Part-Time Finance Manager
Company: Gun Hill Clothing CompanyLocation: Burnham Market, North NorfolkHours: 16 hours per week, normally worked over two fixed daysSalary: TBCContract: Permanent, part-timeReporting to: Company Owner/Director
About Gun Hill
Gun Hill is an established, independent family-owned clothing retailer operating several stores in North Norfolk alongside a growing online business.
We are looking for an experienced and dependable Finance Manager to take day-to-day ownership of the financial function across our businesses.
This is a hands-on role combining accurate financial processing with cash-flow management, management reporting and strong financial controls. It would suit someone who enjoys working independently within a friendly SME and who can help us improve and streamline our financial systems.
Purpose of the role
The Finance Manager will ensure that the company’s accounting records are accurate, complete and up to date, while providing management with clear information about cash flow, profitability, costs and business performance.
The role will also help Gun Hill make better use of Sage and reduce repetitive manual processes across the finance function.
Key responsibilitiesFinancial accounting and bookkeeping
- Maintain accurate accounting records in Sage for the Gun Hill businesses.
- Process approved purchase invoices and supplier credit notes.
- Maintain the purchase and sales ledgers.
- Reconcile supplier statements and resolve accounting discrepancies.
- Reconcile bank accounts, company credit cards and control accounts.
- Reconcile Shopify Payments, PayPal, card providers and other payment platforms.
- Maintain accurate records of intercompany transactions and balances.
- Post accruals, prepayments, recurring journals and other month-end adjustments.
- Maintain a clear and consistent nominal-code structure.
Supplier payments and cash flow
- Prepare regular supplier payment runs for director approval.
- Monitor outstanding supplier balances and upcoming liabilities.
- Maintain and update the rolling cash-flow forecast.
- Highlight anticipated cash-flow pressures and unusual expenditure.
- Provide management with information to support payment and spending decisions.
- Ensure all payments are properly supported and authorised.
The Finance Manager will prepare payments and recommendations, but final payment approval and commercial decisions will remain with the Company Owner/Director.
Payroll and pensions
- Process payroll in Sage using hours, holidays and employee changes that have already been checked and approved by management.
- Reconcile net wages, PAYE, National Insurance and pension balances.
- Submit payroll information to HMRC.
- Process pension submissions and prepare payments for approval.
- Process authorised starters, leavers, salary changes and statutory payments.
- Produce P45s, P60s and standard payroll reports.
- Provide payroll information to management when required.
The Finance Manager will not be responsible for collecting or checking timesheets, approving employee hours, managing holiday requests, issuing employment contracts or handling other HR matters.
VAT and statutory compliance
- Prepare and submit VAT returns for the relevant companies.
- Ensure VAT is treated correctly across retail sales, online sales, purchases and overseas transactions.
- Maintain appropriate accounting records and supporting documentation.
- Liaise with the external accountant regarding complex VAT or tax matters.
- Ensure financial deadlines are identified and met.
Month-end and management reporting
- Complete an agreed monthly close process.
- Produce monthly profit and loss reports for the business and individual stores or departments.
- Report sales, gross margin, payroll costs, overheads and profitability.
- Compare actual performance against budgets and previous periods.
- Explain significant financial variances and highlight areas requiring attention.
- Produce an accessible monthly finance summary for the owners.
- Provide accurate information to support budgeting and commercial decisions.
- Assist management in identifying cost savings and improving financial performance.
Stock and intercompany accounting
- Reconcile approved stock valuations to the accounting records.
- Post cost-of-sales and stock-adjustment journals.
- Account for stock transfers between the Gun Hill businesses.
- Raise and reconcile monthly intercompany invoices.
- Investigate financial discrepancies arising from approved stock reports.
- Work with store management to improve the accuracy of stock information.
Physical stock counts, recording stock movements and investigating operational stock issues will remain the responsibility of store management and the shop teams.
Year-end responsibilities
- Ensure the accounting records are complete and reconciled at each company year end.
- Prepare year-end schedules and supporting information.
- Liaise with the external accountant and respond to routine accounting queries.
- Assist with audit or accountancy requests where required.
- Ensure agreed year-end adjustments are correctly entered into Sage.
The external accountant will remain responsible for statutory accounts, corporation tax calculations and specialist tax advice.
Systems and process improvement
- Review how Sage is currently being used and recommend improvements.
- Reduce unnecessary manual data entry and duplicated processes.
- Help establish controlled imports from Shopify and other business systems.
- Develop standard reconciliation templates and monthly reporting packs.
- Document important finance procedures and maintain an effective finance timetable.
- Ensure appropriate financial controls and approval processes are followed.
- Identify errors, inefficiencies and financial risks and recommend practical solutions.
Information supplied to the Finance Manager
To make the two-day role achievable:
- Store managers will ensure that sales and daily reports are complete and accurate.
- Store managers will approve staff hours and operational information.
- HR or management will provide authorised starter, leaver, holiday and pay information.
- Store teams will record stock receipts, transfers, discrepancies and physical counts.
- Cardholders will provide receipts and supporting documentation promptly.
- The Company Owner/Director will approve payments, payroll and significant financial decisions.
The Finance Manager will reconcile, control and report this information but will not be responsible for generating or repeatedly chasing routine operational information.
Essential experience and skills
- Strong practical experience in a finance role within an SME.
- Confident user of Sage Accounts and preferably Sage Payroll.
- Experience managing purchase ledgers, bank reconciliations, VAT returns and payment runs.
- Experience producing management accounts and cash-flow forecasts.
- Good understanding of accruals, prepayments, stock accounting and balance-sheet reconciliations.
- Strong Excel skills.
- Excellent accuracy and attention to detail.
- Able to organise recurring deadlines and work independently.
- Comfortable explaining financial information clearly to non-finance managers.
- Able to identify inefficient processes and implement practical improvements.
- Trustworthy, discreet and confident handling commercially sensitive information.
Desirable experience
- Experience within retail, ecommerce or a multi-site business.
- Experience reconciling Shopify, PayPal and card-payment platforms.
- Experience accounting for stock and intercompany transactions.
- Experience improving or automating Sage processes.
- AAT, CIMA or equivalent qualification, although strong practical experience will also be considered.
What success will look like
- Sage records are accurate and up to date.
- Bank, supplier, payment and intercompany accounts are regularly reconciled.
- Payroll, VAT and other finance deadlines are consistently met.
- Supplier payments are prepared accurately and properly authorised.
- Management receives clear monthly financial information.
- Cash-flow pressures and unusual costs are identified early.
- Repetitive manual processing is progressively reduced.
- Financial procedures are documented and do not depend entirely on one individual.
- The finance workload remains realistic within the agreed two working days.
Pay: From £24.00 per hour
Expected hours: 16.0 per week
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Free parking
- Private medical insurance
- Sick pay
- Store discount
Work Location: In person
