Audit & Accounts Manager
Salary: £55,000 to £70,000 per year Location: 59–61 Charlotte Street, St Paul's Square, Birmingham, B3 1PX Employment type:Full-time, permanent Working hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm
HR365 has grown steadily over the past decade, both in the size of our client portfolio and in the range of our internal operations. That growth has created the need for an experienced Audit & Accounts Manager who can take senior responsibility for the accuracy of our financial reporting, the strength of our internal controls and the management of critical accounting deadlines. Working directly alongside the company Director, you will oversee an expanding portfolio of accounts and help ensure our financial oversight keeps pace as the business continues to develop.
This is a hands-on senior role rather than a purely strategic one. You will be comfortable reviewing detailed financial records, resolving discrepancies, supporting colleagues and giving the Director clear, reliable analysis to inform decisions. The position offers a starting salary of £55,000, with structured progression within a range up to £70,000 as you take on larger, more complex or higher-value portfolios and demonstrate the required technical and leadership standards.
Benefits
- Salary of £55,000 to £70,000 per year, starting at £55,000.
- Annual performance-related bonus of up to 10% of base salary, subject to individual performance, company performance and the terms of the company bonus scheme.
- Employer pension contribution of 5%, in line with the company pension scheme.
- Private medical insurance following successful completion of probation.
- Life assurance equivalent to four times annual base salary, subject to the insurer's scheme terms.
- Paid overtime or time off in lieu for additional hours authorised in advance during particularly busy year-end, reporting or audit periods.
- Paid membership of one relevant professional body, such as ACCA or ICAEW.
- Financial support for relevant continuing professional development.
- Occasional home working where responsibilities and deadlines allow.
- Regular team lunches, company social events and an annual company event.
- Direct exposure to the Director and the chance to shape our financial systems, controls and reporting processes.
- A central Birmingham location in St Paul's Square.
About HR365
HR365 launched in May 2016 and has more than ten years of experience providing business-focused services to a varied client base. Over that time we have expanded our internal capabilities across several teams and service areas, and our client portfolio has grown accordingly. We value a direct, professional relationship with our clients, and this appointment is central to maintaining the high standards of financial integrity that underpin our continued success.
The role
As Audit & Accounts Manager, you will oversee an agreed portfolio of company, group or client accounts, taking end-to-end responsibility for the accuracy of financial reporting within it. The work combines technical accounting, portfolio management, audit preparation, internal financial reviews, management reporting, budgeting and forecasting, risk and control management, and the supervision of others. You will be the senior point of contact for external accountants, auditors and advisers, and a trusted source of financial insight for the Director.
Key responsibilities
- Oversee an assigned portfolio of accounts, entities or business units, keeping clear control of reporting and filing deadlines.
- Plan and coordinate month-end and year-end accounting cycles.
- Prepare and review management accounts, including profit and loss statements, balance sheets, cash-flow information and supporting commentary.
- Prepare or review annual financial statements in line with applicable UK accounting standards.
- Review general ledger entries, journals, accruals, prepayments, fixed assets and intercompany balances, alongside bank and balance-sheet reconciliations and control accounts.
- Investigate discrepancies and ensure accounting issues are resolved accurately and promptly.
- Maintain complete accounting records, supporting evidence and clear audit trails.
- Prepare financial records, schedules and supporting documentation for external accountants or registered auditors, and coordinate responses to audit queries.
- Carry out internal reviews of financial processes, records and control procedures, raising any material concerns with the Director.
- Recommend and implement improvements to financial controls, reporting processes and internal procedures, and monitor actions arising from audit findings.
- Prepare budgets, cash-flow forecasts and projections, reviewing actual performance against budget and explaining material variances.
- Provide the Director with concise, commercially useful analysis to support budgeting, expenditure and financial planning decisions.
- Review work completed by accountants, bookkeepers, finance assistants or external providers, allocating workloads and maintaining quality standards.
- Support the confidentiality and secure handling of all financial, employee and client information.
