Head of Finance
This is your opportunity to lead the accounts & finance function at Seating Matters, shaping the financial insight behind clinical seating solutions that change lives.
You will inspire change!
Reports to: Managing Director
Location: Limavady, Northern Ireland
Department: Accounts
Contract: Full time, permanent
Why Join Us?
At Seating Matters, employees and their well-being are prioritised, with a culture of positivity, respect, fun and appreciation for every team member.
Welcome to Seating Matters
Seating Matters is a family-run, award-winning manufacturer of clinical therapeutic seating, designing and building specialist chairs that improve posture, pressure management, comfort and quality of life for people in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation units and homecare around the world. Our research-led approach including landmark clinical research with Ulster University demonstrating reduced pressure injuries sits at the heart of everything we do.
We are on an exciting journey, embedding Lean thinking across all departments, striving to become the global benchmark for manufacturing excellence and redefining what is possible in our industry.
The Role
As we expand our global operations in clinical seating manufacturing, the Head of Finance will lead the day-to-day finance function and take ownership of management and statutory reporting, VAT and tax compliance and group accounting. Reporting to the Managing Director and managing a team, you will be the senior finance lead on site, partnering with operations and the wider senior management team in a fast-paced production environment.
Beyond Seating Matters, you will play a key role in group-level financial reporting across the wider Tierco Healthcare Group. As well as Seating Matters, the accounts office supports multiple companies within the group, and you will be involved in consolidation, group reporting and driving standardised, consistent ways of working across all group entities. This makes accuracy, robust controls and timely financial information essential across the business.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and develop the finance team, managing workloads, setting priorities, and supporting the training, performance and professional growth of team members.
- Take ownership of the day-to-day running of the finance function, delivering timely and accurate financial information to the Managing Director and senior management team.
- Prepare and review monthly management accounts, including profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow and key performance indicators, with insightful commentary to support decision-making.
- Lead the preparation of annual statutory accounts and oversee the year-end process, liaising with external accountants and auditors.
- Prepare and submit VAT returns (including UK/NI and cross-border requirements), and manage corporation tax, payroll tax and related compliance, working with external tax advisors where required.
- Lead group-level financial reporting across the Tierco Healthcare Group, including consolidation of Seating Matters and the other group companies, intercompany reconciliations and group reporting deadlines.
- Drive standardised, consistent ways of working across the accounts function for all Tierco Healthcare Group companies, embedding common processes, controls and reporting practices to support efficiency and group-wide consistency.
- Own the development and monitoring of annual budgets and periodic forecasts, partnering with operations to understand drivers, risks and opportunities.
- Oversee standard costing, overhead allocation and cost of goods sold reporting for manufacturing activities, ensuring accurate product costing across the clinical seating range (e.g. Sorrento, Phoenix, Atlanta and bespoke configurations).
- Lead cost analysis across materials, labour, overheads and inventory, identifying efficiency opportunities and margin improvements.
- Drive continuous improvement of financial controls, including documentation, testing and refinement of key processes, and ensure readiness for internal and external audits.
- Take ownership of inventory valuation, stock accuracy and related controls, working with the Operations and Production teams.
- Lead cash flow forecasting and financial modelling to support investment decisions, capital expenditure and strategic initiatives.
- Proficiency in accounting software, ideally Sage 200 and related reporting tools, identifying opportunities to automate and streamline reporting, reconciliations and analysis.
- Work collaboratively with IT and external partners to support system changes, enhancements and new tool implementation.
- Provide clear, concise analysis and presentations to the Managing Director, senior management team and Tierco Group, helping them understand performance and drive action.
- Build strong working relationships with operations, production and other stakeholders to support continuous improvement across the business and the wider Tierco Group.
- Support ad-hoc projects, business cases and financial analysis as required, particularly where process improvement, controls and data quality are involved.
Essential Criteria
- Chartered / fully qualified Accountant (CIMA, ACCA, ACA, CAI or equivalent) with a strong grounding in management and financial accounting.
- Proven experience of managing and developing a finance team.
- At least 5 years’ experience in a finance management, financial control or similar senior finance role, ideally within a manufacturing or production environment.
- Strong experience preparing management accounts, statutory accounts, budgets and forecasts, with the ability to explain variances and performance drivers clearly.
- Hands-on experience of VAT returns (including UK/NI and cross-border) and corporation tax compliance.
- Experience of group accounting and consolidation, including intercompany reconciliations and group reporting.
- Good understanding of cost accounting, including standard costing, overhead allocation, cost of goods sold and inventory valuation.
- Demonstrable experience improving financial processes, controls and reporting, with a continuous improvement mindset and the confidence to challenge existing ways of working.
- Advanced Excel skills, including functions and tools such as PowerQuery, with a track record of building efficient, repeatable reporting and analysis files.
- Proficiency in accounting software, ideally Sage, and the appetite to learn and implement new systems or reporting tools such as Power BI, Qlik or similar.
- Strong analytical skills, attention to detail and a logical approach to problem-solving.
- Excellent communication, leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships across finance, operations and senior management.
- Positive, proactive attitude, driven by growth and committed to continuous improvement and learning.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience within medical device, clinical or other regulated manufacturing industries.
- Awareness of medical device regulatory and quality frameworks (e.g. MDR/MDD) as they relate to finance and controls.
- Experience of leading or playing a key role in ERP/reporting implementations or upgrades, including designing templates, data flows and standard operating procedures.
- Experience operating within a multi-entity group structure.
Remuneration
A competitive package will be available to reflect the candidate’s experience and the importance of this role to our long-term global growth ambitions.
- Competitive executive-level salary (commensurate with experience).
- Pension and company benefits package.
Seating Matters DNA
At Seating Matters, we are passionate about growth, persistence and serving our customers and teams with heart. Our values promote a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging resilience when facing challenges, and keep our customers at the heart of everything we do.
By joining us you will help shape and strengthen our positive and dynamic workplace culture.
Part of a Global Vision – Tierco Healthcare Group
As part of the Tierco Healthcare Group, this role connects you with a network of companies all sharing a passion for innovation, continuous improvement and world-class manufacturing.
You’ll be part of a collaborative group environment, contributing to projects and initiatives that span across Tierco companies.
To apply for the above role, please email your CV with a short cover letter to [email protected]
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £55,000.00-£65,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Canteen
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site gym
- On-site parking
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
