Cost Controller

Location
: Windsor, UK

Salary:
Up to £60,000 per annum

Job Type:
Fulltime, Permanent

Who are we?

We're En Route. We're a welcoming bunch, with a down-to-earth outlook that helps build lasting relationships with customers and colleagues alike.

As global specialists in passenger solutions, supply chain services and sourcing for airlines and airline caterers, we operate globally as part of dnata, one of the world's largest combined air services providers.

En Route's expertise is one of the many reasons why we've enjoyed more than 20 years as a global food solutions partner, with offices in the UK, USA, Australia and UAE.

Are you ready to become part of our story?

Our Values

Created by En Route colleagues, our values sit at the very heart of our business.

• Collaborate

Cross-functional teams power our success. We trust one another to deliver on our mission – together, we are En Route.

• Say it as it is

We speak with honesty and clarity, sharing informed opinions based on our expertise. It's how we build trust and spark meaningful conversations.

• Find a way

With a clear goal in sight, we're energised by the challenge of uncovering bold, unconventional routes to get there.

• Own it

Leadership lives in every role. With the autonomy, tools and guidance to act, we take initiative and make decisions that drive impact.

• Represent the customer

As an extension of their team, we champion their needs in everything we do.

Job purpose

The Cost Controller will be responsible for the management of a Costing team executing costing activity and pricing solutions to support tenders and pricing offers for new and existing key accounts. The role is heavily focused on driving the maturity of the department to be more financially focused in order to reflect the forecasted outlook based on newly introduced segments of the business in addition to the core Passenger Solutions segment. The Cost Controller will have strong commercial awareness, an understanding of Standard Cost to Variance analysis, and experience of cost control impacts on P&L results, Net Working Capital and Return on Invested Capital.

Key responsibilities

• Effective management and organization of the Costing team to ensure they are fully trained, motivated and coordinated to meet submission deadlines. Allocation of key responsibilities across the existing team and future structural planning for the broader regional team proposal to ensure central procedural adherence.
• Implementation & governance of monthly departmental reports to ensure risk management procedures are consistently met to support audit requirements.
• Strategic interaction with other departments to ensure processes & tools allow timely collection of data and execution.
• Strategic integration with other departments to ensure costing accuracy is captured within costing models.
• Work with Procurement & Contracts Management to understand forecasted PPI movements driven by Mintec data in order to capture forecasted impacts on multi-year contract submissions.
• Execute Post Launch Commercial Validations to ensure accuracy of new contracts in line with supplier quotes and 3PL activity.
• Implement risk management factors within the costing process to ensure maintained profitability (FX, Plastic Packaging Tax, Duties, export documentation)
• Work collaboratively alongside HoCE, FP&A & IT to implement Standard Cost vs Variance analysis.
• Carry out continuous thorough analysis to identify areas of potential cost absorption unaccounted for within the costing process & template.
• Define how to build in pricing of projects from a resource perspective to cover the costs of speculative project work such as Design activity.
• Manage open book operating models ensuring the accuracy of third-party initial to BAFO costs, cost breakdown templates and contract appendices.
• Implementation of Price Tracking model to enable PVM reporting to monitor the achievement of the annual price increase.
• Utilise BC database and work with IT to build Power BI reporting relative to removing manual data collection.
• Manage improvements to internal models to automate data and reporting.
• Take ownership of the annual price increase process, working with relevant departments to collect timely costs and rate cards whilst managing the annual costing model refresh.
• Identify & correct control weaknesses, ensuring proper controls are in place throughout the costings process.
• Implementation of process mapping and policy creation across the costings department.
• Challenge cost movements implemented by Suppliers / Procurement.
• Provide ad hoc business analysis to support and drive decision making in all areas of the business (Finance/Operations/Sales/Procurement/NPD) as required.

Person Specification

Knowledge and skills

• Strong Commercial/Cost Awareness
• Strong knowledge of P&L, NWC & ROIC
• Experience of Team Management
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Extremely well organised
• Ability to prioritise workload, multitask and work to deadlines.
• Ability to work on own initiative.
• High attention to detail and accuracy skills, ability to gather and analyse information.
• An effective relationship builder who has worked in an environment or sector undergoing substantial and rapid change and growth.
• Strong negotiation and closing skills.
• Useful to understand continuous improvement programmes and the application of relevant tools and methods.
• Useful to have WCM / Lean Certification (TPS, Lean, Six Sigma)
• Ability to communicate across all levels of the organisation.
• Ability to coordinate multiple tasks concurrently in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating flexibility in response to changing requirements and quickly adapt to changing priorities, activities, and deadlines.
• Demonstrate high attention to detail.

Skills / Experience

• Financial background essential by experience or qualification
• People Management Experience/Skills
• Strong IT skills: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook
• Experience using Business Central or similar ERP systems
• Commercial experience of Sales, Cost and Gross to Operating Margins
• Understanding of PowerBI
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong commercial acumen
• Solutions driven
• Motivated self-starter

Benefits

• Birthday day off
• 25 days off a year (+ BH)
• Company bonus scheme
• Hybrid Working (3 days in office)
• Medical Insurance
• Referral Scheme
• Social Events
• Flexi Time