Accountant calculator: job description, functions and requirements

There are many different professions in the world that are involved in all spheres of society. We know some of them well and see them every day. But there are those that few have heard of. The profession of an accountant-calculator is one of those. It's time to figure out what kind of specialist he is, what are his duties and how to get this profession.

Without accountants-calculators, catering establishments would not be what we see them now. All canteens, cafes and restaurants require the services of this specialist. First of all, of course, an accountant-calculator calculates the cost of ready meals based on their cost and margin, which is often fixed in many establishments. In addition, the direct responsibilities of a specialist are to carry out inventories, audits, write-offs, draw up menus for one or several establishments and calculate the direct cost of finished products manufactured at the enterprise.

For some, these tasks do not look so difficult, but in order to successfully cope with their duties, an accountant-calculator must know at least the basics of accounting, as well as understand the whole process and technology of preparing food and drinks.

The main duty of an accountant-calculator is to calculate how much a dish will cost, taking into account the cost of its ingredients, as well as the company's markup.In addition, negotiations with suppliers of ingredients, drawing up technological charts describing the cooking process, timely identification of all shortages and surpluses in a restaurant are also the concerns of this specialist. In addition, this specialist needs to monitor compliance with all requirements of the legislation in the field of accounting.

Here is a complete list of the professional functions included in the job description:

• correct execution and completion of documentation;
• maintenance of commodity records on what, when and in what quantity was sold or received;
• clear accounting of cash and non-cash payments with suppliers of raw materials or finished products;
• tabulation of all shortages and surpluses of the enterprise and their timely elimination;
• preparation of up-to-date calculation cards and their subsequent maintenance during operation;
• constant monitoring of prices for necessary goods in order to reduce the cost of production and, as a result, reduce prices;
• planned and unscheduled inventories, local and general audits;
• development of new dishes and optimization of old recipes;
• control of production costs;
• writing and correction of technological maps;
• processing of documentation (invoices, contracts, invoices).

And all this is done by one single person. Sometimes only one specialist is kept for several catering establishments. This is especially common in chain restaurants, where one person does the work of several at once.

Is it possible to undertake such a serious and responsible job without appropriate experience and education? Quite. Now, during the development of self-education and distance learning, classical education no longer plays such an important role as, for example, 20 years ago, when it was possible to acquire professional skills only in specialized universities.

The requirements for a candidate for this position are quite high. He should be well versed in the basics of accounting, professional programs such as 1C Accounting, StoreHouse R-keeper and the like. Have an idea of ​​the regulatory framework, accounts, transactions. However, one should not forget about the additional difficulties that fall on a specialist during work, because in production, and the public catering sector is exactly that, it is never calm and smooth.

Of course, most modern companies give preference to applicants with a higher economic education (accountant or economist), or even better, if the candidate studied at a university where a special direction is allocated to catering enterprises.

If you do not have such an education, but you still want to work in this particular profession, it can be replaced by specialized courses (full-time or distance), and also a big plus for you will be experience in restaurants, cafes, canteens and other institutions related with meals.

However, be prepared for the fact that not every employer will accept you into their team. Let us consider in more detail exactly which performance criteria are presented to young specialists when hiring.

General requirements for the competence of a specialist:

• an accountant-calculator must not only have knowledge corresponding to his profession, but also reasonably apply it in the course of work;
• be able to use and apply, if necessary, labor and other acts of the organization;
• work with various computers, PCs, specialized software;
• monitor compliance with the rules of industrial safety, labor protection and compliance with the rules of labor legislation;
• be able to navigate in collections of recipes and apply them in practice;
• know and use the norms of output, monitor their observance;
• have knowledge in the field of drawing up and putting into operation of calculation cards.

Of course, it is not worth going to such a responsible position without education, since the professional skills and knowledge that you will receive during your studies will greatly simplify your life in the first months of work.

Most vacancies require specialists with higher or secondary specialized education in the field of accounting or economics. However, employment centers in many cities offer the opportunity to complete three- or six-month preparatory courses in this specialty. Do not forget that a diploma of education will play into your hands when applying for a job. Employers are in no hurry to recruit young workers without work experience to such responsible positions, and the lack of a diploma will further undermine the credibility of you as a specialist.

Although the position of an accountant-calculator is not the highest-paying job possible, it opens up wide horizons for a person, and after several years of work, a specialist can apply to any area of ​​accounting. At the moment, the average salary of an accountant-calculator in Moscow is 15,000-25,000 rubles. This is not very much, but in the regions this figure even drops to 10,000-15,000 rubles.

After gaining experience in this position for at least three years and completing professional retraining and advanced training courses, you can apply for a position, for example, as the head of a catering company or a storekeeper in any other area of ​​public housing.life. With the proper perseverance and diligence, you can even completely change the field of activity and find work as a CFO, senior accountant or economist.