Chief Accountant

About the Role

As Amber Beverage Group UK (ABUK) enters an ambitious and exciting phase of growth, we are seeking an exceptional Chief Accountant to shape, lead, and execute our financial vision in the UK distribution business.

The Chief Accountant is a senior executive role, reporting directly to the Managing Director and sitting on the UK leadership team. The role carries full accountability for the company’s financial health, governance, and long‑term value creation.

As the financial conscience and strategic partner to the business, the Chief Accountant owns the P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and financial strategy, balancing ambitious commercial growth with disciplined risk management, regulatory compliance, and capital stewardship.

• Own and protect the financial integrity of the UK business while enabling sustainable, profitable growth.
• Drive long‑term value creation through robust planning, performance management, and capital discipline.
• Act as a trusted strategic partner to the CEO and leadership team, shaping commercial and operational decisions with financial insight.

• Co‑lead the 3–5 year strategic plan, aligning financial outcomes with commercial and operational ambitions.
• Own the annual budgeting process and rolling forecasts, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and agility.
• Translate strategy into clear financial targets, investment cases, and return‑on‑capital discipline.
• Evaluate growth initiatives, pricing strategies, and portfolio decisions through a value‑creation lens.

• Establish and maintain robust internal controls, delegation of authority, and financial governance frameworks.
• Own financial policies including pricing, discounting, credit limits, customer terms, and capital expenditure.
• Lead banking relationships, including facilities management, covenant compliance, and liquidity planning.
• Define and oversee FX and interest rate risk policies, ensuring appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Ensure full compliance with statutory, regulatory, and tax requirements.

Design and own the KPI framework, including:

• Gross margin by brand and channel
• Customer and channel profitability
• Days Sales Outstanding (DSO)
• Inventory / stock days
• Cash Conversion Cycle
• Lead monthly performance reviews with Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain, driving accountability and corrective action
• Provide forward‑looking insight, not just historical reporting, to support faster and better decision‑making

• Act as the primary financial contact for shareholders, external auditors, banks, insurers, and advisers.
• Lead all audit processes and manage statutory accounts and filings.
• Own senior‑level escalations with HMRC, including VAT, excise duty, and compliance matters.
• Oversee the Group’s insurance programme, including product liability, stock, business interruption, and D&O coverage.

• Ensure strong compliance with the UK excise duty and VAT framework applicable to alcoholic beverages.
• Oversee financial aspects of bonded warehousing, duty suspension, and stock movement controls.
• Partner closely with operations and supply chain to manage regulatory and cash impacts of duty and inventory.

Fully qualified accountant: ACA, ACCA, or CIMA (mandatory).

• 10–15+ years’ post‑qualification experience, ideally within FMCG, beverages, alcohol distribution, or similarly complex trading businesses.
• Proven experience operating in cash‑intensive and working‑capital‑sensitive environments.
• Strong track record of owning the full finance agenda: P&L, balance sheet, cash, controls, and strategy.
• Demonstrated success in business partnering, commercial decision support, and strategic leadership—not just financial reporting.

• Deep understanding of UK financial, tax, and regulatory environments, particularly excise and VAT for alcohol.
• Strong commercial acumen with the confidence to challenge and influence senior stakeholders.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and…