Introduction
Transition Metals Limited is a long-established manufacturing business based in Sheffield, operating internationally within the titanium recycling and ferroalloy sector. Recent industry developments have positioned the company as the only remaining ferrotitanium producer in the UK and Western Europe, creating both a unique market position and a clear opportunity to continue strengthening and developing the business.
The Role
We are looking for either a fully qualified and experienced Head of Finance (Salary £47,500-£55,000 depending on skills, experience etc) or a Senior Accounts Assistant who is fully committed to a time limited, structured career progression plan which will lead to completion of relevant professional qualification (ACCA, ACA or CIMA) and the development of managerial skills through day to day experience and management development activities. (Starting salary will be £32,500 for this role with clear progression milestones and salary increases through the development period rising to £55,000 once all requirements have been achieved).
Role Overview
This is a broad, hands-on finance leadership role within a privately owned manufacturing SME operating through a multi-company/group structure. The position has responsibility across:
- management accounts, month-end reporting, financial analysis, and commentary
- cash flow, budgeting, forecasting, and financial projections
- group and intercompany accounting and reconciliations
- banking, working capital, and invoice financing
- finance team leadership, recruitment, training, and development
- payroll, VAT, audit, statutory compliance, QMS procedures, and process improvement
A key part of the role will be improving the quality, consistency, and usefulness of financial information while maintaining a reliable and well-controlled day-to-day finance function. This is a genuinely hands-on position: responsibilities within a small SME finance team are shared and are not rigidly divided according to seniority. The Head of Finance must therefore be willing and able to undertake routine accounting activities directly where required, as well as taking responsibility for management reporting, analysis, forecasting, controls, and wider financial management.
Reporting Line & Team Context
The role reports directly to the Managing Director and leads the existing finance team. The Head of Finance/Senior Accounts Assistant will oversee the day-to-day operation of the function, establish appropriate controls and working procedures, support team development, and ensure financial activities are completed accurately and within required timescales.
The business operates through a group structure involving a number of associated companies. The role therefore includes financial reporting across relevant entities and responsibility for the accurate recording, reconciliation, and management of intercompany transactions and balances.
Key Responsibilities
Management Accounts, Reporting & Analysis
- Take ownership of the month-end process and prepare accurate and timely management accounts for relevant group companies
- Produce profit and loss, balance-sheet, cash-flow, and supporting reconciliation reports
- Analyse performance against budget, forecast, and prior periods and investigate material variances
- Provide clear management commentary on performance, trends, risks, and areas requiring attention
- Develop appropriate KPI reporting and provide ad-hoc financial analysis to the Managing Director and wider management team
Cash Flow, Group Accounting & Working Capital
- Prepare and maintain cash-flow forecasts, annual budgets, and financial forecasts/projections
- Identify potential cash or working-capital pressures and update forecasts as circumstances change
- Prepare and review intercompany reconciliations and ensure corresponding balances between group entities agree
- Ensure intercompany invoices, payments, journals, charges, and other transactions are recorded accurately and differences resolved promptly
- Oversee bank reconciliations, customer receipts, supplier payments, credit control, and working-capital requirements
- Manage and reconcile the company's invoice-financing facility and liaise with the provider as required
Finance Team Leadership & Day-to-Day Finance
- Lead and oversee the Senior Accounts Assistant and two Accounts Assistants, establishing clear responsibilities, priorities, deadlines, and appropriate cover
- Review work, provide practical guidance and support, and maintain appropriate standards of accuracy and accountability
- Set objectives, conduct performance reviews and formal appraisals, and identify training and development requirements
- Review team resource requirements and lead or participate in recruitment, onboarding, and probation reviews for finance staff
- Remain able and willing to process invoices, purchase orders, payments, receipts, journals, reconciliations, and other accounting entries directly where required
- Provide practical cover across the accounts function and support stock, foreign-currency, and other manufacturing-related finance activities where required
Financial Controls, QMS & Process Improvement
- Develop, document, and oversee finance working procedures within the company's Quality Management System (QMS) framework
- Maintain appropriate financial controls, checks, reconciliations, approval processes, and supporting documentation
