Commercial Finance Manager

APEM; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A fast-growing environmental consultancy in Manchester is seeking a Commercial Finance Manager. The successful candidate will enhance forecasting and budgeting processes while supporting senior leadership with insights for informed decision-making. This hybrid role requires a qualified accountant with commercial finance experience and strong analytical skills. You'll play a key role in shaping KPIs that align with business growth. Join a team committed to delivering impactful environmental solutions.

Qualifications

• At least three years PQE with commercial finance experience, including P&L ownership.
• Experience supporting and challenging senior stakeholders with insight and analysis.
• Proven capability in budgeting, forecasting and KPI development.

Responsibilities

• Partner with MSD leadership team to improve financial understanding.
• Support budgeting, forecasting and performance analysis.
• Help shape KPIs that reflect business operations and growth.

Skills

Excellent analytical skills

Advanced Excel capability

Ability to communicate financial information clearly

Education

Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA or equivalent)

Tools

Power BI or similar reporting tools

Job description

About The Role

Are you a commercially focused finance professional who enjoys turning numbers into insight? Are you comfortable working closely with senior leaders, asking why performance looks the way it does and helping shape better decisions? Are you looking for a role where you can influence growth, resilience and long-term performance in a values‑led consultancy?

APEM Group is a fast‑growing environmental consultancy working across marine science, water, ecology and environmental assessment. Our Marine Science & Development (MSD) business is one of the largest marine consultancies in the UK and is entering an exciting phase of growth, investment and integration as part of Applus+.

We're looking for a Commercial Finance Manager to partner with the MSD leadership team. This role goes beyond reporting; you'll play a key role in strengthening forecasting, improving financial understanding, and ensuring leaders have the insight they need to make confident, informed decisions. You'll support budgeting, forecasting and performance analysis, while helping shape KPIs that genuinely reflect how the business operates and grows.

Over time you will become a trusted commercial advisor to senior stakeholders. Your input will improve financial discipline, support sustainable growth, and help the business navigate change as it scales and integrates new activity.

The role is hybrid, with an expectation of one day per week in our South Manchester office, plus ad‑hoc travel as required.

You'll need to bring:

Essential

• Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA or equivalent)
• At least three years PQE, with commercial finance experience, including P&L ownership
• Experience supporting and challenging senior stakeholders with insight and analysis
• Proven capability in budgeting, forecasting and KPI development
• Excellent analytical skills and advanced Excel capability
• Ability to communicate financial information clearly to non‑finance audiences

Desirable

• Experience in consultancy, professional services or project‑based environments
• Exposure to growth, transformation or acquisitive businesses
• Experience working with Power BI or similar reporting tools

At APEM, you'll find a role with real influence, flexibility and purpose - supporting work that delivers meaningful environmental impact. If you're looking for a senior commercial finance role where insight, challenge and collaboration genuinely matter, we'd love to hear from you.

Next steps

We are focused on creating a diverse and inclusive team. If you can't tick every box on our job description, then we are still keen to hear from you and are open to supporting your development. That may be working part time or supporting you to gain experience in a specific area - we are a growing company and are able to adapt roles to reflect individual skills.

If you think you have what it takes to join our fast‑growing business, then please apply immediately on our website. All we need some basic information and your CV, we will review all applications quickly and will respond to all applications.

About Us

The APEM Group is a global environmental consultancy; we work with a range of clients including large corporations and governments to help them understand and solve a wide variety of environmental projects in the UK and globally. Our successful pioneering work has enabled us to grow and combine forces with other businesses who share our ethos and integrity. At our core, our people are working towards the protection of the environment across the globe.