Operations Finance Leader

William Grant was established in 1887 with the vision to make the best dram in the valley, and it stands true today as the business builds brands that are loved the world over. Its ambition is to always produce liquid of the highest quality, and to maintain those quality standards throughout all its activities; in production, distribution and marketing processes, and also in the way that colleagues treat each other. The first drop of Glenfiddich flowed through the stills on Christmas Day, 1887 in Dufftown, Scotland. Today, as leaders in the international spirits industry, William Grant & Sons has ambitious plans for growth to ensure the business is sustainable in the long term.

The company is 100% family owned with the family continuing to stay involved with the business, instilling their values into how they work. Their heritage is remembered by the descendants of William Grant, with his great-great grandson, Glenn Gordon — a fifth-generation family member — as the current Chairman.

The business has grown exponentially from its Scottish base, now with a network of production sites and offices worldwide. Its distilleries and bottling facilities are in the UK, Ireland, USA, India and Mexico, and are present in over 50 locations globally. Employees have now reached over 3,000 globally. With core brands including Glenfiddich, Hendrick’s, Balvenie and Monkey Shoulder to name a few, the business now sells in almost 200 markets globally.

The Role

The Operations Business Unit (OBU) is at the very heart of the William Grant & Sons business. The Dufftown site is the ancestral home of the company and where their premium spirits of Glenfiddich and Balvenie are produced. The role of the Operations Finance Leader is to lead and develop the Dufftown site finance team whilst ensuring financial control across the full operation, embedding core financial processes and delivering high quality reporting and insight to ensure the site delivers maximum performance.

The aim of this role is to ensure total financial control for all operations based at Dufftown site (“Dufftown”) and high-quality financial reporting for Dufftown that is insightful, delivered on time and used to challenge OBU management performance; maximising performance, generating added value, reducing financial risks and improving financial processes.

The Individual

The successful candidate will be a fully qualified accountant with appropriate post qualification experience and a strong understanding of the operations environment, having experience of working in a fast-moving and international business. You will be inquisitive, challenging and able to work autonomously, but also comfortable playing an active role in a wider team.

A key element of this role is the ability to be a key part of the wider leadership team of the site. The appointed individual needs to be confident in their abilities to communicate (both verbally and written) with stakeholders and leaders across the business, and be able to establish positive working relationships.

Qualifications and Experience

• Fully qualified accountant – CA/CIMA/ACCA with appropriate post-qualification experience
• Experience working within a Manufacturing and Operations environment
• An experienced Business Partner able to develop relationships across a site and a wide stakeholder base
• Experienced people leader – the role will directly manage a team of 2 but will have wider influence across the site and operations team
• Good understanding of standard costing processes
• Experience working in a highly fluid environment in a global organisation
• Ability to form part of a site leadership team, supporting a high-growth dynamic environment
• Comfortable working in a highly visible role where you will be relied on as a senior leader for the site from across the organisation

What to do next

To find out more about the role, please contact their retained advisor, Rutherford Cross by reaching out to Hazel Wynn, hazelwynn@rutherfordcross.com, 07498944280