Finance Manager / HR Controller

Vanilla Recruitment (UK) Ltd; Market Harborough; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

25 days holiday + Bank Holidays

Paid parking

Statutory pension scheme

Discretionary bonus scheme

Job summary

Vanilla Recruitment (UK) Ltd in Market Harborough seeks a Finance Manager / HR Controller to own the finance function and partner with senior leadership. You will drive financial visibility, forecasting and strategic decision-making in a SME with a project-based, creative services focus.

The standalone role combines finance and HR responsibilities, with hybrid working (2 days from home), a salary up to £45,000, 37.5 hours per week, and a discretionary bonus scheme alongside pension and parking

Qualifications

• AAT qualified or equivalent with finance & HR responsibility.
• Strong budgeting, forecasting and cash flow skills for decision support.
• Experience managing HR administration including records, contracts and onboarding.

Responsibilities

• Lead the finance function and provide reporting, analysis and strategic guidance.
• Prepare monthly management accounts, cash flow forecasts, budgets and VAT returns.
• Oversee day-to-day financial ops including multi-currency transactions and payroll.
• Oversee HR records, contracts, holidays and recruitment onboarding.

Skills

AAT qualification or equivalent

Finance & HR management

Budgeting & forecasting

Cash flow management

HR administration

UK employment law knowledge

Education

AAT qualification

Tools

Xero

Excel

Job description

We’re delighted to be recruiting a Finance Manager / HR Controller on behalf of a well-established and growing creative services business based in Market Harborough. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance professional to join a successful SME, taking ownership of the finance function while partnering closely with senior leadership to improve commercial performance, financial visibility and strategic decision-making. This role offers a broad responsibility across finance, forecasting, reporting and business support within a fast-paced project-led environment.

Please note that this is a standalone Finance / HR position.

• Salary up to £45,000
• 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday
• Flexible start times available (8:30am, 9:00am or 9:30am)
• Hybrid working with 2 days working from home
• 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays
• Paid parking
• Statutory pension scheme
• Discretionary bonus scheme

Duties and responsibilities

• Lead the finance function, providing financial reporting, analysis and strategic guidance to support business growth, decision-making and operational performance
• Prepare monthly management accounts, cash flow forecasts, budgets, project profitability reporting, VAT returns and year-end accounting information while maintaining strong financial controls
• Manage day-to-day financial operations including multi-currency transactions, payment runs, debtor and creditor management, payroll and pension administration
• Oversee employee administration, including maintaining HR records and systems, issuing contracts and offer letters, tracking holidays and absences, and ensuring personnel documentation is up to date
• Coordinate recruitment and onboarding activities, including recruitment administration, induction programmes, right-to-work checks and liaison with recruitment agencies
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation and HR best practice, supporting policies, employee handbooks, disciplinary, grievance, performance management and mandatory training requirements
• Oversee monthly payroll processing and manage the setup and ongoing administration of the employee auto-enrolment pension scheme

Required skills and experience

• AAT qualified or qualified by experience within a Finance Manager, Financial Controller, Finance & HR Manager or similar position with responsibility for both finance and HR activities
• Previous experience within SME environments, ideally within project-based sectors such as events, construction, marketing, creative, engineering, technical services, architecture or design
• Strong budgeting, forecasting, management accounting and cash flow management experience, with the ability to support strategic business decisions
• Experience managing HR administration, including employee records, contracts, absence management, recruitment coordination and onboarding processes
• Understanding of UK employment legislation, HR compliance requirements and employee lifecycle management
• Commercially aware with the ability to analyse profitability, business performance, workforce requirements and operational efficiency
• Good knowledge of accounting systems and Excel, ideally including Xero, with experience of process improvement