Finance Manager

We're looking for a Finance Manager to run our finance function. It's a permanent part-time role with a minimum of three days a week. If you're looking for more than three, say so - we're open to it. Hours are flexible and the role is hybrid. We care that the reporting lands on time, not that you're at a desk between nine and five. Tell us the pattern that works for you and we'll build round it.

The job covers month-end close and management accounts, cashflow, budgeting and forecasting, payroll, VAT and statutory compliance, purchase and sales ledger, contracts and pricing, and the reporting the leadership team uses to make decisions.

Agency finance works differently to most. Revenue comes off live projects, margins move week to week, and media spend needs watching. The reporting cycle is short and the numbers change quickly. You won't be doing all of it alone. A Finance and Operations Executive reports to you and handles a good share of the day-to-day processing.

You'll report to our Client and Operations Director, with a dotted line to the CEO. Our Finance and Operations Executive reports to you. The day-to-day line keeps you close to client delivery and operations, which is where most of our margin is decided. The line to the CEO covers budget, forecasting and planning, and you'll work with him directly on it. You'll be in the conversations where decisions get made rather than producing numbers for someone else to take in.

Responsibilities

• Control and reporting: Month-end close and balance sheet reconciliations. Monthly management accounts with full P&L, variance analysis and written commentary. Weekly cash position, rolling cashflow forecast, and a weekly flash report for the leadership team.
• Planning and modelling: Annual budget build, quarterly reforecasts and in-year adjustments, worked through with the CEO. Financial models to support decisions on growth, investment and resourcing. Devolving departmental budgets to the heads who spend them. Tracking new business as it's won and reflecting it in the forecast.
• Commercial: Profitability by client, service line and channel. Rate card and pricing reviews. Contract and SOW review, procurement documentation, PO alignment and scope compliance. Credit checks on new accounts. Working with client leadership on delivery margins and with the delivery team on media spend liability.
• Cash and credit: Aged debt, chased and reported weekly. Supplier payments and the approvals process. The banking relationship.
• Compliance: VAT returns and HMRC submissions, PAYE, year-end statutory accounts and audit liaison with our accountants, corporation tax and R&D claim support, Companies House filings, share scheme returns and insurance renewals. Internal controls and financial risk.
• Ledger and billing: Purchase ledger, client invoicing and monthly billing runs, coding accuracy, staff expenses. Supplier, office and software contracts, including subscription spend.
• Payroll: Monthly preparation and submission, commission, pension, and the annual pay review cycle. Working with HR on benefits and workforce planning.
• Systems and automation: Reducing manual work across the function using automation and AI. You'll have real influence over the tools we use and how the function runs.
• People: Line management and development of our Finance and Operations Executive. Regular work with department heads, project management and the new business team.

Systems we use

Xero is our ledger, with Dext for purchase capture. Fathom for reporting. Synergist for job costing and project profitability. Brightpay for payroll. Excel throughout. We'd expect you to be confident in Xero. Synergist we don't expect, though experience of any job costing or agency management system will help in your first few months.

What we'll measure

• Management accounts delivered within five working days of month-end
• Three months of forward cash visibility maintained
• Aged debt actioned within five working days
• PO alignment and scope compliance across accounts
• Gross and net margin targets, set annually
• Forecast accuracy

What we're looking for

We're open on qualifications. AAT, ACA, ACCA, CIMA or qualified by experience are all fine. You’ll have run a finance function rather than worked within one, and you’ll be comfortable as the most senior finance person in the business. You need to be able to explain a number to people who don't work in finance and get them to act on it. Commercial experience matters. Contracts, terms and pricing, not just reporting on them. You’ll need to want to use AI and automation in your own work. We’re not asking for a technical background, and we’ll give you the tools and the time to learn. What we’re after is someone who looks at a manual process and asks whether it still needs doing that way, and then goes and changes it. This function has plenty of scope for that and it’s a real part of the job. Experience in an agency, consultancy or other project-based business is useful, as is a high-growth environment. Neither is essential.

What we offer

• £35,000-£42,000 pro rata
• 24 days holiday (with the option to purchase up to 5 more)
• Auto-enrollment (5% employee contribution, 3% employer)
• Fully flexible hybrid working, with an office base in Lichfield
• Part-time, minimum three days a week
• Flexible hours
• Private health cover following completion of probation period
• Employee of the Quarter benefit

We hire on merit, full stop. We welcome applications from everyone, whatever your background, identity or circumstances.