Financial Controller

The Sterling Choice; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sterling Choice is recruiting a financially astute Controller for its Cambridge site. You will own the UK entity’s numbers, validate the monthly close, and partner with production, engineering and sales to improve margins and cost control.

You will manage budgeting, cash flow, statutory reporting and the year-end audit, while driving product costing, inventory valuation and ERP-based process improvements in a growing manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• ACA/ACCA/CIMA qualification required or equivalent.
• Hands-on finance experience in manufacturing or engineering.
• Experience with inventory, WIP and stock valuation.
• Practical product or standard-costing knowledge.
• Understanding of bills of materials, routings and production orders.
• Experience of month-end close, budgeting and forecasting.
• Knowledge of UK statutory reporting, VAT and audit requirements.
• Strong Excel and ERP-system capability.
• Ability to challenge operational and commercial decisions constructively.
• Ability to explain financial information clearly without accounting jargon.

Responsibilities

• Taking ownership of the UK entity's financial statements.
• Validating the monthly close and ensuring accurate group reporting.
• Reviewing balance-sheet reconciliations, journals and financial controls.
• Managing budgets, forecasts, cash flow and working capital.
• Owning UK statutory reporting and coordinating the year-end audit.
• Overseeing VAT, corporation tax, payroll and pension compliance.
• Maintaining inventory and work-in-progress valuations.
• Reviewing bills of material, labour rates and manufacturing overheads.
• Maintaining and improving product-costing processes.
• Analyzing material, labour, purchasing and production variances.
• Identifying cost-saving and margin-improvement opportunities.

Skills

Manufacturing finance

Inventory valuation

Product costing

Costing processes

Financial analysis

Operational partnering

Education

ACCA/ACA/CIMA qualified

Tools

Excel

ERP system

Job description

Permanent | Full-time | Predominantly on-site

A specialist engineering manufacturer is bringing its finance function in-house as it enters the next stage of its growth.

The business designs and manufactures process machinery, ranging from established product lines to large, bespoke systems for customers across Europe, the US and the Middle East.

Its equipment is used in sectors including medical devices, aerospace and Formula 1.

Following significant new contract wins, the company is relocating to a larger facility in Cambridge and strengthening its integration with a US-based, private-equity-owned industrial group.

It now needs a qualified Financial Controller who can take ownership of the UK entity’s numbers while working closely with operations to improve cost, margin and commercial performance.

The opportunity

This is not a role limited to producing monthly reports.

You will work directly with the local leadership, production, engineering and sales teams—reviewing bills of material, investigating manufacturing costs and identifying where the business can improve its margins.

You will also take ownership of the integrity of the UK financial statements, validate the monthly close and provide accurate, timely reporting to the wider international group.

Transactional AP and AR activity is moving into a shared-service centre, allowing you to focus on financial control, costing, analysis and business partnering.

An experienced external accountant who has supported the business for many years will provide knowledge transfer and help create a smooth transition.

You will be responsible for:

• Taking ownership of the financial statements for the UK entity
• Validating the monthly close and ensuring accurate group reporting
• Reviewing balance-sheet reconciliations, journals and financial controls
• Managing budgets, forecasts, cash flow and working capital
• Owning UK statutory reporting and coordinating the year-end audit
• Overseeing VAT, corporation tax, payroll and pension compliance
• Maintaining accurate inventory and work-in-progress valuations
• Reviewing bills of material, labour rates and manufacturing overheads
• Maintaining and improving the product-costing processes
• Analysing material, labour, purchasing and production variances
• Comparing estimated and actual costs on customer-specific projects
• Identifying cost-saving and margin-improvement opportunities
• Supporting quotations, pricing and customer-profitability decisions
• Producing clear operational reporting for local and international leadership
• Developing stronger finance systems, processes and controls

About you

You will be ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified, with hands-on finance experience gained within manufacturing or engineering.

You should be able to demonstrate:

• A strong understanding of manufacturing finance
• Experience of inventory, WIP and stock valuation
• Practical product or standard-costing knowledge
• The ability to understand bills of material, routings and production orders
• Experience of month-end close, budgeting and forecasting
• Knowledge of UK statutory reporting, VAT and audit requirements
• Strong Excel and ERP-system capability
• The confidence to challenge operational and commercial decisions constructively
• The ability to explain financial information without relying on accounting jargon

Experience of job costing, bespoke equipment, capital machinery or project-based manufacturing would be particularly valuable.

Exposure to a US-owned, international or private-equity-backed organisation would also be advantageous, although previous US GAAP experience is not essential.

The environment

The company has retained the pace, personality and close working relationships of a smaller engineering business while gaining the investment and support of an international group.

You will suit the culture if you are:

• Structured, self-sufficient and comfortable taking ownership
• Curious about how products are engineered and manufactured
• Willing to get close to the operation rather than remain behind a spreadsheet
• Commercially minded and motivated by improving performance
• Comfortable working at pace in a growing, private-equity-backed environment
• Approachable, collaborative and able to enjoy working as part of a close team
• Become the finance lead for a growing UK manufacturing business
• Bring a previously outsourced finance function in-house
• Influence costing, margins and operational decision-making
• Join during a move into a larger manufacturing facility
• Support major new contracts and international growth
• Gain visibility across European and US group leadership
• Work with technically interesting products and high-profile global customers
• Receive structured handover support

The role will be based predominantly on site in Cambridge because of its close involvement with manufacturing and operations.

For an experienced Manufacturing Finance Manager seeking their first Financial Controller appointment—or a hands-on Financial Controller who wants greater operational influence—this is an opportunity to take genuine ownership and help shape the next stage of the business.