Associate Manager, Outsourcing

Ambition Europe Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Flexible core hours

Development opportunities

Tech-enabled culture

Collaborative environment

Job summary

Ambition Europe Limited is seeking an Outsourced Finance Assistant Manager in a Hybrid role. You will manage a portfolio of SME clients, deliver high-quality financial reporting, and lead a talented team.

The role focuses on VAT compliance, management reporting, and HMRC liaison, with scope to develop professionally in a fast-growing, tech-enabled practice. Hybrid working and a strong development culture are emphasized.

Qualifications

• Part-qualified or fully qualified (ACCA or CIMA), or qualified by experience
• Strong technical grounding in accounting and finance
• Proven experience managing a client portfolio within a professional services or practice environment
• Broad accounting knowledge across management accounts, VAT, bookkeeping, and cloud accounting platforms
• Solid interpersonal and communication skills with a proactive, client-focused mindset
• Comfortable working within a distributed team including offshore colleagues

Responsibilities

• Review client VAT returns, identifying complex issues and coordinating with specialists to ensure timely compliance
• Prepare tailored management reports with clear commentary to help clients understand financial performance
• Manage HMRC correspondence on behalf of clients and handle complex enquiries
• Serve as the primary contact for a portfolio of clients, building strong relationships and delivering proactive business support
• Review work produced by team members and offshore colleagues to ensure quality and adherence to standards
• Identify scope creep and champion efficient processes to protect productivity and client margins
• Support internal and external quality assurance activities in line with standards
• Mentor and manage direct reports and support their development
• Contribute to team training initiatives and maintain clear communication across the team

Skills

Client portfolio management

VAT

Management accounts

Bookkeeping

Interpersonal skills

Cloud accounting

Education

ACCA/CIMA

Tools

Xero

Dext

Job description

Outsourced Finance Assistant Manager HybridAbout the role

Are you a client-focused finance professional who thrives in a fast-paced, tech-enabled environment? Our client, a rapidly growing accountancy practice, is looking for an experienced Outsourced Finance Assistant Manager to join their dynamic team.This is a broad, client-facing role sitting at the heart of the practice. You will manage a portfolio of SME clients, deliver high-quality financial reporting, ensure VAT compliance, and provide hands-on leadership to a talented team. If you enjoy variety, value real career progression, and want to work somewhere that takes development seriously, this could be an excellent next step.What you'll be doing

• Reviewing client VAT returns, identifying complex issues, and coordinating with specialist colleagues to ensure accurate and timely compliance
• Preparing tailored management reports with clear, insightful commentary to help clients understand their financial performance and make informed decisions
• Managing HMRC correspondence on behalf of clients, including handling complex enquiries and ensuring prompt resolution
• Serving as the primary point of contact for a portfolio of clients, building strong relationships and delivering proactive business support
• Reviewing work produced by team members and offshore colleagues to ensure quality, consistency, and adherence to professional standards
• Identifying scope creep and championing efficient processes and tools to protect productivity and client margins
• Supporting internal and external quality assurance activities in line with professional and regulatory standards
• Mentoring and managing direct reports, supporting their development and career progression
• Contributing to team training initiatives and maintaining clear, regular communication across the team

What we're looking for

• Part-qualified or fully qualified (ACCA or CIMA), or qualified by experience, with a strong technical grounding in accounting and finance
• Proven experience managing a client portfolio within a professional services or practice environment
• Broad accounting knowledge across a range of sectors, enabling adaptability to different client needs
• Solid technical skills across management accounts, VAT, bookkeeping, and cloud accounting platforms (including tools such as Xero and Dext)
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the confidence to build relationships at all levels
• A proactive, client-focused mindset with a positive, can-do approach to problem-solving
• Comfortable working within a collaborative, distributed team model, including with offshore colleagues

Nice to have

• Experience using financial reporting or analytics tools (e.g. Syft or similar)
• Prior experience in a senior bookkeeping or outsourced finance function
• Background in mentoring or formally line-managing junior team members

Why join

• Hybrid working: Up to 50% of your time can be home-based across each month, with the remainder office-based
• Flexible core hours: Core working hours of 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, within a standard 37.5-hour week
• Genuine development: A structured progression plan is built with you, not for you, backed by a learning and development offering that is exceptional for a firm of this size
• Tech-enabled culture: Work with modern digital tools and processes in a firm built around innovation and efficiency
• Collaborative environment: A close-knit team with a single shared agenda, delivering great outcomes for clients

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