Finance Manager

An established and growing manufacturing and installation business operating within a high-paced, project-driven environment is seeking a Finance Manager with a strong focus on costing and manufacturing finance.

The organisation operates within a jobbing-shop environment, producing custom-built solutions with unique cost structures, varying lead times, and installation components. This role is critical to ensuring accurate costing, margin protection, financial control, and ERP system integrity across the business.

This is a senior, hands-on position that combines advanced cost accounting expertise with full financial management responsibility, ensuring operational discipline and enabling sustainable, profitable growth.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Costing, Margins & Project Accounting

• Develop, maintain and enforce robust costing models for custom manufacturing and installation projects
• Set up and manage work orders, project codes and cost centres within the ERP system
• Perform detailed job costing, margin analysis and variance reporting
• Identify margin leakage, inefficiencies and cost overruns, implementing corrective action
• Support sales and operations with pricing, quoting and cost visibility

Manufacturing Accounting & Inventory Control

• Take full responsibility for raw materials, WIP and finished goods accounting
• Oversee stock valuation, movement controls and reconciliations
• Manage WIP reporting, stage-of-completion accuracy and job closure processes
• Coordinate and validate monthly and annual stock takes
• Investigate and resolve stock, WIP and production variances
• Ensure accurate BOMs, routings and cost standards are maintained

ERP System Ownership

• Act as finance system owner for the ERP platform
• Drive system optimisation, data integrity and process discipline
• Design and implement best-practice financial workflows within the system
• Train operational staff on correct system usage relating to costing, stock and projects
• Ensure accurate integration between operations, procurement, production and finance

Financial Management & Reporting

• Oversee day-to-day finance operations
• Prepare monthly management accounts with detailed operational commentary
• Post journals, accruals, provisions and adjustments
• Maintain the fixed asset register and depreciation schedules
• Produce cash flow forecasts, budgets and financial projections
• Analyse monthly expenses and operational performance trends
• Prepare trial balance, general ledger and supporting schedules

Governance, Controls & Compliance

• Develop, document and enforce financial policies and procedures
• Strengthen internal controls across purchasing, stock, production and invoicing
• Ensure VAT compliance and correct tax treatment of projects
• Support year-end audits and liaise with external auditors and accountants
• Ensure financial governance aligns with company growth and risk profile

Leadership & Business Partnering

• Lead and manage the finance department
• Act as a trusted financial advisor to directors, project managers and operational teams
• Translate financial data into commercially actionable insights
• Support operational teams with cost awareness and accountability
• Drive a culture of financial discipline while maintaining operational agility

Minimum Requirements:

Education and Experience:

• BCom Accounting or Cost & Management Accounting ideal
• CIMA (completed or in progress) strongly advantageous
• Minimum 10 years’ experience within a manufacturing environment
• Strong preference for jobbing-shop or project-based manufacturing exposure
• Proven experience managing full costing, WIP, stock control and margin analysis
• Demonstrated experience leading a finance function
• Strong hands-on ERP system experience (non-negotiable)

Knowledge and Skills:

Technical Competencies

• Advanced manufacturing and project costing expertise
• Strong understanding of WIP, absorption costing and variance analysis
• Excellent ERP and systems capability.  SAGE experience preferable
• Solid VAT and financial compliance knowledge
• Advanced Excel and financial modelling skills

Personal Attributes

• Highly analytical and detail-oriented
• Commercially minded with strong business acumen
• Confident decision-maker with operational credibility
• Structured, disciplined and process-driven
• Comfortable in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments
• Strong communicator across finance and operations

Salary:

Market-related and commensurate with experience.