Finance Manager

Forward Role Recruitment; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days holiday plus bank holidays

Loyalty days (up to +5 additional days)

Private Medical Insurance

Health cash plan

Company pension

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Job summary

A dynamic marketing agency in Manchester is seeking a Finance Manager to join its Management Team. The ideal candidate will have over 3 years of finance experience, preferably within an agency environment. Responsibilities include overseeing month end processes, budgeting, and providing actionable insights. Candidates must be AAT qualified, with strong knowledge of UK GAAP and IFRS. This position offers a hybrid work model and a competitive salary with excellent benefits.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in a Finance Manager or senior finance role.
• Experience in agency sector (marketing, digital, PR).
• Strong knowledge of UK GAAP and IFRS.

Responsibilities

• Own month end processes and budgeting cycles.
• Review management accounts and ensure compliance.
• Monitor profitability and deliver variance analysis.

Skills

Finance management

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Process improvement

Education

AAT qualified

CIMA part qualified or newly qualified

Tools

Xero

Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

Manchester City Centre (Hybrid – 2 days in office, 3 days working from home)

Up to £50,000 + strong benefits which include:

• 30 days holiday + bank holidays
• Loyalty days (up to +5 additional days)
• Christmas & New Year shutdown
• Private Medical Insurance
• Health cash plan
• Group life assurance
• Company pension
• Enhanced maternity & paternity leave

This is a high growth Marketing Agency based in Manchester City Centre and are creating a new role for a Finance Manager to join their Management Team. They are widely recognised for award winning creative work and innovative approaches that others in the industry often follow. As the business continues to expand, they are now investing in their Finance and Support Teams to help them scale further. If you are looking for a Finance Manager role where you can influence, improve and lead, not just maintain, this is worth a conversation.

Within this role, you will offer strategic, commercial and will be highly visible by partnering closely with delivery teams to improve profitability, performance insight, forecasting and financial operations.

You will own month end processes, budgeting and forecasting cycles, revenue recognition and cashflow forecasting, while coaching and developing a junior team member.

If you are looking for a Finance Manager role where you can influence, improve and lead, not just maintain, this is worth a conversation.

Key Responsibilities of the Finance Manager:

• Own a clean, predictable month end close within 5 business days
• Review management accounts, accruals, reconciliations and balance sheet items
• Ensure strong financial controls and compliance with UK GAAP and IFRS
• Deliver clear variance analysis and performance commentary
• Support quarterly budgeting, forecasting and cashflow management
• Monitor profitability by client, service line and team
• Translate financial data into actionable commercial insight for the Senior Management Team
• Manage revenue recognition and align project delivery with billing and contractual terms
• Identify and elevate risks around margins, revenue or delivery performance
• Support system optimisation and automation across Xero, Mavenlink, Payhawk and BrightHR
• Coach and develop the Assistant Management Accountant, driving accountability and continuous improvement

Key Skills and Experience of the Finance Manager:

• 3 plus years of experience in a Finance Manager or a senior finance role
• Previously or currently working in an Agency (marketing, digital, integrated, PR or creative) sector experience strongly preferred
• AAT qualified essential, with CIMA part qualified or newly qualified desirable
• Strong knowledge of UK GAAP, IFRS and accounting best practice
• Experience managing revenue recognition and project or retainer based accounting
• Confident user of Xero and advanced Excel or Google Sheets
• Experience supporting process improvement, automation or system migrations
• Comfortable partnering with non finance stakeholders in a commercial environment
• Analytical, detail oriented and commercially aware
• Proactive and improvement driven with strong communication skills
• Able to thrive in a high growth, high standards culture