Finance Manager

AFR Consulting; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

AFR Consulting in Lancashire is recruiting a dynamic Finance Manager to lead a busy SME finance function and partner with the management team to drive financial performance.

You will produce monthly management accounts with commentary, develop KPI packs for the board, monitor costs and margins, manage cashflow and year-end activity, and push process improvements. SAGE 200 experience and strong commercial acumen are essential.

Qualifications

• Part or full CIMA/ACCA/ACA qualification or QBE
• Hands-on experience managing an SME finance function
• Experience producing monthly management accounts with commentary
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to influence budget holders
• Proven ability to drive process improvements and automation

Responsibilities

• Produce monthly management accounts with commentary
• Develop KPI's and MI pack for the board
• Provide analysis of costs and margins to improve performance
• Monitor FX and foreign currency transactions
• Assist with annual budget and reporting variances
• Cashflow management, banking and financial forecasting
• Year-end with audit
• Oversee payroll, PAYE, NI and HMRC matters
• Manage credit control, purchase ledger and invoicing teams
• Support business improvement projects and contract negotiations

Skills

Financial analysis

Management reporting

KPI development

Cashflow management

Costing & margins

Commercial awareness

Stakeholder engagement

Education

CIMA/ACCA/ACA qualification or QBE

Tools

Sage 200

Job description

This privately owned business is provides equipment and services across a range of sectors and is now reaping the benefits of internal investment which is helping them attract and retain long term contracts with larger customers. As part of this growth and with an eye on succession planning they are now seeking to recruit a dynamic and ambitious Finance Manager, this individual will form a key part of the management team and will be expected to play a major role in decision making, supporting a busy Finance Director whose role will be reducing over time.

Managing an established and experienced finance department you will drive greater understanding of costs and margins to improve performance whilst also making sense of revenue streams and high value transactions. The key duties of the Finance Manager will be:

• Produce monthly management accounts with commentary
• Develop KPI's and MI pack for the board
• Provide analysis of costs and process efficiency
• Monitor FX and foreign currency transactionsAssist with annual budget and reporting variances
• Drive commercial / financial awareness in each department
• Cashflow management, banking and financial forecasting
• Managing the year end with audit
• Key contact with banks and auditors
• Oversee wages, PAYE, NI and HMRC matters
• Manage the credit control, purchase ledger and invoicing team
• Support business improvement projects and contract negotiations

As a business they have a stable culture and finance is a valued department so you can also expect to have to react quickly and offer financial judgement on different challenges and opportunities that come along. Great communication skills and credibility will be essential as you will be expected to challenge and question the current set up and make recommendations to departmental managers that can drive change and improve processes. The business has recently installed SAGE 200 so a flair for IT, improving systems and in particular pulling together financial and operational data from different business software would be very useful.

The ideal candidate for this vacancy would be a part or fully CIMA or ACCA /ACA qualified or QBE Accountant with previous experience of managing an SME finance function. This will definitely be a hands on role but there will be some quick wins around process improvement and automation, allowing you to rapidly establish yourself as a valued member of the senior team.