Finance manager

RAD Propulsion Ltd; Southampton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Company pension

Private healthcare

Ownership and growth opportunity

Work on autonomy and electrification

Job summary

RAD Propulsion Ltd is seeking a Finance Manager to own day-to-day finance activities, cash and project reporting, and to work across engineering, projects and sales. You will report to the CEO with a dotted line to the Fractional CFO, balancing operational duties with strategic finance support.

Join a growing marine technology business focused on autonomy and electrification, with opportunities to influence planning, reporting and financial discipline across RAD.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in a hands-on finance or accounting role
• Experience producing management accounts and running month-end
• Good knowledge of UK VAT, payroll and year-end processes
• Strong Excel skills and confidence with modern accounting or ERP systems
• Able to explain financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues

Responsibilities

• Own the monthly finance cycle from bookkeeping to management accounts and cash reporting
• Co‑ordinate payroll, VAT returns and multi‑currency transactions
• Track project costs, margins and budgets across live projects
• Prepare financial information for grant claims and project reporting
• Support planning, reporting and strategic finance work with leadership

Skills

Finance management

UK VAT

Payroll

Management accounts

Excel

ERP systems

Attention to detail

Independent working

Communicating finance

Education

Qualified accountant (ACCA/ACA/CIMA)

Qualified by experience

Tools

Microsoft Business Central

Job description

RAD is looking for an ambitious, hands-on Finance Manager to join a growing marine technology business working in autonomy and electrification. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to be part of the journey of building and scaling a technology company. You will own RAD’s day-to-day finance activities, keep a close grip on cash and project performance, and work across the business to help us sell, deliver and grow. You will report to the CEO, with a dotted line to RAD’s Fractional CFO. The role is primarily operational and tactical, while also supporting the CEO and CFO on planning, reporting and strategic finance work when required.

RAD is a UK marine technology company developing autonomy and electrification solutions for the marine industry. Our technology spans electric propulsion, marine electrical systems, software and autonomous surface vessel platforms. We work across commercial marine, robotics and defence, helping customers build cleaner, smarter and more capable vessels. We are an engineering-led, fast-moving business with big ambitions. We value people who take ownership, solve problems and help the wider team get things done.

RAD is looking for an ambitious, hands‑on Finance Manager to join a growing marine technology business working in autonomy and electrification. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to be part of the journey of building and scaling a technology company. You will own RAD’s day‑to‑day finance activities, keep a close grip on cash and project performance, and work across the business to help us sell, deliver and grow. You will report to the CEO, with a dotted line to RAD’s Fractional CFO. The role is primarily operational and tactical, while also supporting the CEO and CFO on planning, reporting and strategic finance work when required.

RAD is a UK marine technology company developing autonomy and electrification solutions for the marine industry. Our technology spans electric propulsion, marine electrical systems, software and autonomous surface vessel platforms. We work across commercial marine, robotics and defence, helping customers build cleaner, smarter and more capable vessels. We are an engineering-led, fast-moving business with big ambitions. We value people who take ownership, solve problems and help the wider team get things done.

The role

You will be RAD’s day‑to‑day finance expert, owning the monthly cycle from bookkeeping and reconciliations through to management accounts, cash reporting, payroll, VAT and project reporting.

Finance at RAD is not separate from the rest of the business. You will work closely with engineering, projects, sales and leadership to understand what is happening, improve financial discipline and help teams make good decisions quickly.

You will also own grant claims and supporting evidence, helping ensure funded projects are claimed accurately and on time.

Key responsibilities Finance operations

• Own purchase and sales ledgers, bank reconciliations and month‑end close
• Run payroll and pension submissions
• Prepare and submit VAT returns
• Manage multi‑currency transactions
• Manage supplier payments and customer debt
• Maintain accurate financial records and controls

Management accounts and cash

• Produce timely monthly management accounts with clear commentary
• Maintain short and medium term cash‑flow forecasts
• Track cash, commitments, debtors and upcoming payments
• Report performance against budget and explain material variances
• Identify financial issues early and drive actions to resolve them

Projects, sales and delivery

• Track labour, materials, travel and other costs against projects
• Help project managers understand spend, margin and remaining budget
• Make sure customer invoices are raised promptly against project milestones
• Support sales and delivery teams with financial information needed to quote, win and deliver work
• Support product costing, stock valuation and margin analysis

Grants and R&D

• Own the financial administration of grant‑funded projects
• Prepare accurate and timely Innovate UK and other grant claims
• Maintain evidence for project monitoring and audits
• Work with project teams to ensure time and costs are recorded correctly
• Support R&D tax relief claims

Reporting and systems

• Maintain and improve simple, effective finance processes and controls
• Prepare year‑end information and work with external accountants and auditors
• Support board, investor and funding reporting
• Support due diligence when required
• Improve the quality and automation of financial information across RAD

What we are looking for Essential

• Qualified, part‑qualified or qualified by experience
• 3+ years in a hands‑on finance or accounting role
• Experience producing management accounts and running month‑end
• Good knowledge of UK VAT, payroll and year‑end processes
• Strong Excel skills and confidence with modern accounting or ERP systems
• Strong attention to detail and a high standard of accuracy
• Comfortable taking ownership and working independently
• Able to explain financial information clearly to non‑finance colleagues

Useful experience

• Engineering, manufacturing, technology or scale‑up businesses
• Project accounting
• Innovate UK or other grant claims
• R&D tax relief
• Stock accounting and product costing
• Multi‑currency transactions
• Investor reporting or funding rounds
• Microsoft Business Central

The person

We want someone ambitious, energetic and commercially minded who will thrive in a rapidly evolving startup or scale‑up environment. You will enjoy getting involved across the business rather than sitting behind a spreadsheet. That might mean working with a project manager to understand costs, helping sales move an order forward, chasing an invoice, improving a broken process or spotting a problem before it becomes one. You will have a strong sense of ownership, enjoy making things better and want to grow your responsibility as RAD grows.

What we offer

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Company pension
• Private healthcare
• A broad role with real ownership and direct exposure to the leadership team
• The opportunity to grow with an ambitious marine technology business
• The chance to work on technology shaping the future of autonomy and electrification at sea