Operations Finance Manager

Vaco; Cheltenham; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco is seeking an Operations Finance Manager in Cheltenham, United Kingdom. You will partner with site leadership to translate operational activity into financial insight, support strategic decisions, and strengthen financial discipline.

You will lead budgeting, forecasting, costing, and reporting, drive working capital management, and ensure accurate financial information to guide the business. The role requires a strong background in product costing, internal controls, ERP systems, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related discipline.
• 5-7+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing, plant, operations, or supply finance.
• Strong background in product costing, standard costing, inventory accounting, and plant-level financial management.
• Experience in complex, multi-site or large corporate environments.
• Understanding of internal controls, governance, reporting, working capital management.
• Experience reviewing manufacturing balance sheet accounts.
• Broad experience across planning, accounting, reporting, analysis, and business partnering.
• Cross-functional project leadership with operational stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills.
• ERP system experience; enterprise manufacturing/finance platforms preferred.
• Familiarity with modern reporting/BI tools.

Responsibilities

• Partner with site and operations leadership to provide financial guidance and support decisions.
• Translate financial results and trends into clear, actionable insights for operational leaders.
• Challenge assumptions and provide an independent financial perspective on key business decisions and initiatives.
• Lead annual budget and quarterly forecasting processes for the manufacturing or supply operation.
• Analyze actual results against budget, forecast, and prior periods, identifying key drivers.
• Prepare financial reports and analysis to help leadership understand performance and risks or opportunities.
• Use financial modeling and data analysis to improve forecast quality and support proactive decisions.
• Manage working capital performance including inventory, fixed assets, and cash-related activities.
• Support balance sheet management and reconciliations relevant to manufacturing and supply operations.
• Oversee product costing and standard cost processes and monitor cost drivers.
• Investigate significant cost variances and develop root-cause solutions with operations.
• Provide financial support for productivity and cost-reduction initiatives.
• Increase financial understanding across the operation for non-financial leaders.
• Evaluate proposed investments and capital projects with cost-benefit analyses.

Skills

Financial analysis

Management accounting

Costing

Financial modeling

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

Progressive experience in manufacturing finance

Tools

ERP systems

BI tools

Job description

Operations Finance Manager

Position Overview

The Operations Finance Manager serves as the senior finance partner for the manufacturing/supply operation. This role works closely with site leadership to translate operational activity into meaningful financial insight, support strategic and day-to-day decisions, and strengthen financial discipline across the organization.

The position is responsible for leading core site finance activities, including planning, forecasting, costing, performance reporting, working capital management, internal controls, and financial analysis. The successful candidate will help build a culture of accountability, transparency, operational excellence, and continuous improvement while ensuring that financial information is accurate, timely, and useful to the business.

Key Responsibilities

Business Partnership & Strategic Support

• Partner with site and operations leadership to provide financial guidance and support business decisions.
• Translate financial results and trends into clear, actionable insights for operational leaders.
• Challenge assumptions and provide an independent financial perspective on key business decisions and initiatives.
• Support short- and long-term business planning through financial analysis, forecasting, and scenario modeling.
• Develop strong working relationships with Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and other cross-functional teams.
• Promote consistency and the sharing of effective financial and operational practices across the broader organization.

Financial Controls, Governance & Compliance

• Maintain a strong financial control environment that supports accurate reporting and responsible business management.
• Establish and monitor processes that ensure reliable, consistent financial information across the operation.
• Identify control gaps, financial risks, and reporting issues and implement appropriate corrective actions.
• Coordinate internal and external audit activities and support compliance with applicable accounting, financial, and corporate requirements.
• Safeguard company assets through disciplined financial processes and effective risk management.
• Ensure reported financial results are accurate, transparent, and supported by appropriate documentation and reconciliations.

Planning, Forecasting & Financial Analysis

• Lead the annual budget and quarterly forecasting processes for the manufacturing or supply operation.
• Analyze actual results against budget, forecast, and prior periods, clearly identifying key performance drivers.
• Prepare financial reports and analysis that help leadership understand business performance and emerging risks or opportunities.
• Use financial modeling and data analysis to improve forecast quality and support proactive decision-making.
• Manage and monitor working capital performance, including inventory, fixed assets, and cash-related activities.
• Support balance sheet management and reconciliation activities relevant to manufacturing and supply operations.

Costing & Manufacturing Finance

• Oversee product costing and standard cost processes.
• Analyze material, labor, overhead, and other variable cost drivers to identify opportunities for improved performance.
• Support timely and accurate inventory valuation and reporting.
• Investigate significant cost variances and work with operational teams to understand root causes and develop solutions.
• Provide financial support for productivity, efficiency, and cost-reduction initiatives.

Commercial & Investment Support

• Increase financial understanding across the operation by helping non-financial leaders better understand margins, contribution, costs, and other key performance measures.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability and financial performance.
• Evaluate proposed investments and capital projects through financial analysis, return assessments, and cost-benefit evaluations.
• Support decisions that balance financial performance, operational requirements, long-term growth, and sustainability considerations.
• Encourage commercially focused thinking throughout the organization.

Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Provide leadership and direction for finance activities supporting the site or operation.
• Coordinate, review, and support the work of finance team members or other personnel contributing to financial deliverables.
• Ensure continuity of key finance processes through effective documentation, training, and knowledge sharing.
• Lead or participate in initiatives that improve financial processes, reporting quality, controls, systems, and data accuracy.
• Foster a continuous improvement mindset focused on simplifying processes, increasing efficiency, and improving the quality of financial support provided to the business.
• Build productive relationships across all levels of the organization and encourage shared accountability for results.
• Demonstrate high standards of integrity, ownership, accountability, adaptability, and responsible business practices.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline.
• Approximately 5-7 years or more of progressive experience in manufacturing, plant, operations, or supply finance.
• Strong background in product costing, standard costing, inventory accounting, and plant-level financial management.
• Experience supporting or leading finance activities within a complex, multi-site, or large corporate environment.
• Solid understanding of internal controls, financial governance, corporate reporting, and working capital management.
• Experience reviewing, analyzing, and reconciling manufacturing-related balance sheet accounts.
• Broad experience across financial planning, accounting, reporting, analysis, and business partnering.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional projects and working effectively with operational and non-financial stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills, with the ability to use data to influence decisions and improve business performance.
• Experience with ERP systems; experience with enterprise manufacturing or finance platforms is preferred.
• Familiarity with modern reporting, analytics, and business intelligence tools is an advantage.

EEO Notice

Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law. Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [e-mail] . Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here ( https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/ ). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

• the individual's skill sets, experience and training;
• licensure and certification requirements;
• office location and other geographic considerations;
• other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.