Finance Manager

KC Group Recruitment; England; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

Key leadership role

Opportunity to impact business performance

Job summary

An established SME manufacturing business in East Sussex is seeking an experienced Finance Manager for a 9-month FTC starting in March. This key leadership role involves overseeing all UK financial operations while ensuring strong financial control and offering commercial insights. The ideal candidate will be a qualified accountant with experience in the manufacturing or FMCG sectors, capable of influencing stakeholders and driving business performance. A competitive salary and key leadership opportunities are on offer.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with ACA / ACCA / CIMA or equivalent experience.
• Experience in the SME manufacturing or FMCG sector is preferred.
• Demonstrated strong commercial acumen and ability to influence.
• Hands-on, pragmatic approach suited to a growing SME.

Responsibilities

• Full ownership of the UK finance function, ensuring robust financial control.
• Oversight of monthly management accounts, budgeting, forecasting, and cashflow.
• Provide financial insight and analysis to senior stakeholders.
• Identify financial risks, opportunities and performance improvement initiatives.
• Support UK leadership with commercial business partnering.
• Drive cross-functional engagement across operations, sales and supply chain.
• Ensure alignment with Group policies and year-end processes.
• Manage Payroll and VAT compliance.

Skills

Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA)

Proven experience in an SME environment

Strong commercial acumen

Excellent Microsoft Excel skills

Experience with Quickbooks

Strong communication skills

Tools

Excel

QuickBooks

Job description

We are exclusively supporting an established SME manufacturing business (circa £3–4m turnover) in East Sussex with the appointment of an experienced Finance Manager on a 9-month FTC, starting in March.

This is a key leadership role within the UK business, acting as the UK Finance Lead with full responsibility for overseeing all financial aspects of the UK operation, while providing support and insight aligned to wider Group strategy.

Reporting into Group, you will play a pivotal role in guiding the business through strong financial control, commercial insight, and strategic decision-making. You will be responsible for assessing, communicating, and navigating financial performance, highlighting risks and opportunities, and supporting the business on its journey towards profitability and long-term sustainable growth.

Key responsibilities include:

• Full ownership of the UK finance function, ensuring robust financial control and reporting
• Oversight of monthly management accounts, budgeting, forecasting, and cashflow
• Providing clear financial insight, analysis, and recommendations to senior stakeholders
• Identifying financial risks, investment opportunities, and performance improvement initiatives
• Supporting the UK leadership team with commercial business partnering
• Driving cross-functional engagement across operations, sales, and supply chain
• Ensuring alignment with Group financial policies, processes, and strategic objectives
• Supporting year-end processes and audit requirements
• Managing Payroll
• Managing VAT/Tax

About You

• Qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA) or equivalent experience
• Proven experience in an SME environment, ideally within manufacturing or FMCG sectors
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to influence non-finance stakeholders
• Excellent Microsoft Excel skills and with experience of Quickbooks being advantageous
• Hands-on, pragmatic approach suited to a growing SME
• Comfortable operating as a standalone UK finance lead within a group structure
• Strong communication skills and the ability to balance strategic oversight with day-to-day delivery

What’s on Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Key leadership role within a growing SME
• Opportunity to make a tangible impact on business performance
• East Sussex based role, with some flexibility depending on the business needs