Finance Manager / Controller

Evolve Personnel; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Evolve Personnel is recruiting a Finance Manager/Financial Controller for a manufacturing client near Brierley Hill. The role leads financial operations, ensures accuracy of reporting, governance, and supports regional management with business partnering.

You will manage month-end close, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, and drive process improvements, standard costing and inventory controls. The ideal candidate will be professionally qualified and experienced in ERP environments within

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent.
• Experience in management accounting, financial reporting and month-end close.
• Manufacturing sector experience preferred.
• ERP systems proficiency and continuous improvement mindset.

Responsibilities

• Lead month-end close, prepare management accounts and variance analysis.
• Provide timely financial reporting and insights to local management.
• Manage cash flow, working capital and treasury activities.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting and reforecasts with robust assumptions.
• Oversee accounts payable/receivable and intercompany accounting.
• Develop the finance team and drive process improvements.

Skills

Financial leadership

Budgeting

Forecasting

Management accounting

Business partnering

Cash flow management

Variance analysis

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

People development

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA Qualified

Finance degree desirable

Tools

QAD

JD Edwards

IFS

Sage 50

Navan

Job description

Finance Controller / Finance Manager

Our client are a based near Brierley Hill they would like recruit an experienced Finance Manager that has a background in working for the manufacturing sector

Aim of Role

To lead and manage the financial operations of the business, ensuring the integrity and accuracy of financial reporting, effective financial control and the timely provision of high-quality financial information and insight to support business performance and decision-making. The Finance Manager is responsible for providing financial management and business partnering to local management, maintaining robust financial governance and compliance, leading and developing the finance team, and driving continuous improvement, standardisation and efficiency across finance processes, controls and systems.

Job Title

Finance Manager / Financial Controller

Responsible To

Regional UK Finance Director

Supervisory Responsibilities

Local finance team (AP, AR, Payroll)

Hours of Work

In accordance with standard entity contract terms. On site 5 days / week

Principal Duties

• Provide financial leadership across the business and act as a key financial business partner to local management and Regional Finance Director.
• Provide management with accurate, timely and commercially relevant financial information, analysis and insight to support effective operational and strategic decision-making.
• Constructively challenge business performance, assumptions and proposals and provide financial recommendations to support delivery of business objectives.
• Lead and take ownership of the month-end financial close process, including preparation of management accounts, financial analysis, reconciliations and variance analysis against budget and forecast.
• Take ownership of the integrity and accuracy of the general ledger, balance sheet and financial reporting for the assigned business.
• Lead the balance sheet reconciliation and review process, ensuring accounts are appropriately supported and outstanding items are investigated and resolved promptly.
• Prepare and submit regular financial and management reporting in accordance with Group requirements, accounting standards, company policies and agreed deadlines.
• Lead the annual budgeting and planning process and coordinate regular financial forecasts and reforecasts, ensuring assumptions are robust and appropriately challenged.
• Monitor financial performance against budget and forecast, identifying variances, trends, risks and opportunities and recommending appropriate corrective actions.
• Analyse revenue, gross margin, operating costs, profitability, working capital and cash flow, identify key drivers of business performance and improvement opportunities.
• Manage cash flow, banking activities and working capital, with a focus on improving debtor days, creditor days, inventory and free cash flow.
• Ensure all financial transactions are accurately record, appropriately authorised, reconciled and reported, maintaining effective audit trails, segregation of duties and financial controls.
• Manage accounts payable, accounts receivable, credit control, payroll and other transactional finance activities, ensuring effective and efficient processes.
• Oversee intercompany accounting, reconciliations and settlement, ensuring transactions are accurately recorded and differences resolved.
• Ensure compliance with relevant accounting standards, legislation, taxation requirements, Group policies and internal procedures.
• Oversee VAT, HMRC and other statutory or regulatory financial submissions and reporting as required.
• Coordinate and lead internal and external audit activities, ensuring appropriate information and documentation are provided and audit or control actions are addressed.
• Identify, assess and communicate material financial risks and opportunities, ensuring appropriate mitigating actions are established and monitored.
• Provide financial oversight and control of payroll accounting, reconciliations and associated statutory liabilities.
• Provide financial insight into manufacturing and operational performance, including material, labour, overhead, productivity and other operational variances where applicable.
• Own and maintain appropriate inventory accounting and financial controls, including stock valuations, stock take, inventory reserves and provisions for excess or obsolete stock.
• Own and maintain standard costing processes where applicable, including review of material, labour and overhead standards and analysis of manufacturing variances.
• Analyse gross margin and profitability by product, customer and business area, identifying drivers of performance and opportunities for improvement.
• Provide financial evaluation and governance of capital investment proposals, including business cases, ROI/payback analysis, monitoring of expenditure against budget and post-investment review.
• Maintain appropriate controls over fixed assets, including additions, disposals, depreciation and capitalisation
• Develop, maintain and improve financial systems, processes and controls to increase efficiency, accuracy, governance and effectiveness.
• Lead or support the development and effective use of ERP and financial systems, working with relevant stakeholders to maximise system capability.
• Drive standardization, automation and simplification of finance processes across the business, reducing manual activity and improving reporting efficiency.
• Manage, motivate and develop the finance team, set clear objectives, support individual development and maintaining appropriate standards of performance.
• Ensure the finance function has appropriate skills, knowledge, capacity and resilience to meet current and future business requirements.
• Work collaboratively with operational and functional teams to improve financial understanding, accountability and decision-making across the business.
• Prepare and provide financial information and analysis for management and business review meetings, clearly communicating financial performance, risks, opportunities and proposed actions.
• Act as a key finance interface with Regional and Corporate Finance, ensuring reporting requirements and deadlines are achieved.
• Support wider regional and corporate finance improvement, transformation and business projects as required.
• Undertake any other finance related duties that are reasonably required within the scope of the role and the individual s competence.