Essential qualifications and experience
- Full ACA or ACCA qualification with current professional membership. Applicants with another relevant chartered accountancy qualification and strong UK accounting experience may also be considered, as may CIMA-qualified applicants whose experience includes substantial responsibility for financial reporting, accounts management, controls, budgeting and audit preparation.
- Substantial relevant experience in accounting, audit preparation, financial reporting or accounts portfolio management, typically including at least five years' experience with time spent at manager or senior supervisory level.
- Strong experience gained within a UK accounting environment, with practical knowledge of UK GAAP and relevant reporting standards.
- Experience preparing and reviewing management accounts and year-end financial information.
- Experience managing several entities, accounts, clients or reporting deadlines simultaneously.
- Experience reviewing reconciliations, journals, balance-sheet schedules and accounting records, and preparing supporting information for external audit.
- A track record of identifying weaknesses in financial processes or controls and implementing effective improvements.
- Experience presenting financial information to directors or senior decision-makers, and reviewing the work of junior finance staff, bookkeepers or external providers.
- Strong practical skills with accounting software and advanced Microsoft Excel.
Desirable experience
- Experience within an accountancy practice, consultancy, professional services company or multi-entity organisation.
- Experience managing a varied client or business portfolio.
- Experience supporting owner-managed businesses, SMEs or growing organisations.
- Exposure to corporation tax, VAT, PAYE and HMRC reporting processes.
- Experience improving, implementing or migrating accounting systems.
- Previous involvement in recruiting, coaching or developing finance staff, and working directly with a company Director, owner or board.
Technical skills and systems
You will bring practical knowledge of UK GAAP, including FRS 102 and FRS 105 where applicable, Companies Act accounting and filing requirements, month-end and year-end close procedures, management accounting and variance analysis, financial statement preparation, balance-sheet controls and reconciliations, budgeting, forecasting and cash-flow planning, audit preparation and evidence management, internal financial controls, and the secure handling of confidential financial information. Awareness of corporation tax, VAT, PAYE and HMRC requirements is valuable where these fall within the role.
Advanced Excel is essential, including confident use of formulas, pivot tables, data analysis, reconciliations, financial reporting schedules and cash-flow and budget models. Experience with one or more platforms such as Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, CaseWare, CCH, NetSuite, SAP or Microsoft Dynamics is desirable, but broad systems knowledge and the ability to learn new platforms matter more than experience with any one exact package.
We also value strong professional judgement and attention to detail, a good eye for inconsistencies or incomplete information, clear written and verbal communication, the ability to explain financial matters to non-finance colleagues, sound organisation under competing deadlines, discretion with confidential information, the confidence to challenge inaccurate information constructively, and a considered approach to escalating financial or compliance concerns.
Salary progression and bonus
The salary range is £55,000 to £70,000 per year. The successful candidate will normally begin at £55,000. Progression within the range will be reviewed as you take responsibility for a larger or more complex portfolio and demonstrate the required technical, leadership and performance standards; it is not automatic or guaranteed. In addition, an annual performance-related bonus of up to 10% of base salary is available, subject to individual performance, company performance and the terms of the company bonus scheme.
Working arrangements
This is a predominantly office-based role at our St Paul's Square office in Birmingham, and applicants must be able to commute reliably for the standard Monday-to-Friday pattern. Occasional home working may be considered after probation where operational requirements allow, deadlines are under control, confidential information can be handled securely and the Director has approved the arrangement. Additional hours may occasionally be needed during particularly busy year-end, reporting or audit periods; where these are authorised in advance, they will be managed through paid overtime or time off in lieu, depending on the circumstances and company policy.
Equal opportunities
HR365 is committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. Applications are welcomed from suitably qualified candidates from all backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments can be made throughout the recruitment process for applicants who require them.
How to apply
Please submit an up-to-date CV for consideration. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to an initial interview to discuss their professional qualification and membership, the size and complexity of the portfolios they have managed, their UK accounting experience, their experience preparing accounts and supporting audits, their experience reviewing the work of other finance staff, their notice period, and their ability to work predominantly from the Birmingham office.
Pay: £50,000.00-£70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Company events
- Company pension
- Financial planning services
- Free or subsidised travel
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