- Review and improve financial workflows, reporting methods, and use of SAP and other relevant business systems
- Support internal and external QMS reviews where finance processes are involved
- Identify opportunities to reduce manual or inconsistent processes and improve data integrity, visibility, and accountability
Payroll, VAT, Audit & Statutory Compliance
- Oversee payroll processes, including PAYE, pensions, and associated administration
- Prepare and/or review VAT reporting and ensure appropriate treatment of UK, import, and export transactions
- Coordinate annual audit and statutory accounts preparation and act as a principal finance contact for external accountants and auditors
- Prepare and review year-end schedules, reconciliations, and supporting information
- Ensure relevant statutory filings, including Companies House filings within the responsibility of finance, are completed accurately and on time
- Support business-insurance renewals and information requirements and liaise with HMRC, brokers, insurers, and other external advisers where required
Ways of Working
The role operates within a small, lean, and hands-on manufacturing environment and does not follow a highly prescriptive or task-based format. You will be expected to:
- Take ownership of the finance function and lead by example
- Be comfortable operating at all levels of the function, from day-to-day transactions through to management reporting and financial analysis
- Recognise that responsibilities within a small finance team are shared and not rigidly separated by seniority
- Question anomalies, investigate issues, and follow them through to resolution
- Balance day-to-day financial requirements with longer-term improvement work
- Work closely with commercial, production, and operational colleagues and communicate financial information clearly
Support and direction will be provided; however, the role is intended to operate with a high degree of responsibility and autonomy.
Candidate Requirements
Candidate Profile
We are seeking an individual who is:
- Professionally qualified, technically capable, and confident taking ownership of a broad finance function
- Genuinely hands-on and willing to become involved in day-to-day accounting activity
- Comfortable moving between transactional accounting, team leadership, management reporting, analysis, and forecasting
- Organised, accurate, detail-oriented, and able to prioritise competing demands
- Numerically and analytically strong, with good commercial awareness
- Proactive, willing to challenge information and existing ways of working, and able to identify issues early
- Comfortable leading and developing a small accounts team within an SME environment
- Trustworthy and comfortable handling confidential and commercially sensitive information
Skills & Experience – Head of Finance
- ACCA qualified, or equivalent recognised professional accountancy qualification such as ACA or CIMA (essential)
- Strong practical accounting and financial-management experience, including management accounts, analysis, commentary, cash flows, budgets, and forecasts (essential)
- Strong understanding of balance-sheet reconciliations and financial controls (essential)
- Experience working within a multi-company/group structure, including intercompany accounting and reconciliations (essential)
- Experience managing or supervising finance staff and supporting their development (essential)
- Strong practical understanding of purchase ledger, sales ledger, banking, and transactional accounting (essential)
- Strong Excel and Microsoft Office skills and experience with ERP/accounting systems; SAP experience desirable
- Experience with VAT reporting, audit, and year-end accounts (essential)
- Manufacturing, stockholding, invoice-finance, international trading, foreign-currency, or QMS experience would be advantageous
Skills and Experience - Senior Accounts Assistant:
Practical experience of:
- day-to-day transactional accounting and use of the company's finance systems
- substantial month-end activities and closing processes
- group and intercompany reconciliations, finance reporting, and consolidation schedules
- VAT preparation and reporting
- audit preparation and supporting work
- LivePlan updates, including financial information, forecasts, and assumptions
- cash-flow processes and reporting
- operation and reconciliation of the invoice-financing facility
Progression Milestones
- Stage 1 - Commence CMI Level 3 / management development - £32,500
- Stage 2 - Complete ACCA Applied Skills - £37,500
- Stage 3 - Complete ACCA Strategic Professional - £42,500
- Stage 4 - Demonstrate broader management, analysis, commentary, and functional ownership - £47,500
- Stage 5 - Fully competent and experienced across the Head of Finance remit - £55,000
Training & Development Support – Senior Accounts Assistant
The company will fund the agreed CMI and ACCA development pathway, including approved course fees, study materials and examination fees, in line with the company's training and development arrangements. Training providers, course format and associated costs should be agreed in advance with the Managing Director and HR.
Further details of the development plan for the Senior Accounts Assistant are available by emailing [email protected].
Pay: £32,500.00-£55,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Private medical insurance
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Sheffield S6 2FU: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
