This Dairy Management Accountant job description sets out the main duties, qualifications, skills and measures of success for the role, which is also known as Finance Business Partner, Commercial Accountant, Financial Analyst or Management Accounts Manager. Download it free as a Word or PDF template and adapt it for your own vacancy.
| Job title | Dairy Management Accountant |
| Also known as | Finance Business Partner, Commercial Accountant, Financial Analyst, Management Accounts Manager |
| Department | Finance, legal and corporate |
| Reports to | Financial Controller or Head of Financial Planning and Analysis |
| Direct reports | None, or an assistant accountant in larger businesses |
What does a Dairy Management Accountant do?
Provides the financial analysis that helps a dairy business decide what to make, who to sell to and how to price. Prepares budgets and forecasts, measures product and customer profitability, and explains how milk price and yields drive results.
Dairy Management Accountant duties and responsibilities
Budgets and forecasts
- Build the annual budget with site, sales and milk supply managers
- Prepare rolling forecasts of volumes, margins, costs and cash
- Model the effect of seasonal milk supply on production, stock and working capital
- Test forecasts against market prices for butter, powders and cheese
- Explain changes between budget, forecast and actual results
Product and customer profitability
- Measure margin by product, pack format and customer
- Analyse cost to serve, including logistics, promotions and retailer trade terms
- Compare returns from retail, food-service, ingredient and export channels
- Identify loss-making products and customers and propose actions
- Support pricing decisions and customer negotiations with clear numbers
Milk price and yield analysis
- Calculate the milk value returned by each product stream
- Model how commodity prices and fat and protein content affect the milk price
- Track yields and milk solids recovery against standard with operations
- Analyse milk losses and their financial cost
- Prepare analysis that supports monthly milk price decisions
Management reporting
- Prepare monthly management accounts with clear commentary for each business unit
- Produce dashboards on margin, cost per litre and working capital
- Report and explain variances against budget and prior year
- Work with operations to understand cost drivers such as energy, packaging and labour
Investment and business support
- Prepare financial appraisals for capital projects and plant investment
- Track project spend and benefits after investment
- Model scenarios for new products, contracts and capacity changes
- Track savings from cost reduction and continuous improvement projects
Dairy Management Accountant qualifications and experience
Essential
- Recognised professional accountancy qualification, or part qualified with strong relevant experience
- Experience in management accounting in manufacturing, food or consumer goods
- Experience of budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis
- Experience of product or customer profitability analysis
- Advanced spreadsheet and financial modelling skills
Desirable
- Experience in dairy processing or a dairy co-operative
- Understanding of milk pricing and dairy commodity markets
- Experience with business intelligence or reporting tools
- Experience of capital investment appraisal
Skills and attributes
- Analytical thinking
- Financial modelling
- Explaining numbers clearly to non-finance managers
- Commercial awareness
- Accuracy under deadlines
- Curiosity and constructive challenge
- Relationship building
How success is measured
- Budget and forecasts delivered on time
- Forecast accuracy for margin and milk cost
- Management accounts issued to the agreed timetable
- Profitability analysis used in pricing and range decisions
- Capital appraisals and post-investment reviews completed
Working conditions and safety
Office-based, with regular time on site with operations and sales teams. Peak workload at month-end and during budget season.
- Lead by example on health, safety, food safety and animal welfare
- Uphold the code of conduct and all legal and compliance requirements
- Raise concerns and report incidents promptly
Dairy Management Accountant interview questions
Use these questions to assess candidates for a Dairy Management Accountant role. Each one includes what a good answer shows.
- How would you calculate the milk value returned by different product streams?
What a good answer shows: Uses product returns less conversion costs per litre or kilogram of solids, with clear assumptions for co-products. - How do you build a forecast that reflects seasonal milk supply?
What a good answer shows: Links the milk curve to production, stock build, sales timing and cash, and updates for actual intake. - How do you measure the profitability of a major retail customer?
What a good answer shows: Includes trade terms, promotions, logistics and cost to serve, not just gross margin per unit. - How do yields and milk solids recovery affect product margin?
What a good answer shows: Shows that small yield losses multiply across volume, and links fat and protein recovery to cost per tonne. - Butter prices fall sharply mid-year. What analysis do you give the leadership team?
What a good answer shows: Quantifies the effect on margin and milk price, models product mix options and updates the forecast quickly. - Sales want to accept a low-price export order. How do you assess it?
What a good answer shows: Looks at marginal contribution, capacity, milk availability, currency risk and the effect on other customers. - A manager asks you to make a forecast look better than you believe it is. How do you respond?
What a good answer shows: Keeps the forecast honest, sets out risks and opportunities openly, and escalates if pressure continues. - How do you make sure your financial models are reliable?
What a good answer shows: Uses clear structure, documented assumptions, checks and reconciliations, and has key models reviewed by a colleague. - How do you explain complex financial results to non-finance managers?
What a good answer shows: Uses plain language, simple visuals and a few key drivers, and links the numbers to decisions they control. - Describe a time your analysis changed a business decision.
What a good answer shows: Gives a specific example showing influence, a practical recommendation and a measured result.
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Frequently asked questions
Provides the financial analysis that helps a dairy business decide what to make, who to sell to and how to price. Prepares budgets and forecasts, measures product and customer profitability, and explains how milk price and yields drive results.
Employers usually look for: recognised professional accountancy qualification, or part qualified with strong relevant experience; experience in management accounting in manufacturing, food or consumer goods; experience of budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis.
A Dairy Management Accountant usually reports to the Financial Controller or Head of Financial Planning and Analysis. Direct reports typically include none, or an assistant accountant in larger businesses.
Yes. Download the free Word template, add your location, contract and salary details, and adapt the duties to your site. You can then advertise the role on Dairy Jobs.
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