Finance Manager / Management Accountant (Contract)

Trial Balance; Penzance; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Trial Balance Consulting is seeking a Finance Manager / Management Accountant for a 12-month maternity cover in Penzance. This hands-on role suits a finance professional capable of management reporting, budgeting and process improvements, with strong Xero skills and stakeholder collaboration.

The ideal candidate will have AAT qualification or relevant vocational experience, and excellent communication to liaise across internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Ideally fully AAT qualified, though relevant vocational experience will be considered.
• Experience in preparing management accounts, budgeting and forecasting.
• Comfortable analysing financial data and driving process improvements.
• Strong communication and ability to liaise with multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Prepare monthly management accounts and board reports.
• Budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis.
• Support ad hoc financial projects and process improvements.
• Provide insights to support business decisions.
• Potentially supervise junior team members.

Skills

Management accounting

Budgeting

Forecasting

Variance analysis

Stakeholder liaison

Education

AAT qualification

Relevant vocational experience

Tools

Xero

Job description

Finance Manager / Management Accountant (Contract) - Penzance - Maternity Cover (12 months) - £45,000

Trial Balance Consulting are delighted to have been re-engaged by one of our longstanding clients, a highly successful and rapidly expanding services business with several group entities and operating across multiple sectors.

They are looking for an experienced finance professional to cover a 12-month maternity leave. This hands‑on role is ideal for someone comfortable in management accounting or finance management, who has experience in preparing management accounts, supporting budgeting and forecasting, analysing financial data and contributing to process improvements.

Key responsibilities:

• Prepare monthly management accounts and board reports
• Budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis
• Support ad hoc financial projects and process improvements
• Provide insights to support business decisions
• Potentially support or supervise junior team members

We’re looking for an ambitious candidate with a strong desire to develop their career in management reporting. Ideally fully AAT qualified, though relevant vocational experience will also be considered. Good IT skills, including Xero knowledge, are essential, as is the ability to work collaboratively within a busy team. Excellent communication skills are required, as the role involves liaising with multiple internal and external stakeholders.

If you are an experienced finance professional seeking a challenging and rewarding maternity cover role, we would love to hear from you. The ideal start date for this person will be February 2026 to allow for a handover.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a dynamic team, contribute to a fast-growing business and gain exposure across multiple group entities.