Head of Finance

Vitae Financial Recruitment; England; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A finance recruitment firm is seeking a Head of Finance / Finance Director for a growing SME near Royston, Hertfordshire. The ideal candidate must be a fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA) with hands-on experience in finance management roles. Responsibilities include managing payroll, ensuring compliance, producing management accounts, and leading a small team. This role offers significant responsibility in a supportive team environment with a focus on work-life balance.

Benefits

Supportive team environment

Work-life balance

Long-term opportunity

Qualifications

• Proven experience owning the day-to-day finance function end to end.
• Strong technical accounting and statutory reporting capability.
• Hands-on delivery of management accounts, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Payroll experience is essential.
• Solid cash flow, working capital, and credit control experience.
• Practical, detail-oriented, and dependable working style.

Responsibilities

• Full ownership of the UK finance function, operating within a small team.
• Day-to-day financial management, including journals and month-end close.
• Hands-on responsibility for payroll.
• Ensuring strong financial controls and compliance.
• Producing accurate and timely monthly management accounts.
• Managing cash flow, working capital, and credit control.

Skills

Technical accounting

Statutory reporting

Payroll experience

Budgeting and forecasting

Cash flow management

Credit control

ERP systems knowledge

Continuous improvement mindset

Education

Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA)

Tools

Sage

Job description

Head of Finance / Finance Director (No.1 Finance Role - SME)

Near Royston, Hertfordshire

Ideally 5 days office-based (1-day WFH considered)

Circa 85,000 - 100,000 (Depending on experience)

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Full Qualified (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) hands‑on, operationally focused Head of Finance / Finance Director to take full ownership of the day‑to‑day financial management of a growing and stable UK SME.

This is a true No.1 finance role, reporting directly to the Managing Director and leading a small finance team of two (this role plus an Assistant Accountant). The emphasis of the position is on financial control, compliance, reporting and accuracy, with strategic and commercial input forming a secondary, but important part of the role.

This opportunity will suit someone who is comfortable being close to the detail, does not require hand‑hanging, and enjoys owning everything from posting journals and managing payroll through to producing robust management information for decision‑making.

The Role

You will have end‑to‑end responsibility for the finance function, ensuring that the fundamentals are delivered consistently, accurately and on time.

Payroll is a non‑negotiable requirement. Alongside the Managing Director, you will be one of only two people responsible for payroll, so hands‑on payroll experience is essential.

This is a deliberately hands‑on role, where day‑to‑day financial management, controls and compliance come first.

Key Responsibilities

• Full ownership of the UK finance function, operating within a small team of two
• Day‑to‑day financial management, including journals, reconciliations and month‑end close
• Hands‑on responsibility for payroll (essential requirement)
• Ensuring strong financial controls, compliance and statutory reporting
• Producing accurate and timely monthly management accounts
• Managing cash flow, working capital and credit control
• Ownership of VAT (UK & Ireland), pensions, insurance and statutory submissions
• Managing the annual audit and relationships with auditors, banks and advisors
• Producing regular sales, stock and operational reporting, including weekly reporting where required
• Budgeting and forecasting to support planning and control
• Providing clear, reliable financial information to support the Managing Director's decision‑making
• Driving incremental improvements in processes, reporting and controls
• Strategic, commercial and analytical support, including scenario analysis and business planning will naturally follow from having robust, right‑first‑time financial data.

Systems

Experience working with Financial ERP systems, developing reporting capabilities and automation.

Sage experience would be advantageous, but not essential.

Interest in continually improving systems, reporting and processes over time.

Team & Culture

Small, supportive and collaborative environment.

Office‑based role with a strong preference for being present and engaged.

Culture of trust, autonomy and accountability.

Clear respect for work‑life balance, no expectation of working outside normal hours.

MD is hands‑off and non‑micromanaging, relying on accurate data to run the business.

This role will form a key member of the Senior Leadership team alongside the Managing Director, Sales Director and Marketing Director.

About You

You will be a fully qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA) with experience operating as the senior or No.1 finance professional within an SME or similarly hands‑on environment.

You are likely to bring

• Proven experience owning the day‑to‑day finance function end to end
• Strong technical accounting and statutory reporting capability
• Hands‑on delivery of management accounts, budgeting and forecasting
• Payroll experience (essential)
• Solid cash flow, working capital and credit control experience
• A practical, detail‑oriented and dependable working style
• Confidence operating autonomously and partnering with a Managing Director
• A collaborative approach suited to a small team environment
• Experience within consumer goods, retail, wholesale or B2C environments (advantageous but not essential)
• An interest in systems and continuous improvement
• Ideally available on a notice period of no more than three months, with one month strongly preferred

Why Join?

• Genuine No.1 finance role with full ownership and accountability
• Hands‑on position with real responsibility and visibility
• Stable, profitable business with strong financial fundamentals
• Trusted working relationship with the Managing Director
• Small, supportive team and down‑to‑earth culture
• Long‑term opportunity within a growing business