Business Services & Outsourcing Manager

The role

The Business Services and Outsourcing (BS&O) team are essential to meeting our clients\’ evolving requirements. As well as delivering long-term, sustainable value to businesses by providing a range of solutions such as accounting, payroll, VAT and compliance services, they also play a key role in tying together many of our services across Upstreamly both domestically and internationally. By building deep and meaningful relationships with a range of clients from ambitious entrepreneurial SMEs to multi‑national groups, our BS&O team don’t just advise on their specific business challenges, they open doors for other teams to provide our firm’s wider service offering. To succeed in this agile environment, you’ll need to demonstrate excellent problem‑solving skills and initiative.

An opportunity has become available for a Fully Qualified accountant to join our practice as a BS&O Manager with primary responsibility of managing the outsourcing team. This role may suit someone already in Practice looking to advance their career, or someone from industry with previous practice experience, looking to return to the profession.

Key responsibilities

• Manage and develop a small team primarily across outsourced client services including bookkeeping, budgeting, cash flow monitoring, management accounts, VAT returns, payroll and purchase and sales ledger management.
• Being the primary day‑to‑day contact for your allocated portfolio of clients regarding all data processing activities, taking responsibility for all duties up to and including the production of management information.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with a portfolio of clients, understanding their business and ensuring that all communications are conducted in a professional and timely manner and within budget.
• Data processing activities to be conducted by the team to include bank transactions, sales and purchase ledger items, expense claims and all other general ledger postings, journals etc.
• Active business partnering to ensure informed reporting of risks & opportunities, actuals and forecast variance analysis.
• Analytically reviewing results and analysing key performance indicators for your clients. This includes engaging with your clients’ business, understanding their needs, identify new opportunities, providing advice and guidance and contributing to their growth and profitability.
• Ensuring that all client accounting systems are kept up to date and accurate to the agreed timeframes.
• Reviewing VAT returns, having an understanding of what is allowable under the VAT rules and the basic principles of partial exemption and how this operates.
• Reviewing payrolls before they are sent to clients for approval and onward processing.
• Preparing audit files which could be provided to the clients’ auditors, with supporting schedules for all balance sheet items.
• Carrying out ad hoc assignments, often to include budgeting and assistance with cash flow forecasting and training clients in use of their accounting systems.
• Develop and document business processes and accounting policies to maintain and strengthen internal controls.
• Report to the management on a timely and accurate basis to enable them to present financial information to our clients.
• Ensure technical compliance with UK GAAP/FRS 102, HMRC requirements, and internal quality standards.
• Implement review checklists, close procedures and peer reviews; tighten reconciliations (banks, control accounts, payroll/VAT).
• Drive process and tooling improvements (e.g., Xero, Dext, Syft); automate where practical.
• Supporting digital transformation projects for clients, facilitating the execution and implementation.
• Build client KPI dashboards and 3‑way forecasts where relevant; standardise management information templates across the portfolio.
• Cross‑departmental communication (liaising with tax and accounts teams). This may include preparing basic statutory financial statements and tax returns for clients with little or no supervision, having an awareness of the disclosure requirements of the Companies Act and the key UK Corporation Tax legislation.

What you’ll bring

• Qualification: ACA/ACCA (or equivalent).
• Experience: 5+ years in UK practice; strong track record managing an outsourcing/managed finance portfolio covering bookkeeping, VAT and payroll; comfortable reviewing management accounts and leading client meetings.
• Tools: Advanced knowledge of the following tools or similar: Xero, Dext, BrightPay and Syft.
• Experience standardising management information packs, building simple KPI dashboards and/or 3‑way forecasts.
• Skills: Team leadership and coaching, workflow management, clear written/oral communication, stakeholder handling, commercial awareness (pricing/recoveries), continuous improvement mindset.

Why work at Upstreamly

• Competitive salary + performance bonus.
• Health & Wellbeing – 25 days’ holiday + bank holidays, private health insurance (with discounts and rewards).
• Hybrid Model – Balance office collaboration with the flexibility of working from home on certain days.
• Supportive Team – Flat hierarchy with approachable colleagues in a collaborative environment.
• Career Growth and Continued Professional Development.
• Learning Environment – Great opportunity to learn from the best and put knowledge into action.
• Client Exposure – A client‑facing role where you’ll take accountability and apply your learning in practice.
• Prime Location – Minutes from London Bridge, Borough Market, and Cannon Street with excellent transport links.
• Modern Workspace – Bright, contemporary office surrounded by other innovative businesses.
• Office Perks – Barista‑style coffee and healthy Surreal cereal on tap, regular socials and events (with free food!), secure bike storage, and on‑site showers.
• Casual dress code.

How to apply

Send your CV and a short covering note to recruitment@upstreamly.com with the subject “Manager – Outsourcing”.

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Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Business Development and Sales

Industries

Accounting