Finance Manager in Manchester

We’re hiring a Finance Manager to drive operational and commercial excellence in a high-growth marketing agency. Reporting into the Finance Controller, you’ll own month-end, budgeting, forecasting, and day-to-day finance leadership, while coaching and developing our Assistant Management Accountant. This role is about ownership, leadership, and shaping how finance adds value across the agency — from improving processes and automation, to providing actionable insight that influences commercial and operational decisions. You’ll partner with Client Services, Operations, and the Senior Management Team, providing clarity on performance, profitability, and efficiency. This is a role for someone who enjoys combining detail with commercial context, making an impact, and helping a finance function evolve in a fast-moving, collaborative environment.

Core Purpose

• Lead and own a robust, predictable month-end close
• Deliver budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow insight to support growth
• Oversee revenue recognition by aligning project delivery with contractual and accounting requirements
• Coach and mentor the Assistant Management Accountant, building skills, confidence, and accountability
• Improve financial processes, controls, and operational efficiency
• Act as a trusted finance partner to non-finance teams
• Support finance system rollouts, migrations, and automation
• Enable scalable, data-driven reporting across the business

Key Objectives

• Complete month-end close within 5 business days of month-end
• Ensure client revenue is accurately reported in line with contracts and UK GAAP/IFRS, safeguarding financial integrity and enabling informed commercial decisions
• Deliver quarterly budgets on time with commentary aligned to departmental plans
• Monitor client revenue concentrations, supporting FC to ensure no client >10% of total revenue
• Own cashflow forecasting and debtor management (≥3 months runway, ≤60 debtor days)
• Implement 1–2 targeted coaching or process improvements for the Assistant Management Accountant per quarter
• Lead rollout and adoption of expense management and automation systems (≥80% adoption within 6 months)

Responsibilities

• Lead the month-end close, reviewing management accounts, accruals, and reconciliations
• Produce clear variance analysis and performance commentary
• Ensure balance sheet integrity and high accounting standards
• Support the Finance Controller with inputs into Board-level reporting
• Assist with setting budgeting and re-forecasting cycles across the agency
• Monitor profitability & revenue by client, team, and service line

Revenue Recognition & Project Accounting

• Manage revenue recognition, ensuring revenue is recognised in line with accounting standards
• Identify and upscale revenue risks or project delays to safeguard profitability
• Analyse project and retainer financial performance to support forecasting, margin optimisation, and decision-making
• Collaborate with Client Services and Operations to align project delivery, billing, and revenue recognition
• Coach, mentor, and develop the Assistant Management Accountant
• Set clear expectations, standards, and priorities
• Delegate effectively, empowering autonomy while maintaining accountability
• Foster a culture of accuracy, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Act as a finance partner to non-finance stakeholders
• Communicate financial concepts clearly to all levels
• Balance commercial ambition with financial discipline
• Support the rollout and optimisation of expense management platform Payhawk
• Play a key role in system migrations and payment automations
• Help embed and optimise systems including Xero, Mavenlink, Payhawk, BrightHR
• Identify inefficiencies and design scalable, future-proof finance processes

Maintain strong financial controls aligned to UK GAAP / IFRS. Ensure compliance with internal policies and external requirements. Support audits and statutory processes as required.

What Success Looks Like in Your First 6–12 Months

• A smooth, predictable, and trusted month-end process
• Revenue is accurately recognised, monitored, and reported, with risks identified and mitigated.
• Improved visibility of client and delivery profitability
• Well-embedded finance systems with reduced manual work and full adoption across Rise
• A confident, supported Assistant Management Accountant thriving under your guidance

You’ll Excel Here If You…

• Have at least 3 years’ experience in a similar Finance Manager or senior finance role, desirable if you come from Paid Agency background
• Hold AAT (essential); CIMA part-qualified or newly qualified desirable
• Have experience leading or supporting process improvement, automation, or system migrations
• Are confident using Xero and advanced Excel / Google Sheets
• Have strong knowledge of UK GAAP / IFRS and accounting best practice
• Bring a positive, proactive mindset and a desire to improve how things work
• Have excellent attention to detail and time management skills
• Are analytical, curious, and solution-focused - comfortable solving complex problems
• Are a confident communicator with finance and non-finance stakeholders
• Can work independently while thriving in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment
• Can bridge creative and commercial worlds, understanding both delivery detail and business strategy
• Have experience (or interest) in improving processes for agile, retainer-based teams

You’ll be joining a scaling SME marketing agency where finance is seen as a strategic partner, not a back-office function. You’ll have real ownership, exposure to senior leadership, and the chance to grow with the business, supported by an experienced Finance Controller and a collaborative leadership team. If you’re looking for a role where you can lead, influence, and build, rather than just maintain, we’d love to hear from you.

What we can offer you

• A salary of up to £45k depending on experience
• 30 days holiday + Bank Holidays, loyalty days accrued annually (capped at +5 days)
• Christmas and New Year shut down
• Access to Private Medical Insurance
• Health cash back plan
• Company pension scheme
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave schemes
• Flexible and hybrid working
• Bucket list scheme - an opportunity to experience a life dream!

At Rise At Seven we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of their race, religious beliefs, age, sex, sexual orientation or disability.