Job Specification
Job Role: Management Accountant - eCom Shutters
Reports to: Financial Controller
Department: Finance & Business Intelligence
Job Type: Permanent, Full Time. Probation period 6 months.
Salary range: GBP 45,000 - 50,000 (DOE)
Location: Brighton & Hove, BN41 1WF
Hours of Work: 37.5 hrs per week Mon - Fri, 3 days office, 2 WFH
Company
Bright & Shade Group (formerly TCMM Shutter Group) specialises in the supply of made-to-measure and DIY window shutters and blinds in both B2C and B2B markets. The business was formed in 2002 with flagship retail brand Shutterly Fabulous, soon expanding to include a portfolio of ecommerce brands operating in the UK and North America. In 2021 the group was acquired by Mzuri Group, a pioneering force in the window coverings market. More recently the business has taken on a number of well-known blinds businesses, Swift and Make My Blinds from within the group, and spearheads partnerships with John Lewis and B&Q.
We're a growing, ambitious team based in Brighton, where we blend a casual office environment with a sharp focus on doing great work. We value being together and sharing ideas and so blend office and flexible working as roles require. Here you'll find opportunities to grow, work across diverse businesses, contribute meaningfully, and shape the future of the business. Autonomy is encouraged, curiosity is celebrated, and humility is part of how we work with each other every day.
Our Finance team is in the middle of changing how it works - we're building a group data platform, automating manual processes and starting to bring AI tools into everyday work. It's a busy, evolving environment, and the role will suit someone who enjoys change and wants a hand in shaping it.
If you're looking for a place where you can be yourself, do your best work, and be part of something exciting - we'd love to meet you.
Main Function
We are seeking a dynamic, highly motivated Management Accountant to join our Finance department as the management accountant for our eCom Shutters brand family (The Shutter Store, California Shutters, DIY Shutters), reporting to the Financial Controller and working alongside a finance team of six. The group operates around twelve brands across multiple entities, and while this role anchors to one brand family there is genuine opportunity to work across the wider portfolio as the role develops.
This is a role for someone who wants to build, not just process. The group is mid-way through a significant finance transformation - a Snowflake/Power BI data platform, Business Central automation, an AI-enabled finance programme and a structured FP&A build-out - and this role sits at the centre of it. You will own the month-end and reporting cycle for your brand family, take a leading role in statutory accounts, audit, tax and VAT compliance across the group, and use your technical skills (Power Query, Power BI, AI tools, automation) to strip manual effort out of everything you touch. As automation lands, the role deliberately shifts toward commercial finance: product margin analysis, reforecasting and business partnering with brand leads.
Role Responsibilities
- Prepare monthly management accounts for the eCom Shutters entities, ensuring accuracy and adherence to group reporting deadlines.
- Perform variance analysis and write commentary against budget, forecast and prior year.
- Own the cross-brand shutter margin analysis, developing it into a structured monthly product margin discipline (SKU and category level).
- Take a lead role in the preparation of annual statutory accounts under FRS 102 for group entities, including supporting schedules and disclosures.
- Manage external audit deliverables for your entities - preparing PBC schedules, resolving audit queries promptly, and strengthening cut-off and balance sheet controls through the year so audits run cleanly.
- Prepare and submit VAT returns and support the group's wider tax and compliance calendar (corporation tax computations with external advisers, EPR and other regulatory filings).
- Prepare balance sheet reconciliations and uphold strong financial controls; review bank and payment-provider reconciliations; support revenue reconciliations.
- Support the FY27 budget and quarterly re-forecasting cycle, and contribute to building a rolling cashflow forecast discipline.
- Use Power Query, Power BI and automation tools to redesign manual processes - refreshable schedules, automated reconciliations, self-serve reporting - working with our data warehouse programme.
- Make active use of AI tools in day-to-day work - accelerating reconciliations, first-draft variance commentary, document review and analysis - and help shape the finance team's AI ways of working, including sensible guardrails around review and data confidentiality.
- Collaborate with heads of department across e-commerce, marketing, IT and operations to strengthen integration between finance and the rest of the business and provide financial insight.
- Work flexibly across the group's wider brand portfolio as priorities require, with the opportunity to broaden brand and entity exposure over time.
- Deliver ad hoc analysis to senior management on pricing, margin and business scenarios.
- Any other reasonable duties which may be required by management.
This job description is neither exhaustive nor exclusive and may be reviewed in the future depending upon operational requirements and staffing levels.
Essential Criteria
Desirable Criteria
Qualifications & Experience
Qualified or finalist accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA).
Advanced Excel with working Power Query skills, or a demonstrable track record of automating manual processes and the appetite to master Power Query quickly.
Experience preparing monthly management accounts, variance analysis and balance sheet reconciliations.
Experience supporting statutory accounts preparation and the external audit process.
A confident, hands-on user of AI tools (e.g. Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude) in everyday work, with sound judgement on reviewing outputs and handling confidential data.
Proficiency in ERP software (ideally Microsoft Dynamics NAV / Business Central) and MS Office suite.
Ability to retain product and brand knowledge to a high level across multiple entities.
Commercial finance experience in retail, e-commerce or direct-to-consumer business.
Practice-trained (audit) background; FRS 102 statutory accounts preparation; corporation tax exposure.
Power BI report building (DAX, data modelling).
VBA / Office Scripts / Power Automate for process automation.
Experience applying AI to finance processes - prompt-built automations, AI-assisted analysis or commentary, document/data extraction.
Exposure to multi-entity or group structures, intercompany, VAT groups and consolidation.
SQL or experience consuming data warehouse outputs (Snowflake or similar).
Special Aptitudes
Highly motivated self-starter with genuine drive to improve processes, not just run them - an automation-first mindset.
Commercially curious: interested in margins, pricing and what moves the numbers, not only in reporting them.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport and establish trust with non-finance stakeholders.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced, multi-brand environment.
Strong planning and organisational skills; able to manage own time across competing month-end and project deadlines.
Resilience, humility and a professional attitude to work.
Other Benefits Include
- Competitive salary with workplace pension
- 31 days annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays), increased for long service employees
- Life assurance scheme
- Employee wellness programme
- Staff discount on DIY or fully fitted window shutters
- Hybrid working (3-day office attendance) and flexi time
- Educational assistance
- Casual dress, free office refreshments (drinks and bagels), free parking on site, social activities
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £45,000.00-£50,000.00 per year
Application question(s):
- Are you local to the Brighton area or willing to travel to the office at least 3 times per week?
Education:
Licence/Certification:
- ACA or CIMA or ACCA (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