Mandatory Responsibilities

• Observe at all times the business code of conduct
• Perform role in accordance with all relevant quality standards and adhere to all relevant processes / policies within the GMS.
• Ensure compliance with all Health & Safety / Environmental and Welfare requirements.
• Ensure general housekeeping requirements are adhered to.

Supplemental Notes

• Other duties may be necessary as and when required to fulfil business needs
• The job holder will be required to work on site to fulfil the responsibilities of the role.
• Flexibility will be required to support critical month-end, year-end, budgeting, forecasting and audit deadlines.
• The job holder will be involved in the cross training of other Associates, knowledge sharing and development within the finance team.
• The job holder should be self-motivated and able to work effectively in a demanding, collaborative team environment

Requirements

Education & Qualifications

• Professionally qualified accountant, preferably ACA, ACCA or CIMA.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development and maintenance of relevant technical knowledge.
• Degree or equivalent qualification in Finance, Accounting or a related discipline is desirable.

Job Specific Training

• Financial Reporting & Analysis
• Budgeting and Forecasting
• Financial Planning & Analysis
• Taxation and Regulatory Compliance
• ERP Systems
• Advanced Excel and financial modelling
• Audit and Internal Controls
• Cash Flow and Working Capital Management

Experience

• Significant experience in a Finance Manager, Finance Controller or equivalent senior finance role
• Management accounting, financial reporting and month-end closing
• Balance sheet ownership and financial control
• Budgeting, forecasting and financial planning
• Finance analysis and business partnering with operational and senior management
• Cash flow and working capital management
• Internal and external audit
• Managing, coaching and developing the finance team.
• Finance process and control improvement
• Manufacturing, engineering, distribution or product-based environment
• Inventory accounting and stock control
• Standard costing and manufacturing variance analysis
• Capital investment appraisal and CAPEX control
• Finance process standardization, automation or transformation

Equipment Skills

• MS Office Suite, including advanced Excel
• ERP and financial reporting systems
• QAD
• JD Edwards
• IFS
• Sage 50
• Navan

Key Competencies

• Commercial acumen
• Financial leadership and ownership
• Analytical thinking and problem solving
• Business partnering and influencing
• Management and people development