We’re working with a long-established SME manufacturing business based in North Manchester that supplies some of the world’s best-known brands and trades internationally. The business has experienced consistent growth (currently group TO circa £20m) and is now entering an important period of investment and improvement, with a recently appointed Finance Director focused on strengthening financial controls, improving reporting, developing product costing and introducing a new ERP system.
It’s a hands-on business with an SME feel, where finance sits close to sales, manufacturing and operations. This Finance Business Partner Job has been created to work alongside them and help build that finance function from the ground up that serves the business rather than just reporting the numbers.
The Finance Business Partner Job
This Finance Business Partner job will work closely with the Finance Director, taking ownership of management accounts, financial reporting, manufacturing costing and commercial analysis. The finance function is going through a period of change, with significant scope to improve existing processes, strengthen financial controls and introduce more meaningful reporting across the business.
Initially, the focus will be on bringing greater accuracy, structure and consistency to the management accounts, balance sheet and manufacturing cost information, whilst supporting the Finance Director in improving the wider finance function. That means producing the management accounts, preparing and reviewing the P&L and balance sheet, and completing detailed balance sheet reconciliations.
As the business wants to move towards a more data-driven understanding of manufacturing costs, product margins and commercial performance, providing greater confidence around pricing and business decisions you will also develop more accurate product costing and profitability analysis.
Alongside the Finance Director, you’ll introduce budgets, forecasts and more structured financial planning, then report performance against them and explain the variances.
As these foundations become established, the position will become increasingly commercially focused, working closely with sales and operations to understand performance, identify opportunities and provide the financial insight needed to support business decisions.
The Requirements
- You must have a genuine interest, and experience, in manufacturing: how products are made, what drives their costs and how that translates into profitability as you’ll develop and maintain accurate bills of materials (BOMs), analyse actual manufacturing costs against standard and investigate the variances, and review stock valuation and inventory movements.
- You must be proactive, organised and willing to take ownership, comfortable in an environment where processes are being improved, with the ambition to help shape the finance function alongside the Finance Director.
- You must be a qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA or ACA) with extensive, hands-on experience preparing management accounts and a thorough understanding of the P&L and balance sheet, including reconciliations, financial controls and month-end reporting.
- It is important that you are a confident, hands-on accountant who understands management accounts inside out and can quickly recognise when something doesn’t look right. You should be comfortable getting into the detail and fixing the process behind a problem rather than simply producing the report.
- You must be naturally inquisitive and commercially aware, able to look beyond the numbers and build strong relationships with sales, manufacturing and operations, hence becoming the person they come to for financial information and support.
- Finally, previous supervisory or team management experience would be an advantage, though it isn’t essential.
The Rewards
This is a new role to the business, hence salary for this Finance Business Partner job is negotiable depending on experience. However ideally looking between £50,000 and £65,000 + bonus. The package includes 31 days’ holiday and a statutory pension. There is genuine progression here - working closely with the Finance Director, there is a real opportunity to develop into a more senior finance leadership position as part of the business’s longer-term succession planning.
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Finance Business Partner in Rochdale employer: Hawthorn One
Hawthorn One is an excellent employer that fosters a dynamic and supportive work culture, perfect for growth-minded individuals. With a strong emphasis on employee development, including study support for CIMA/ACCA qualifications, and a collaborative environment, you will have the opportunity to thrive in your career while contributing to innovative engineering and manufacturing solutions in East Lancashire.
