Finance Manager

Cannock | £38,000–£40,000 | Monday–Friday

Hours: Mon–Thurs 8:30am–5:00pm | Friday 8:30am–4:00pm
Reports to: Managing Director

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Accounts Manager – Finance & Payroll to take ownership of the day-to-day finance function within a growing SME.

This is a hands-on, standalone role reporting directly to the Managing Director. You will oversee the full finance cycle, including accounts payable and receivable, cashflow, month-end and year-end accounts, payroll, VAT and statutory compliance.

The role would suit an experienced finance professional who is comfortable working independently, enjoys taking ownership and can identify opportunities to improve processes and systems.

Key Responsibilities

You will manage the full AP and AR functions, including purchase and sales invoices, supplier payments, credit control, cash allocation, reconciliations and customer/supplier queries. You will also monitor cashflow, process expenses and company card reconciliations and support short-term cash planning.

You will take responsibility for the month-end close, including journals, accruals, prepayments and balance sheet reconciliations, as well as preparing monthly management accounts and reporting for the Managing Director. You will coordinate year-end accounts and work closely with external accountants and auditors.

A key part of the role will be end-to-end payroll, covering starters, leavers, salary changes, deductions, pensions and payroll queries. You will ensure payroll records remain accurate and that HMRC and statutory requirements are met.

You will also be responsible for VAT returns, PAYE and pension reporting, maintaining appropriate financial controls and supporting other statutory compliance requirements.

The role will involve producing regular financial information, including P&L, balance sheet, aged debtors and creditors, cashflow and KPI reporting. You will also be expected to identify and implement improvements to finance processes and systems.

About You

You will ideally have previous experience as an Accounts Manager, Finance Manager or similar, preferably within an SME environment.

You should have strong practical experience across AP, AR, reconciliations, journals and month-end/year-end accounts, together with proven end-to-end payroll experience.

Strong Excel skills are essential, including experience with pivot tables, lookups and reconciliations. Experience working with external accountants and auditors is also required.

We are looking for someone who is highly organised, commercially aware and confident managing their own workload. Discretion is particularly important given the confidential nature of the financial and payroll information involved.

AAT qualification or equivalent would be advantageous, as would ACCA/CIMA studies or qualification. Experience with VAT, multi-currency, import/export, stock accounting or systems such as Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, SAP Business One or Dynamics would also be beneficial.

What We Offer

• £38,000–£40,000 per annum, depending on experience
• 23 days' holiday, increasing with service
• 6% employer pension contribution
• Life insurance – 4× salary
• Optional private healthcare, part-funded
• Hybrid working considered after an initial period

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance professional to take genuine ownership of a broad finance and payroll function and play an important role within a growing business.

To apply, please submit your CV for consideration.