Cost and Management Accountant

Role overview

Supermac's Group is seeking a Cost and Management Accountant to join its Finance division in Galway. This position reports to the Group Financial Controller and is based at Ballybrit Business Park, with travel across the estate as needed. It is a full-time role, and the business notes that visa sponsorship is not available. Candidates are asked to confirm they meet the role criteria before applying.

About the group

Supermac's Group is Ireland's largest home-grown quick service restaurant and hospitality company, established in 1978 by Pat McDonagh. Its operations span several divisions, including:

• More than 114 Supermac's quick service restaurants nationwide, covering both company-operated and franchised outlets
• The Plaza Group, with 13 motorway and primary-route service stations across Ireland
• So Hotels, comprising 6 four-star hotels such as Castletroy Park, Lough Rea Hotel and Spa, and Athlone Springs
• Funworld / Softdrive leisure and amusement activities
• Supermac's Franchising, which supports franchisee-run restaurants through an active franchise programme

The finance team supports operational and strategic decisions across the wider estate, and the group is investing in its finance function, systems, and management reporting capability.

Role purpose

The role is responsible for delivering accurate, timely management accounts, cost analysis, and financial reporting across the Supermac's estate. It is a practical, commercially minded position suited to an accountant who can work closely with operational data and turn it into useful insight for site managers, division leads, and senior leadership.

The successful candidate will help strengthen reporting structures, improve the quality and consistency of management information, and identify opportunities to improve margin and reduce costs across the business.

Key responsibilities

Management accounts and reporting

• Prepare monthly management accounts for all business units, including the QSR estate, Plaza Group, So Hotels, Funworld, and Franchise, within agreed deadlines
• Compile group-wide management accounts and the supporting schedules for the Financial Controller and senior leadership team
• Deliver monthly profit and loss reports by site and division, with commentary explaining key movements against budget and prior year
• Build and maintain KPI dashboards covering revenue, labour costs, food costs, gross margin, and EBITDA by business unit
• Keep the nominal ledger accurate and manage month-end journals, including accruals, prepayments, and intercompany entries

Cost analysis and control

• Run the group food cost and waste analysis programme, monitoring actual food cost percentages by site and category against target levels
• Examine labour efficiency across the QSR and hospitality estate, including scheduled versus actual hours, overtime, and agency costs
• Assess overhead allocations and central cost recharges so divisional profitability is reported correctly
• Spot cost-saving and margin improvement opportunities and work with operations teams to put agreed actions in place
• Track energy, utilities, and maintenance expenditure across the estate, identifying patterns and highlighting unusual variances

Budgeting and forecasting

• Coordinate the annual budget cycle across all business units, partnering with division heads and site managers on bottom-up budgeting
• Create rolling quarterly forecasts using current trading performance, operational updates, and management assumptions
• Prepare monthly budget-versus-actual analysis at site and divisional level with clear written explanations
• Assist the Financial Controller with the group annual financial plan and three-year strategic plan

Business partnering

• Serve as a finance partner to operational managers across the QSR estate, Plaza Group, and So Hotels, offering financial analysis and constructive challenge
• Participate in operational review meetings and present performance information to site managers and division heads
• Support appraisals for new sites and capital projects, including financial modelling and payback analysis
• Help assess new franchise opportunities and review franchise agreements from a financial perspective

Statutory accounts and compliance

• Assist with the annual statutory audit by preparing schedules, reconciliations, and supporting audit evidence
• Complete monthly balance sheet reconciliations for all entities and clear aged items promptly
• Contribute to the preparation of statutory financial statements under FRS 102 where required
• Help maintain compliance with VAT, PAYE, and other tax-related filing obligations alongside the group's tax advisers

Systems and process improvement

• Work with the Financial Controller and IT team to improve finance systems, reporting tools, and data quality across the estate
• Create and document accounting procedures, month-end checklists, and control frameworks
• Recommend and implement process improvements that shorten the close process and improve management information
• Support the assessment and rollout of any new ERP or accounting system as the business expands

Candidate profile

The business is looking for a fully qualified accountant with one of the following qualifications: CIMA, ACCA, ACA, or CPA. A minimum of 3 years' post-qualification experience in management accounting is required.

Experience in multi-site QSR, hospitality, retail, or food and beverage environments is highly desirable. The company also values proven experience in producing full management accounts to tight deadlines, cost analysis in areas such as food, labour, or operations, and coordinating budgets and rolling forecasts.

You should be comfortable presenting financial information to non-finance stakeholders, have advanced Excel capability including pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and financial modelling, and have used accounting or ERP systems such as Sage, SAP, Oracle, or similar. Experience with audit support and group or multi-entity finance environments is an advantage. Willingness to travel to sites across the group estate is essential.

Key competencies

• Strong attention to detail and a disciplined approach to financial data
• Commercial awareness and the ability to interpret what the numbers mean for the business
• Confident communication with operational teams who may not have a finance background
• Self-motivation and the ability to identify issues and suggest solutions independently
• Ability to perform well under pressure and meet strict month-end deadlines in a fast-paced, multi-site setting
• High standards of integrity when handling confidential financial information
• Team-oriented approach and the ability to build effective relationships across finance and operations
• Curiosity about how the business operates and what drives performance at site level

What is offered

• A broad senior finance role covering QSR, motorway services, hotels, and franchising within a well-known Irish brand
• Direct exposure to senior leaders and the chance to influence group-level financial decisions
• A business that is actively investing in finance systems, reporting, and capability
• Competitive pay aligned to experience, along with pension contributions and staff benefits
• A supportive team environment with scope for career development
• The opportunity to join an Irish success story with more than 45 years of growth and a committed leadership team

Additional information

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. The employer asks applicants to ensure they meet the stated requirements before submitting an application.