Finance Manager

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare weekly KPI reporting and monthly management accounts, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Analyse P&L performance against budget, prior year, and forecast, providing insightful commentary to stakeholders.
• Complete and review balance sheet reconciliations, ensuring all discrepancies are resolved promptly.
• Support the budgeting and forecasting processes, working closely with the Financial Controller.
• Manage cash flow reporting and monitor expected receipts and payments to ensure liquidity.
• Oversee revenue recognition, including deferred income and multi-period services, in line with accounting standards.
• Prepare VAT returns and supporting reconciliations, ensuring compliance with HMRC requirements.
• Manage overdue customer balances and support cash collection activities.
• Maintain accurate fixed asset records and reporting, including depreciation and disposals.
• Ensure data accuracy and integrity within the accounting system, implementing controls where necessary.
• Monitor finance policies, approval processes, and internal controls to mitigate risk.
• Support year-end audit and statutory reporting requirements, liaising with external auditors.
• Provide finance guidance and support to non-finance teams, translating complex financial information into actionable insights.
• Assist with transactional finance activities during busy periods, including supplier invoices, customer invoicing, bank reconciliations, payment runs, and expenses.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

• Experience working within an SME, previously as a Finance Manager, Management Accountant, or similar role.
• AAT qualification, part-qualified ACCA/CIMA/ACA, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Strong management accounting fundamentals, including month-end processes and variance analysis.
• Experience with balance sheet reconciliations, forecasting, and cash flow management.
• Strong Excel skills, including PivotTables, lookups, and SUMIFS. Power Query would be advantageous.
• Strong experience with Xero or a comparable accounting system.
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to communicate financial information clearly to non-finance stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, with a proactive and hands-on approach.

Skills Inventory

• Management accounting
• Financial reporting
• Cash flow management
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Balance sheet reconciliation
• VAT returns
• Excel (including PivotTables, lookups, SUMIFS)
• Xero (or similar accounting software)
• Stakeholder communication
• Attention to detail
• Time management
• Problem-solving

Salary & Compensation Estimation

The salary for this role is competitive and based on experience and qualification level. Based on the job posting and market rates for a Junior Finance Manager in Central London, the estimated salary band is approximately 40,000 GBP to 50,000 GBP per annum. This estimate takes into account the part-qualified status and the hybrid working arrangement. Additional benefits include 25 days of holiday plus birthday off, a holiday buy-back scheme, gym and wellbeing benefits, an employee assistance programme, and enhanced family-friendly and sickness policies.