Finance Manager

ICAEW; Moreton-in-Marsh; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Pension scheme

Private health cover

Additional holiday days

Flexible/remote hybrid working

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Cotswold Legal Practice in Gloucestershire seeks a Finance Manager to lead the in-house finance function, ensuring strict SRA Accounts Rules compliance and overseeing client accounts.

You will work with the CFO/COO on management accounts, cash flow, budgeting and forecasting, and drive improvements to financial processes within a growing legal practice. Hybrid working available after settling in.

Qualifications

• Experience in a law firm or legal practice with knowledge of SRA accounting rules.
• Experience managing client money, legal cashiering, and general accounting including budgeting and forecasting.
• Experience supervising others within legal cashiering or an accounts team.

Responsibilities

• Ensure full compliance with the SRA Accounts Rules and segregation of client and office accounts.
• Supervise a small accounting team and manage client ledgers, cash book, billing, disbursements, credit control and payroll.
• Prepare management accounts (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, WIP) and variance analysis with commentary.
• Lead cash flow processes, statutory accounts prep, HMRC compliance and ad-hoc process improvements.

Skills

SRA rules

Legal cashiering

Management accounts

Budgeting & forecasting

Excel

Communication

Autonomy

COFA experience

Education

Professional qualification (ACA/ACCA/CIMA or ILFM) or equivalent

Tools

MS Excel

Job description

Your new company
Hays Accountancy & Finance are partnering with a well-established & successful Cotswold Legal Practice to recruit a dynamic, hands-on & experienced Finance Manager to be based out of their Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire offices. A unique and varied permanent accounting role reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer. The Finance Manager will lead the firm's in-house finance function, responsible for the integrity of all financial and accounting operations, including strict compliance with the SRA Accounts Rules. The role holder will join the organisation as they continue to grow through a period of change and transformation.

This permanent Finance Manager role is open to finance professionals who are part-qualified/qualified ACCA/CIMA/ACA or qualified by experience. Remote/office hybrid working can be offered once settled in, previous experience within a Legal firm or Legal Practice is essential. A great opportunity in a newly created accounting role that can be tailored around the right candidate joining the organisation through a time of continued growth.

Your new role

Your key duties will be to ensure full compliance with the SRA Accounts Rules at all times, including the segregation of client and office accounts. Supervising a small accounting team, you will oversee daily, weekly and monthly client account reconciliations, client ledgers, cash book, legal cashiering, billing, disbursements, credit control and payroll. Working with the CFO, you will prepare management accounts including profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow, work-in-progress (WIP), debtor and disbursement analysis, budget and rolling forecasting preparation, variance analysis with commentary and fee earner and departmental performance reporting. You will manage cash flow processes, assist in the preparation of statutory accounts, manage all HMRC compliance and be involved in financial analysis projects for various departments. You will take the lead on new process/system improvement projects, along with ad-hoc duties to really support the CFO & COO. The role will be tailored around the right candidate, but previous experience within a Legal or Law Firm is essential.
What you'll need to succeed

To be considered for this varied Finance Manager position, you will need experience in a similar role within a law firm or legal practice. Knowledge of SRA accounting rules, with experience managing client money, legal cashiering and general accounting, including management accounts, budgeting & forecasting. Ideally, you will have experience supervising others within legal cashiering or within an accounts team. You will have excellent attention to detail, discretion in handling confidential information with knowledge of legal practice/finance systems, and key MS Excel skills. You will have strong communication skills, with the ability to explain financial matters clearly to non-financial colleagues and the ability to work with a high degree of autonomy and sound judgement. You will have part-qualified/qualified ACA/ACCA/CIMA or ILFM qualified or qualified by experience. Experience supporting or acting as a COFA, LLP or partnership accounting, and experience with finance process improvement projects would be advantageous but not essential.

What you’ll get in return

This permanent Finance Manager role offers a competitive salary, dependable on experience based in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire. Benefits include a discretionary bonus scheme, contributed pension scheme, private health cover, additional holiday days due to the Christmas shutdown, flexible working hours, remote/office hybrid working, future career development opportunities and more. A unique permanent opportunity where you can really add value, make the role you own, join an established and successful legal firm during a period of change and transformation as their Finance Manager.