Finance Manager

Westmoore Recruitment; York and North Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading finance recruitment firm is seeking a Finance Manager based in York and North Yorkshire. This hands-on senior role involves taking ownership of accounting processes, managing month-end deliveries, and improving financial systems. The ideal candidate will have strong experience at a Management Accountant level, proficiency in Xero, and the ability to communicate finance functions clearly to all colleagues. The position is integral to the company’s growth and operational efficiency.

Qualifications

• Experience at Management Accountant, Finance Manager, or Financial Controller level.
• Expertise in month-end processes and financial controls.
• Ability to convey financial information to non-finance colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Own month-end close processes including accruals and VAT returns.
• Manage debtor and creditor controls and cash flow.
• Support directors with commercial analysis and budgeting.

Skills

Hands-on accounting experience

Proficiency in Xero

Strong communication skills

Month-end closing expertise

Commercial analysis capability

Job description

FINANCE MANAGER

The Role

This is a hands‑on senior finance role suited to a Management Accountant, Finance Manager or Financial Controller who enjoys being close to the business. You will take ownership of day‑to‑day accounting, month‑end delivery, reporting, systems, and controls, while continuously improving processes as the business grows.

The role has evolved from an interim finance project and is now a permanent position central to the company’s future.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Accounting & Month‑End

• Full ownership of month‑end close processes, including:
  • Accruals, prepayments, depreciation, and provisions
  • VAT returns
  • Stock valuations (machinery, livestock, and storage where applicable)
  • Maintain and continuously improve a standardised month‑end checklist
  • Produce accurate monthly P&L reports by business unit
  • Manage debtor and creditor controls, cash flow, and bad debt provisions

Systems & Process Ownership

• Act as internal owner of Xero, including:
  • Chart of Accounts structure
  • Profitability tracking by activity/site
  • Reporting design and KPI visibility
  • Maintain the fixed asset register and depreciation policies (UK GAAP‑aligned)
  • Oversee integrations including Stora, Stripe, VisionWeb and card payment systems
  • Evaluate and implement improvements to payment processing and reporting
  • Support inventory and stock system development

Reporting, Budgeting & Commercial Insight

• Prepare budgets and forecasts and load them into Xero
• Produce budget vs. actual reporting with meaningful variance analysis
• Redesign and maintain management reports for usability and insight
• Support directors with commercial analysis and decision‑making
• Track profitability across machinery sales, livestock, storage, and farming activities

Office 365 & Controls

• Maintain Office 365 workflows, including:
  • Centralised file management (SharePoint / OneDrive)
  • Access controls and document standards
  • Finance‑related processes within Outlook and Teams
  • Document finance policies and procedures clearly for internal use
  • Train and support colleagues to ensure consistent adoption of processes

Person Specification

Essential:

• Strong experience in a hands‑on accounting role (Management Accountant / Finance Manager / Financial Controller level)
• Proven expertise with Xero
• Solid month‑end, reporting, and control experience
• Comfortable working in a fast‑moving, operational environment
• Able to communicate finance clearly to non‑finance colleagues

Desirable:

• Experience in agriculture, machinery, storage, or asset‑heavy businesses
• Exposure to systems integrations (e.g. payments, booking, inventory)
• Experience implementing or improving finance processes