Assistant Management Accountant (Maternity Cover) in Manchester

Classic Football Shirts started in 2006 when university friends Matt Dale and Doug Bierton set out to track down rare football shirts. From those early days in a bedroom full of rails, the company has grown into a thriving business with a talented team, a busy warehouse, and stores in Manchester, London, and the US. Our passion for football and the stories behind every shirt drives everything we do. At Classic Football Shirts, we work together, stay grounded, and always put our fans at the heart of the business. We share the passion, win together, stay fan-focused, be agile, and stay grounded—values that guide how we operate every day.

We welcome all suitably qualified applicants and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees. We have a great work ethic and a friendly group of diverse employees who enjoy working here to help carry out our mission.

The Role: Assistant Management Accountant – Maternity Cover (12-month fixed term)

We are seeking a talented Assistant Management Accountant to support the Financial Controller and wider team with a primary focus on internal reporting, including management accounts, cash flow reporting and analysis tasks.

Location: Hybrid 3 days a week in the office, Manchester City Centre, Dale Street & Home based

Hours: 39 hours per week Monday to Fridays, with an early finish on Fridays.

Month End Management Account Support: You will assist in the preparation and delivery of accurate monthly management accounts, supporting the FC in providing timely financial insight to the business.

• Assist in the preparation of monthly management accounts within agreed reporting deadlines to report information timely.
• Post and review month end journals including sales/CoGS, accruals, prepayments.
• Prepare supplementary month end reconciliation schedules, e.g. Group Bank Reconciliations, Sales Control Account Reconciliations, Intercompany Balances.
• Support the FC with the preparation of a WD8 review schedule and presentation to the Finance Director.
• Review cost centre allocations across sales and costs, allowing for automated cost centre P&L production.
• Partner with the Financial Controller and Transactions Manager on the continuous improvement of systems, processes and reporting templates, including those related to month end, banking, intercompany transactions, and VAT.
• Line management & mentoring of a Graduate Accountant working towards the CIMA qualification.

Cash Flow Reporting, Forecasting and Analysis: You will play an active role in the monitoring and reporting of cash flow management, providing insight on cash spend and deviations from budget.

• Lead weekly cash flow reporting – providing timely information to review historic cash spend and forecast forwards.
• Lead weekly calls within the Finance team to summarise in-month performance.
• Support the FC/FD on long term forecasting, sensitivity analysis and scenario planning.
• Business partnering with a range of departments to provide analysis on P&L spend and cash flow spend.
• Liaise with the Transactions function to support and review Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable functions.
• Prepare variance analysis, as well as ad-hoc analysis when required.
• Be adaptable to support the fast paced nature of working in a retail/e-commerce environment.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Support external audit preparation by providing schedules and documentation as required.
• Respond to ad hoc finance queries from the wider business, in particular a strong relationship with the Product Buying teams.

About You, Qualification and skills:

• ACA, ACCA, or CIMA part-qualified candidates are desirable.
• Experience in working with management accounts is essential.
• Familiarity with US or European accounting practices is advantageous but not required.
• You have strong numeracy and analytical skills, complemented by excellent technical expertise.
• Advanced Excel skills are a must, and you’re confident in working with large datasets and financial models.
• A detail-oriented team player, you thrive in a collaborative environment and are eager to contribute to both routine responsibilities and special projects.
• Experience operating in a fast paced/P.E backed business is desirable but not essential.
• A keen or developing interest in finance automation and AI based solutions.

What’s in it for you? If you have an interest in sustainable fashion and sportswear then this is a great opportunity to join our team at Classic Football Shirts who are the market leader in original and authentic football shirts.

Team Highlights: You’ll be joining a well-established and supportive finance team with a strong team culture. With long-standing members, including over 11 years of service within the team, this is a collaborative environment where knowledge and support are shared. This role also offers valuable exposure to senior leadership, with direct interaction with the FD and CEO. An opportunity to join during a World Cup period, contributing at a key time for the business.

Well being: Five-a-side football every week, Fruit delivery, other food on site for breakfast/lunch, Casual dress code, Regular Social events; Summer Party, Christmas Party, Occasional Football Events, Friendly and supportive team, Early finish on a Friday, EAP Employee Assistant Programme.

Application: Application method: please email CV and Cover Letter to recruitment@classicfootballshirts.co.uk. Please note: We are not engaging with recruitment agencies for this role, so we kindly ask that agencies do not contact us regarding this vacancy.