Hutcheon Mearns is delighted to be retained by ESG Drysdale for the appointment of a new Financial Analyst & Business Partner, based at their Cockburnspath site, easily commutable from East Lothian, the Scottish Borders & Berwick.
ESG Drysdale is the United Kingdom’s only brassica-focused producer organisation and one of just three vegetable producer organisations nationwide. In 2023, R & K Drysdale (well known to many in the Borders) merged with East of Scotland Growers and as a result, a combined commercial success has seen the group reach circa £55m turnover. With 18 dedicated farmers based in their region that spans 200 miles of rich coastline, ESG Drysdale are proud of their integrated grower network that ensures a resilient and regionally diverse supply chain. Their customers include supermarkets, B2B and foodservice markets nationwide, working with some huge national brands in the process.
As Financial Analyst & Business Partner, you will play a key strategic and commercial role within ESG Drysdale. You will work closely with operational, commercial, and supply chain teams to drive performance, improve decision-making, and enhance financial understanding across the business. Your insights will support profitable growth, cost control, and investment decisions in a fast-moving environment with tight margins and perishable products. This is a newly created position for what is an exciting time to be joining the business.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as a trusted business partner to commercial, operational, and supply chain leaders, providing financial insights and strategic support
- Analyse weekly and monthly performance (volume, margin, yield, waste) and provide detailed & actionable standard costing analysis, commentary and recommendations
- Lead the budgeting and forecasting process for your business units, including scenario planning and sensitivity analysis
- Raising and reconciling self-bill invoices within the group
- Partner with commercial teams on B2B profitability analysis, pricing models, and contract negotiations
- Support supply chain efficiency projects and capital investment appraisals
- Monitor KPIs including stock losses, waste levels, cost-to-serve, and logistics performance
- Translate complex financial data into understandable reports and presentations for non-financial stakeholders
- Collaborate with the central finance team on month-end reporting, accruals, and variance analysis
- Drive continuous improvement in financial processes, systems, and reporting tools
- Ensure compliance with relevant financial controls, audit requirements, and company policies
Desirable Skills and Experience
- Experience in group or intercompany accounting
- Strong understanding of budgeting processes and financial control
- High level of competence in Excel and experience with financial reporting tools
- Qualifications: ACCA, CIMA, CA or equivalent level/experience
- Previous experience as a finance business partner, ideally in FMCG, food manufacturing, agriculture, or fresh produce
- Strong commercial awareness and understanding of margin management and cost drivers in a low-margin, high-volume environment
- Power query experience/Power BI experience
An attractive & competitive financial package is on offer for this fantastic opportunity.
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