Finance Manager

Journey Further; Manchester; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension 4%

Private medical insurance

Enhanced family pay

Flexible leave

Home working allowance

Job summary

Journey Further is seeking a Finance Manager to lead day-to-day finance operations in Manchester. You will ensure accurate accounting, robust workflows from sales ledger to month-end reporting, and provide transparency across the business.

Collaborating with the Senior Finance Manager, FD and agency stakeholders, you will drive controls, manage cash, VAT, audits, and mentor junior staff while continuously improving financial processes and integrations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a broad financial role (agency/marketing/professional services preferred).
• Proven credit control, reconciliations, AP/AR, and management accounts experience.
• High proficiency with Xero and strong Google Sheets skills.
• Proactive, solution-focused mindset with ability to improve processes.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily financial controls including AR, AP, cash, and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Own credit control and optimise working capital.
• Support month-end closing with management accounts, accruals, and commentary.
• Improve financial workflows and software integrations with RevOps alignment.
• Oversee VAT returns, year-end audit prep, and statutory reporting.
• Partner with stakeholders across departments; mentor junior team.

Skills

Credit control

Balance sheet reconciliations

Accounts payable

Accounts receivable

Management accounts

Google Sheets

Process improvement

Tools

Xero

Excel/Google Sheets

Job description

We are looking for a Finance Manager to lead and elevate our day to day finance operations.

This role is not about sitting in a silo crunching numbers; it’s about ensuring accurate accounting and robust workflows, from the sales ledger and credit control to month end reporting and reconciliations, bringing total transparency to how our business operates.

You’ll work closely with the Senior Finance Manager, Finance Director and agency stakeholders to ensure robust financial controls, and seamless processes.

What you will do

• Manage daily financial controls, including accounts receivable (AR), accounts payable (AP), cash management, and balance sheet reconciliations
• Take ownership of credit control, driving down DSO, managing client payment terms, and maintaining healthy working capital
• Support the month-end closing process, preparing timely management accounts, accruals, prepayments, and commentary for senior leadership
• Continuously evaluate and improve financial workflows and software integrations (partnering closely with RevOps to align operational and financial data
• Oversee VAT returns, support with year end audit prep, and statutory reporting requirements
• Act as a trusted partner to client teams and department heads; answering queries with total clarity, directness, and transparency
• Monitor cash positions, manage working capital, prepare rolling cash flow forecasts, and optimise cash management procedures
• Establish credit limits for new clients, evaluate financial risk, and implement structured payment terms aligned with agency growth
• Oversee quarterly and annual VAT returns, tax compliance, statutory reporting, and act as the primary point of contact for external accountants and auditors
• Leverage technology to automate routine tasks, invoice delivery, and reporting routines
• Partner with leaders across Media, Strategy, CX and Organic teams
• Mentor and coach junior members of the team
• Be proactive in helping define what "Discovery" means for Finance and Journey Further
• Act as an open, accessible finance expert across the entire business

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in a broad financial role (Agency / Marketing / Professional Services background preferred, but not essential)
• Proven track record running credit control, balance sheet reconciliations, AP and AR, and management accounts
• High proficiency with cloud accounting software (e.g., Xero) and strong Google Sheets skills
• A proactive, solution-focused mindset; you see a process gap and fix it before it becomes a problem
• Proven experience managing complete credit control cycles and debt recovery strategies
• You understand how operational decisions directly affect agency margins and cash flow

Benefits

• Pension - Matched up to 4%
• Health - Private medical insurance
• Family - Enhanced maternity, paternity & adoption pay
• Flexibility - 25 days annual leave, Christmas shutdown and home working allowance

Salary

Leeds (non-qualified) - £33,000-£38,000

Leeds (qualified) - £38,000 - £43,000

Manchester (non-qualified) - £33,000 - £38,000

Manchester (qualified) - £39,000 - £44,000