Team Manager in Coventry

Location: Coventry, initially 5 days in the office

Reports to: Head of Operations

Direct Reports: Senior Client Adviser, Client Advisers, Accountants/Tax Consultants, Client Service Coordinator

About Us

We’re not your typical accountancy practice. Yes, we deliver expert accounting, tax, and advisory services, but growth is at the heart of everything we do, for our clients and our business. That’s where you come in. We operate from modern premises in Coventry and provide excellent working conditions for everyone that chooses to create their career with Oldfield.

The Role

This is not a senior accountant role with management responsibilities bolted on. The team is your product. Everything you do is in service of one outcome: a team that ships accurate work on time, profitably, and to the standard the firm expects. You are accountable for three things: hitting the team’s fee target, growing the people in it, and running the operational machine that delivers the work. You are a playing manager. About half your time (50-60%) is chargeable, mostly spent unblocking the team, coaching them on harder jobs, and stepping in on reviews when needed. You don’t need to be the strongest technical person in the room; you need to be the one who knows where every piece of work should go, can spot when something is stuck, and has the credibility to challenge a soft estimate. The other half is management proper: scorecards, 1:1s, second-stage interviews, performance handled cleanly, and process improvement built in.

What You'll Actually Do

• Hit the team fee target.
• Forecast weekly to month‑end.
• Flag risks early with a plan, not just the problem.
• The team’s numbers are your numbers, no surprises.
• Manage by exception.
• Every job has budget hours in the system before work starts.
• Weekly red, amber, green review. You act on amber, not just red.
• Hold the standard. The Oldfield Way sets out our communication and quality standards. Your job is to uphold them in the team’s work, in client interactions, and in how you conduct yourself.
• Run monthly 1:1s. Not a chat. A meeting that drives outcomes, with documented actions.
• Six‑monthly development reviews on time, every team member on a defined career pathway.
• Address underperformance early.
• Probation reviews on time.
• Performance concerns acted on within two weeks.
• The senior leadership team should never have to ask if something is being looked at; you’re already on it.
• Own how client issues get resolved. Wherever they start, they end with you.

Who This Role Is For

You’re a senior in practice and you’ve been leading without the title. You’re technically competent, but what you actually enjoy is the teamwork. Mentoring colleagues, unblocking jobs that are stuck, being the person others come to. You set the tone without anyone asking you to. You pick up the things that fall between the cracks. You’re already doing the job; you just don’t have the badge that goes with it. You want a role where leading the team IS the job, not the unpaid extra on top of your billable hours. You’re a manager or senior accountant and your people skills are underused. Most accountants don’t get involved in HR, performance management, or coaching, even when they’re the obvious choice for it. You’ve been the one who sees what’s going on with the team, who has the difficult conversation, who notices when someone is pulling their weight or quietly drifting. But your firm has structured the role so that’s not officially your job. You want a firm where the people side of practice IS the role, with proper authority and accountability.

What Sets You Apart

• You have the difficult conversation early.
• You know your team as people, not just roles.
• You bring a recommendation, not a problem.
• You carry yourself well in front of clients.
• Technical credibility without being the strongest technical person.

Useful Experience

• Two-plus years in practice, reviewer level or above.
• Solid grounding in corporation tax, personal tax, accounts production, and business software systems.
• Some experience leading or coordinating people in any context, even informally.
• If you’ve never managed anyone but you’ve been the de‑facto leader of a team or project, that counts.
• ACA/ACCA welcome but not essential.
• Operational and people judgement matters more than letters after your name.

What We Offer

• A team to lead with a clear remit.
• You own delivery; the SCA owns the relationship; the compliance team handles technical production.
• You’ll have direct input into how the team works and what gets built.
• A defined operating rhythm.
• A real playing‑manager role.

Company Benefits

• Company car or car allowance option (after qualifying period in the role)
• Profit share scheme (after qualifying period in the role)
• Medical insurance (after qualifying period in the role)
• Free quality lunch 4 days a week
• 30 days holiday (including bank holidays)
• Reward lunches
• Opportunities for professional growth and development
• A supportive and collaborative work environment