Senior Finance Manager

501 Fun; Aylesford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Life Assurance

Cycle to work

Health & wellbeing program

Birthday off work

Job summary

501 Entertainment Limited is recruiting a Senior Finance Manager to lead the finance function, reporting to the CFO. You will own the period-end close, prepare management accounts, and drive process improvements in a fast-growth tech SME with international exposure.

You will coordinate VAT, corporate tax and R&D tax credit processes, manage payroll, investor reporting, and liaise with external auditors. The role includes line management of two Finance Managers and close collaboration with senior

Qualifications

• ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified.
• 3–5 years post-qualification experience.
• Demonstrable track record of owning the period-end close and preparing management accounts independently.
• Experience managing VAT compliance and liaising with external auditors.
• Background in a fast-growth SME environment; technology or SaaS experience is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Own the full period-end close on a 4-weekly reporting cycle.
• Prepare management accounts including P&L, balance sheet, and KPI commentary.
• Review journals, accruals, prepayments, and reconciliations to close deadline.
• Present management accounts to the CFO and maintain audit-ready records.
• Own VAT returns and ensure HMRC compliance; support corporation tax & R&D tax credit processes.
• Oversee payroll, investor and board reporting, and relationships with external advisors.
• Line-manage two Finance Managers and drive continuous improvement of systems and controls.
• Manage banking, treasury, and supplier payments with strong cash discipline.

Skills

Management accounting

Tax compliance

Financial reporting

Stakeholder communication

Excel

Xero

Education

ACA/ACCA/CIMA

Tools

Xero

Excel

Job description

About the Company: 501 Entertainment Limited

Founded in 2018, 501 Entertainment is the global leader in social entertainment systems, dedicated to bringing innovative and engaging solutions to the market. As a pioneering tech company, we specialise in developing competitive socialising equipment. Our mission is to transform traditional activities, such as darts, golf, and more into digitally enhanced experiences that bring people together in fun and engaging ways.

Role Overview:

The Senior Finance Manager is the operational lead of the finance function at 501 Entertainment — a fast-growing, investor-backed entertainment technology business. Reporting to the CFO, this role owns the day-to-day running of the finance team, the period-end close, management reporting, payroll, tax compliance, and audit liaison. The Senior Finance Manager manages two Finance Managers and acts as the primary point of technical escalation for all finance matters below CFO level.

This is a hands-on role in a lean, high-growth environment that is adding complexity rapidly — new billing models, manufacturing, overseas indirect tax exposure, and enhanced investor reporting requirements are all in the pipeline. The right candidate will be comfortable owning complex processes end-to-end, communicating clearly with senior stakeholders, and driving continuous improvement across the finance function.

What we’re looking for:

Management Accounts and Period-End Close

• Own the full period-end close on a 4-weekly reporting cycle
• Prepare management accounts including P&L, balance sheet, and KPI’s with independent variance commentary
• Review all journals, accruals, prepayments, and reconciliations to close deadline
• Present management accounts to the CFO
• Maintain audit-ready records at all times

Budget and Forecast

• Facilitate the annual budget process in partnership with the CFO
• Support commercial analysis and scenario modelling as required by the business

Tax and Statutory Compliance

• Own VAT returns, ensuring full compliance with HMRC requirements and timely submission
• Support corporation tax and R&D tax credit processes in liaison with external advisors
• Monitor and respond to developing indirect tax obligations, including overseas compliance as the business expands internationally
• Ensure all statutory filing obligations are met

Audit and External Relationships

• Act as primary contact for external auditors during the year-end audit process
• Manage relationships with tax advisors and other professional service providers
• Ensure the finance function maintains audit readiness throughout the year

Payroll

• Own the full payroll process — calculation, approval, and payslip issuance
• Ensure payroll is accurate and issued on time each period
• Communicate payroll position clearly to senior management

Investor and Board Reporting

• Support the CFO in preparing board and investor reporting packs
• Ensure investor reporting obligations (including Series A requirements) are met accurately and on time
• Develop and maintain KPI reporting as the business and its reporting requirements evolve

Team Management

• Line-manage two Finance Managers, setting clear priorities, objectives, and standards
• Develop team capability and manage workload effectively
• Act as the day-to-day escalation point for finance queries across the business

Banking and Treasury

• Manage supplier payment runs with strong cash discipline
• Support treasury management as the business scales

Systems and Process Improvement

• Maintain and improve finance systems, processes, and internal controls
• Identify and implement automation opportunities to improve accuracy and efficiency
• Keep SOPs current and ensure they are followed consistently by the team

Qualifications and Experience:

• ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified (essential)
• Ideally 3–5 years post-qualification experience
• Demonstrable track record of owning the period-end close and preparing management accounts independently
• Experience managing VAT compliance and liaising with external auditors
• Background in a fast-growth SME environment; technology or SaaS experience is advantageous

Core Skills:

The ‘how’ we fulfil our role is very important and therefore the following skills required for this role have been identified as;

• Technically strong across management accounting, tax, and statutory compliance
• Excellent written and verbal communication — able to present financial information clearly to non-finance audiences
• Strong Excel and accounting software skills; Xero experience preferred
• Commercial mindset — able to translate numbers into operational insight and challenge unsupported assumptions
• High attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple competing deadlines
• Systems and process-oriented; comfortable with technology and automation
• Calm under pressure; collaborative and direct in communication

What We Offer

• Collaborative, supportive work environment.
• Opportunities for progression and increased responsibility as the business scales.
• Company-wide social events.
• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience.
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays.
• Birthday off work.
• Buying Annual leave scheme.
• Company pension scheme.
• Life Assurance policy.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Salary sacrifice platform, including Employee discounts and a Health & wellbeing program.

Why Join Us?:

501 Entertainment builds the future of social entertainment—transforming hospitality spaces with immersive, tech-powered experiences that bring people together. Our clients include some of the UK’s most exciting venues and entertainment groups. As we continue to grow, we’re looking for passionate people who want to shape the next generation of fun. If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, please get in touch.

*Our Candidate Privacy Notice applies when applying for this role. Please visit https://www.501fun.com/candidate-privacy-notice to learn more about the personal data we process during your application.*