Finance & Operation's Manager

Marks Sattin; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Marks Sattin is seeking an energetic Finance & Operations Manager to oversee day-to-day financial workflows, client contracts, and operational support in a fast-growing boutique agency in London.

Lead accounts payable, VAT returns, invoicing, cash flow, and HR onboarding, while ensuring contractual compliance and profitability across projects. The role combines finance, operations and client-facing coordination in a hybrid work model.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in a hybrid Finance/Operations role within a PR, marketing, or creative agency.
• Essential: hands-on experience with Xero.
• Desirable: familiarity with Harvest time tracking and spend management tools.
• Strong knowledge of UK VAT regulations, bookkeeping, and contract workflows.

Responsibilities

• Accounts payable and expenses processing; manage spend platforms and approvals.
• Core accounting; day-to-day bookkeeping and monthly reconciliations (Xero).
• Sales invoicing and credit control; issue client retainers and project invoices.
• Cash and banking; reconcile bank accounts and run payroll payments.
• VAT returns; prepare and submit VAT returns under Making Tax Digital rules.
• Operations and revenue tracking; manage SOWs, NDAs, and time-tracking to assess profitability.
• HR support; onboarding/offboarding, leave tracking, and office admin.

Skills

Finance & Operations experience

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Hybrid/agency experience

Tools

Xero

Harvest

Spendesk

Soldo

Job description

Employment Type: Full-time

About the Role

We are a growing boutique communications agency looking for an energetic Finance & Operations Manager to oversee our day-to-day financial workflows, client contracts, and operational support. This dual-focused role works closely with agency leadership, account teams, and clients to ensure financial health and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Accounts Payable & Expenses: Process supplier and contractor invoices. Oversee corporate card and spend platforms (Spendesk, Soldo, etc.), ensuring proper receipts and approvals.
• Core Accounting: Manage day-to-day bookkeeping in Xero (essential), maintain integrations, and complete monthly balance sheet reconciliations.
• Sales Invoicing & Credit Control: Issue monthly client retainers and project invoices. Monitor accounts receivable and maintain proactive credit control to protect cash flow.
• Cash & Banking: Reconcile bank accounts daily, track cash flow, and prepare supplier and payroll payment runs.
• VAT Returns: Prepare and submit quarterly HMRC VAT returns under Making Tax Digital (MTD) rules.
• Operations & Revenue Tracking: Administer client contracts (SOWs, NDAs) and oversee time-tracking in Harvest. Cross-reference logged hours against project retainers to track agency profitability and prevent over-servicing.
• HR Support: Assist with monthly payroll, manage staff and freelancer onboarding/offboarding, track leave, and support general office management.

Requirements

• 3+ years’ experience in a hybrid Finance/Operations role within a PR, marketing, or creative agency.
• Essential: Advanced hands-on experience with Xero.
• Desirable: Familiarity with spend management software and Harvest time tracking.
• Strong grasp of UK VAT regulations, bookkeeping, and contract workflows.
• Excellent communication skills and high attention to detail.