Finance Manager in Manchester

Arborvitae Care Services is a leading provider of social care services for children and young people aged 8–17. We create safe, nurturing environments where young people can thrive - and behind every successful home is a strong, strategic finance function that keeps everything running smoothly. We are now looking for an ambitious and hands-on Finance Manager to play a pivotal role in driving financial performance, governance, and sustainability across our growing organisation.

Role Purpose

Providing leaders and managers with financial data and analysis, providing support in order to equip budget holders to make effective business decisions. Working proactively and strategically monitoring key financial risks and opportunities through financial data, modelling and reporting in relation to period end, forecasting and budgeting. Driving strong financial acumen across the business to achieve corporate objectives. The Finance Manager provides financial leadership for the children’s residential service, ensuring strong financial governance, accurate reporting, and regulatory compliance. This role supports safe, high-quality care by ensuring the service operates sustainably, meets statutory requirements, and allocates resources effectively to support children’s needs.

Role Specific Competencies and Responsibilities

• Oversee all end-to-end finance operations, including financial planning and analysis, and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Develop annual budgets for departmental and business entities and oversee ongoing financial forecasts.
• Monitor budget performance, identify variances and provide recommendations.
• Monitor cash positions, identify risks, and support management decision-making.
• Support and manage payroll, VAT submissions and all associated HMRC processes.
• Deliver timely and accurate month-end reporting packs with variance analysis and commentary.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies and accounting standards.
• Preparation of fee cards and costings across business entities.
• Experience of transfer pricing and associated business costings.
• Prepare and maintain rolling cash flow forecasts across all entities.
• Prepare and post journals, including accruals and prepayments.
• Prepare quarterly consolidations for group reporting.
• Implementation of high-quality financial processes, together with assisting in their improvement and further development through review, evaluation and challenge of practice and current expectations and by recommending and overseeing the implementation of change.
• Prepare financial reports for non-financial stakeholders acted as a trusted partner and advisor.
• Track business KPIs including placement revenue, staffing costs, agency spend, and home maintenance amongst others.
• Ensure timely reconciliation of payments, adjustments, and arrears.
• Support procurement processes (maintenance, supplies, specialist services) to achieve best value without compromising care quality.
• Maintain effective internal controls and prepare for external audits.
• Oversee financial risk assessments, including contingency planning and sustainability reviews.
• Maintain accurate financial records within the businesses finance system (Xero).
• Improve financial processes for residential-care operations (pocket-money processes, petty cash, allowances, household budgets).

Experience required

• Fully qualified accountant (QBE considered) (E)
• Strong background working in an SME environment, comfortable managing broad and hands-on responsibilities (E)
• Demonstrable experience producing management accounts, maintaining cash flow forecasts, and coordinating payroll (E)
• Experience managing and developing a small finance team, with willingness to dive into transactional tasks when required (E)
• Confident preparing multi-entity management information and reconciliations (E)
• Strong Excel capability and proficiency with finance systems (E)
• 2 years' experience as working at managerial level within a Finance department (E)
• Proven written and verbal communication skills, including with non-finance stakeholders (E)
• Understanding of the residential and social care sector (D)
• Costings and Tender applications (D)

Benefits

• Enhanced holiday scheme, increasing with service.
• Birthday Day Off.
• Life Assurance X3.
• Free Blue Light Card.
• Monday to Friday at Head Office (WA5 7TN), 9am-5pm.