Finance Manager

Xperience Group; Lisburn; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Medical Insurance

Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme

Death in Service Benefit

40-hr working week?

30-Day Annual Holiday Entitlement

8 public holidays

Birthday Leave

Volunteering Day

Sick Pay enhancements

Parental Leave enhancements

Long Service Awards

Recognition Awards

Hybrid Working

Cycle to Work Scheme

EV Scheme

Employee Referral Bonus £1500

Discounted IT Purchase

Company Social Events

Free car parking

Job summary

Xperience Group is seeking a Finance Manager to own day-to-day AR, AP, cash management and payroll within a PE-backed, growing group undergoing active M&A. The role reports to the Group Financial Controller and leads a cross-functional transactions team to ensure timely and accurate financial processing and reporting.

The successful candidate will partner with the Group FC on consolidation, statutory reporting and investor communications, while maintaining robust controls, process discipline and

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a private-equity backed business.
• Hands-on experience with AR, AP and payroll management.
• Strong controls mindset and process discipline.
• Experience with UK payroll processing (PAYE, NI, pensions auto-enrolment).
• Experience leading a small transactional finance team.
• Familiarity with M&A integration or multi-entity structures.
• Experience using HiBob, Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC and ConnectWise.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end AR and credit control across the group.
• Own accounts payable and supplier payment cycles.
• Own cash management and short-term forecasting.
• Own payroll for all group employees with statutory compliance.
• Support month-end close and data handover to Group FC and Management Accountant.
• Coach and develop the transactions team; maintain strong controls.

Skills

Private equity experience

AR & AP management

Payroll processing

Cash flow management

People management

Internal controls

UK payroll

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualified

Qualified by experience

Tools

HiBob

Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC

ConnectWise

Job description

Xperience helps SMEs unlock the full potential of their business using Digital Solutions, built with Xperience.
Our industry experts get to know our client’s business inside and out, exploring processes, pain points and people, to build tailored technology across Cloud & IT Services, Cyber Security, CRM, and ERP.
With solutions designed around client operations, we provide the freedom to be more productive and focus on what is important for your business – without getting side tracked by the admin. At Xperience, we create digital solutions with the power to improve and protect your business, both now and in the future.
Our people are what make us different. They are the primary reason our clients recommend us. Their unique skills and infectious energy help our clients focus on what matters most. Our people actively engage with clients using a collaborative style that prioritises teamwork and trust.
As a rapidly growing business, we look for people who share our values (of integrity, collaboration, ambition and success) to come on our growth journey with us, and create an amazing career #BuiltwithXperience

The Role

We are undergoing an exciting time in our evolution and now seek a Finance Manager. This is a newly formalised role reporting to the Group Financial Controller, created to give the transactional finance function a dedicated, experienced owner as the group scales through an active M&A programme. The Finance Manager will be responsible for day‑to‑day ownership of accounts receivable, accounts payable, cash management and payroll, and acts together with the Management
Accountant as the Group FC’s right hand: the person who keeps the numbers moving reliably enough that the FC can focus upward, on consolidation, statutory reporting and audit and due‑diligence readiness. The successful candidate will be responsible for the transactions team which includes credit control, accounts payable and finance assistants plus payroll, a team of circa 8–9 people today, expected to flex as the group’s acquisition pipeline adds entities.

Job Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end accounts receivable and credit control: cash collection, aged debt and credit risk across the group’s customer base.
• Own accounts payable: supplier payment runs, invoice processing controls and supplier relationship management.
• Own cash management: daily cash positioning, bank reconciliations and short-term cash forecasting into the Group FC.
• Own payroll: accurate, on‑time monthly payroll for all group employees, including statutory compliance (PAYE, NI, pensions auto‑enrolment) and liaison with HR/Shared Services on starters, leavers and changes.
• Act as right hand to the Group FC, alongside the Management Accountant: covering process, controls and people management so the FC can focus on consolidation, statutory reporting and board/investor reporting.
• Manage, coach and develop the transactions team, setting clear standards for accuracy, timeliness and service to the rest of the business.
• Maintain and strengthen financial controls across the transactional cycle, with an eye to audit and PE buyer due‑diligence defensibility.
• Support month‑end close: transactional cut‑off, accruals/prepayments relevant to AP/AR, and clean handover of data to the Management Accountant and Group FC.

What Success Looks Like:

In the first 6–12 months, this role will have:

• Taken full, confident ownership of AR, AP, cash and payroll, with the Group FC needing to step in only on exceptions.
• Reduced aged debt and tightened the credit control cycle, with a visible improvement in days sales outstanding.
• Run payroll without error or escalation, cycle after cycle, with clean statutory compliance.
• Built or tightened documented controls across the transactional cycle that would stand up to PE buyer due diligence.
• Established themselves, alongside the Management Accountant, as a dependable support to the Group FC — someone who can be handed a problem and trusted to close it out.
• Private Medical Insurance on completion of probationary period for you, with option to add spouse and children and reduced cost*
• Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme, 3% ER, 5% EE contributions
• Death in Service Benefit x 3-time base salary from commencement of employment*
• Generous 30-Day Annual Holiday Entitlement (Jan-Dec)
• 8 Public Holidays
• Additional Guaranteed Birthday Leave- 1 Day
• Volunteering Day per year to support an Xperience chosen charity, or a charity of your choice
• Enhanced Sick Pay on completion of probationary period
• Bereavement Leave Policy
• Enhanced Parental Leave Policy
• Long Service Awards commencing from 1 years’ service
• Monthly/ Annual Recognition Awards
• 36.25 hours working week
• Hybrid Working*
• Salary Sacrifice Cycle to Work Scheme
• Salary Sacrifice EV Scheme
• Employee Referral Bonus of £1500 per hire
• Discounted IT Purchase Scheme
• Company Funded Social Events
• Easily accessible and free car parking*

Experience Required

• Proven experience working in a private-equity-backed business — comfortable with the pace, scrutiny and reporting discipline that comes with PE ownership.
• Solid, hands‑on experience managing accounts receivable, accounts payable and cash functions, ideally alongside payroll.
• People management experience, with the ability to lead and develop a small transactional finance team.
• Strong controls mindset — able to spot and fix a process gap before it becomes an audit finding.
• Qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) or qualified by experience at an equivalent level.
• Experience operating through an M&A integration or multi‑entity group structure.
• Experience working with HiBob, Microsoft Business Central and ConnectWise would be beneficial.
• UK payroll processing experience (PAYE, NI, pensions auto‑enrolment) gained directly, rather than solely through oversight of an outsourced provider.

Key Attributes:

• Hands‑on and delivery-focused — this is a doing role as much as a managing one.
• Comfortable being a trusted right hand rather than the most senior voice in the room; a strong number two.
• Clear communicator, able to flag issues early rather than let them surface at month‑end or in due diligence.