes.

This is an excellent opportunity for a highly analytical individual who is keen to play a meaningful part in the development of the finance function within one of the most iconic names in luxury menswear. The successful candidate will be comfortable working with a high degree of autonomy – the role is based in Northampton, while the broader Finance team sits in Paris – and will be confident engaging with operational and industrial stakeholders on financial matters. A proactive mindset and a genuine appetite for improving processes and deepening analytical frameworks are essential.

• Financial Closing: 
  • Analyse sales performance and margins, and conduct a comprehensive review of costs (labour, raw materials, equipment, etc.), providing clear explanations, ensuring the accuracy of financial records, and delivering variance analyses against budget and prior-year data
  • Supply the Head of Management Control with the information required to complete the consolidated financial close
  • Oversee stock valuation and the calculation of stock provisions
• Budget, Re-estimates, 3-year plan: 
  • Lead the budgeting process for the manufacturing operations of John Lobb in Northampton, in close coordination with the Paris global finance team, covering P&L (sales, costs and margins) and Capex
  • Partner closely with the Industrial Director to build the budget, translating operational decisions – such as recruitment, supplier changes or product mix shifts – into meaningful financial assumptions 
• Industrial Cost Pricing: 
  • Calculate and maintain standard industrial costs at article level
  • Review and validate bill of material (BOM) accuracy
  • Carry out costing exercises to support pricing decisions for future collections
• Reporting, KPI and dashboards: 
  • Prepare and manage reporting packs covering production volumes, invoicing levels, productivity ratios and order intake, proactively suggesting enhancements where relevant
• CAPEX:
  • Track spend against budget and escalate any overspend risk promptly
  • Challenge the rationale behind investment requests
  • Review and oversee the bidding process

• Foster a culture of internal control across the entity
• Monitor the creation and updating of internal procedures to ensure compliance with Group and legal requirements across procurement, security & CSR, stock management and HR
• Conduct regular and ad hoc checks to verify adherence to existing procedures
• Define and oversee the annual Internal Control plan for the manufacturing operations of John Lobb in Northampton
• Organise and lead stock-takes, providing recommendations to drive continuous improvement

• Master's degree from a university or business school, with a finance or accounting background
• Proven experience in industrial management accounting (a background in the shoe industry is an advantage, though by no means essential)
• Familiarity with M3 is an advantage

• Strong analytical rigour, with the ability to deliver clear and reliable outputs to the central Finance team 
• A proactive mindset – there is real scope to improve existing analyses and processes, and the right candidate will relish that challenge 
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage shifting priorities without losing sight of tight deadlines
• A natural collaborator, comfortable working across functions and translating operational realities into financial terms
• Self-motivated and able to bring others along – including operational teams who may not always prioritise data requests
• Confident with IT systems and financial tools
• Comfortable delegating, setting clear expectations, and providing constructive feedback to their direct report
• Comfortable being based full-time in Northampton, with occasional travel (to Paris and other Group or Suppliers’ sites)