About Us
We are a growing, dynamic manufacturing business with a current turnover of £1.5 million. As we enter our next phase of growth, we are looking for a versatile, proactive, and commercially minded financial professional to take full ownership of our finance function. You will have a direct impact on our day-to-day operations and work closely with the leadership team to drive business strategy.
Role Overview
This is a unique, "hybrid" role. You will be a team of one, meaning you must be equally comfortable rolling up your sleeves to handle daily transactional accounting (bookkeeping, payroll, invoicing) as you are stepping back to provide strategic cash-flow forecasting, margin analysis, and commercial guidance to the business owners.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic & Commercial Support
- Financial Strategy: Act as a commercial partner to the business owners, identifying growth opportunities, cost-saving areas, and efficiency gains.
- Forecasting & Budgeting: Create, maintain, and update rolling cash flow forecasts and annual budgets to support business planning.
- CapEx Evaluation: Assess the financial viability and ROI of new machinery, factory equipment, and technology investments.
- Funding & Grants: Assist in securing asset finance or exploring relevant manufacturing grants and R&D tax credits.
Management & Operational Accounting
- Month-End Reporting: Produce timely monthly Management Accounts (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement) with clear commentary on variances.
- Manufacturing Costing: Oversee and refine Product Costing Models, tracking the true cost of raw materials, labor, and factory overheads (COGS).
- Inventory Control: Work closely with the production team to monitor stock levels, manage stock valuations, and optimize the working capital cycle.
- KPI Tracking: Establish and report on operational KPIs (e.g., gross margin per product line, waste reduction, labor efficiency).
Daily Transactional Finance (Hands-on)
- Bookkeeping: Manage day-to-day data entry, bank reconciliations, and accounts payable/receivable.
- Credit Control: Proactively manage invoice collections to minimize debtor days.
- Payroll & Compliance: Process monthly payroll, manage pension submissions, and handle quarterly VAT returns (including specific manufacturing import/export accounting if applicable).
- Year-End: Prepare clean files and act as the main point of contact for external accountants for year-end statutory filings.
About You (Skills & Experience)
Required:
- Experience: Proven experience working within a manufacturing or engineering environment is highly desirable. You must understand bill of materials (BOM), stock valuation, and work-in-progress (WIP).
- Mindset: A unique blend of meticulous attention to detail for daily data entry, alongside a forward-thinking, strategic mindset.
- Systems: Advanced proficiency in cloud accounting software (e.g., Xero) and Excel. Experience implementing or managing Inventory/MRP systems is a major plus.
- Communication: Ability to explain complex financial data in plain, actionable language to non-financial manufacturing staff.
Qualifications (Any of the following):
- Fully or part-qualified CIMA / ACCA / ACA
- Or QBE (Qualified by Experience) with a strong, demonstrable track record in a similar hands-on manufacturing role.
Pay: £35,000.00-£40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
