Management Accountant in Carlisle

Our Client is a fast-growing, entrepreneurial group entering its next phase of expansion. This entity plays a crucial role within the wider group, requiring accurate management reporting, strong financial governance, and effective business partnering. This is a hands-on role for an experienced Management Accountant who enjoys ownership, precision, and improving controls and processes. You will play a key part in delivering robust financial information and supporting commercial decision-making across the division.

Role Purpose

As Management Accountant, you will deliver the day-to-day financial reporting, controls, and compliance requirements for the entity. Working closely with the Divisional Finance Business Partner, Divisional Managing Director, and the Group Financial Controller, you will ensure accurate month-end processes, strong balance sheet integrity, and insightful reporting to support operational and strategic decision-making. This role is central to maintaining financial discipline, ensuring HMRC and statutory compliance, and developing high-quality financial processes as the group continues to scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Reporting & Month-End: Deliver full month-end and year-end close, including journals, accruals, prepayments, fixed assets, and revenue recognition. Prepare management accounts, P&L and balance sheet reports, KPI dashboards, and insightful variance analysis. Ensure all balance sheet reconciliations are completed monthly, accurate, and fully supported. Produce timely weekly and monthly reporting to group deadlines, maintaining alignment with group accounting policies. Support quarterly reforecasts and contribute to the annual budgeting process.
• Controls, Governance & HMRC Compliance: Maintain strong internal controls across all financial processes, proactively identifying risks or weaknesses. Ensure full compliance with HMRC requirements including VAT returns, CIS (if applicable), corporation tax schedules, and support for other tax queries. Prepare, reconcile, and submit VAT returns, ensuring accurate treatment of inputs and outputs. Assist with statutory audit, preparing audit files, schedules, and maintaining clear audit trails. Maintain documentation on accounting policies, processes, and internal control frameworks.
• Cashflow, Treasury & Working Capital: Support the preparation and maintaining of rolling cashflow forecasts, identifying risks and opportunities. Complete daily, weekly, and monthly bank reconciliations for all bank accounts, resolving discrepancies promptly. Monitor and optimise working capital performance, producing aged debtor and creditor analysis and liaising with operational teams. Support treasury activities including bank mandates, online banking administration, and group reporting requirements.
• Operational & Business Partnering Support: Work closely with the Divisional Finance Business Partner to provide high-quality data, analysis, and insight. Support operational managers with cost tracking, variance investigation, and business performance analysis. Produce divisional, departmental, or project-level reporting as required. Assist with commercial analysis, scenario modelling, and decision-support activities.
• Systems, Processes & Continuous Improvement: Support finance system improvements, data integrity initiatives, and new system implementations. Drive continuous improvement in workflows, automation, and reporting quality. Ensure correct use of coding structures, approval workflows, and financial policies across the entity.
• Transactional Finance Oversight: Work closely with the accounts processing teams, ensuring accuracy in AP/AR processing, bank postings, and reconciliations. Review supplier payments for accuracy and compliance with internal controls. Monitor credit control activities and debtor collection where relevant.
• General & Ad Hoc: Assist in the preparation of information for tax advisors for corporation tax, R&D claims, and statutory submissions. Assist with insurance data collection, grant reporting, and compliance submissions as needed. Act as a reliable point of contact for finance queries within the entity. Other ad hoc duties, as required.

Key Skills, Experience & Behaviours

• Qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) with strong management accounting and controls experience.
• Track record in month-end reporting, balance sheet management, and financial analysis within an SME or group structure.
• Hands-on, detail-focused individual comfortable owning core management accounting processes.
• Strong communicator able to build effective relationships across finance and operations.
• Process-driven mindset with a focus on continuous improvement and accuracy.
• Experience supporting or mentoring more junior team members is desirable.

Salary & Benefits

Salary region £45,000 - £50,000. Pension: 4% employer contribution. Annual Leave: 24 days + bank holidays. 39 Hours per week (Monday - Friday).