Financial Controller

Counted; Worcester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Counted, a respected manufacturing company, seeks a Financial Controller in Worcester to lead the site finance function and partner with operations to drive cost efficiency and performance.

You will own the P&L, balance sheet and cash flow, oversee month-end close and budgeting, and champion internal controls while collaborating with the senior leadership team on strategy and improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified ACA, ACCA or CIMA accountant.
• Proven track record as Financial Controller in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong costing, inventory accounting and variance analysis.
• Experience producing full management accounts and leading budgeting/forecasting cycles.
• Hands-on ERP experience with advanced Excel and analytical skills.
• Confident business partner able to challenge and influence operational stakeholders.
• High integrity with a strong controls mindset.
• Experience within manufacturing sectors and plant environments.
• Exposure to integration projects or finance transformation.
• People management experience with a track record of developing teams.
• Hands-on, pragmatic approach from shop floor to boardroom.
• Resilience through ownership change and integration periods.
• Strong communication and ability to translate financial data into operational insight.
• Commercial curiosity with continuous improvement mindset.
• Deadline-driven with high attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop and mentor the site finance team.
• Own the site P&L, balance sheet and cash flow.
• Oversee and grow the wider finance function.
• Support site directors as part of the senior leadership team.
• Deliver monthly management accounts with variance analysis.
• Provide financial data to the group and board.
• Run budgeting and periodic reforecasts.
• Maintain balance sheet integrity with reconciliations.
• Manage year-end audit process and liaise with auditors.
• Strengthen internal controls across site finance processes.
• Oversee cash, working capital and capex appraisal.
• Set and review standard costs and labour/overhead rates.
• Analyze manufacturing variances and drive operational actions.
• Manage inventory accounting including cycle counts and WIP.
• Support pricing, quoting and make/buy decisions via costing.
• Partner with Site GM, Ops, Eng and Supply Chain to reduce costs.
• Evaluate capital investment proposals and track returns.
• Develop site KPIs linking ops metrics to financial outcomes.
• Act as finance contact to align policies and systems.
• Drive continuous improvement across ERP usage and processes.
• Provide financial input into strategy, risk and opportunity discussions.

Skills

Financial control

ERP systems

Variance analysis

Budgeting & forecasting

People management

Manufacturing finance

Excel proficiency

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Join a well‑respected manufacturing company based in Worcester, off junction 7 of the M5, near Whittington. As the Financial Controller, you’ll take on the finance leadership role for the Worcester site, blending full financial control responsibilities with hands‑on plant accounting. This is a key position within the site leadership team, acting as a true business partner to operations by providing insight, challenge and control to help drive site performance.

Main Duties:

As a Financial Controller, your main duties include:

• Leading, developing and mentoring the site finance team
• Taking full ownership of the site’s P&L, balance sheet and cash flow
• Overseeing and growing the wider finance function
• Sitting as a key member of the senior leadership team, supporting site directors
• Producing timely, accurate monthly management accounts, complete with variance analysis and commentary against budget and forecast
• Delivering reporting into the wider group
• Running the annual budgeting process and periodic reforecasts
• Ensuring balance sheet integrity through monthly reconciliations and review
• Managing the year-end audit process and liaising directly with external auditors
• Maintaining and strengthening the internal control environment
• Overseeing cash management, working capital optimisation, and capital expenditure appraisal and control
• Setting, maintaining and reviewing standard costs, along with labour and overhead recovery rates
• Analysing manufacturing variances (material usage, labour efficiency, overhead absorption, purchase price variance) and translating these into clear actions for operations
• Managing inventory accounting and control, including cycle counting, stock provisions, WIP valuation and physical inventory oversight
• Supporting pricing, quoting and make/buy decisions through product costing and margin analysis
• Business partnering with the Site General Manager, Operations, Engineering and Supply Chain to drive cost reduction and productivity improvements
• Financially evaluating capital investment proposals and tracking returns
• Developing site KPIs and performance dashboards that link operational metrics to financial outcomes
• Acting as a key finance contact, helping align policies, reporting and systems
• Driving continuous improvement across finance processes, systems and ERP usage
• Feeding financial input into site leadership discussions on strategy, risk and opportunity

Location / Office / Culture

Based in Worcester, off junction 7 of the M5, near Whittington, you’ll join a welcoming finance team within a professional, forward‑thinking environment. You’ll take ownership of leading and mentoring your own finance function, while playing a key role within the senior leadership team.

What We Are Looking For

The ideal candidate will have

• Fully qualified accountant – ACA, ACCA or CIMA
• Proven track record as a Financial Controller or plant/site controller within a manufacturing environment
• Strong technical grounding in standard costing, inventory accounting and manufacturing variance analysis
• Experience producing full monthly management accounts and leading budgeting/forecasting cycles
• Hands‑on ERP experience alongside strong Excel and analytical skills
• Confidence as a business partner, able to challenge and influence operational stakeholders
• High integrity with a strong controls mindset
• Experience within manufacturing sectors
• Exposure to business integration, acquisition or finance transformation projects
• People management experience with a track record of developing finance teams
• A hands‑on, pragmatic approach, comfortable operating from shop floor to boardroom
• Resilience and adaptability, particularly through periods of ownership change and integration
• Strong communication skills, able to translate financial data into operational insight
• Commercial curiosity with a continuous improvement mindset
• Deadline-driven with high attention to detail

Why Join the business

• A senior, high‑visibility finance leadership role
• The opportunity to shape and lead the finance function
• Genuine career progression and professional development