Finance Manager

Finance Manager
Stevenage, Hertfordshire
£55,000–£60,000 depending on experience
Permanent | Full time

Office-based, with the option to work from home one day per week once established

The Animal People Recruitment Company is excited to be partnering with an ambitious, entrepreneurial consumer-products business to appoint a commercially minded Finance Manager.

Based in Stevenage, our client develops, manufactures and distributes a growing portfolio of consumer and pet-care brands across the UK and international markets. With multiple trading and property entities, this is a varied and influential opportunity for someone who wants to become the number-one finance person within a successful owner-managed group.

You will work directly with the Managing Director, lead a small established finance team and take ownership of the group’s financial performance, reporting and controls.

This is much more than a traditional management accounts role. You will be close to the commercial decisions, helping the business understand profitability, manage cash, improve margins and plan confidently for continued growth.

The opportunity

As Finance Manager, you will:

• Lead the day-to-day finance function across multiple group entities
• Produce accurate monthly management accounts across P&L, balance sheet and cash flow
• Maintain a rolling 12-week cash-flow forecast
• Manage working capital, debtors, creditors, stock and loan balances
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis and scenario planning
• Provide clear commercial insight to the Managing Director
• Analyse profitability across products, customers, suppliers and sales channels
• Support pricing, promotions, investment and supplier negotiations
• Work closely with operations and supply chain to improve manufacturing and gross margins
• Strengthen financial controls, reporting tools, systems and processes
• Ensure compliance across VAT, PAYE, Corporation Tax and other statutory requirements
• Lead, support and develop the existing finance team
• Manage relationships with external accountants and professional advisers

About you

You could currently be working as a Finance Manager, Financial Controller, Senior Management Accountant or Finance Business Partner and be ready to take broader ownership.

You will ideally have:

• Strong management accounts, cash-flow and working-capital experience
• The ability to turn financial information into clear commercial recommendations
• Experience working directly with an MD, business owner or senior leadership team
• Experience leading or developing a small finance team
• A practical, hands-on approach and willingness to work within the detail
• Strong Excel and financial systems capability
• Confidence improving processes and constructively challenging existing ways of working
• A collaborative and approachable communication style

Experience within manufacturing, FMCG, consumer goods, pet care, cosmetics, wholesale, distribution, e-commerce, import/export or another stock-led environment would be particularly valuable.

An ACCA, CIMA or ACA qualification would be advantageous, but our client is equally open to part-qualified or qualified-by-experience candidates who can demonstrate the necessary breadth, commercial understanding and leadership capability.

Why consider this opportunity? This is a chance to become a genuinely influential part of an entrepreneurial business where your work will be visible and your ideas will be heard.

You will benefit from:

• Direct access to the Managing Director
• Genuine ownership of the finance function
• An existing team to lead and develop
• Exposure to multiple brands, entities and commercial projects
• The freedom to improve systems and introduce better ways of working
• The opportunity to shape the finance function as the business develops
• A salary of £55,000–£60,000 depending on experience
• The option to work from home one day per week once established

This is a highly collaborative role at the centre of the business. You must therefore be able to work from the Stevenage office for a minimum of four days each week. Candidates who would prefer to be in the office full time are equally welcome.

If you are looking for greater ownership, commercial influence and the opportunity to help shape the next stage of a growing business, we would love to hear from you.

Apply today or contact Katie Fletcher at The Animal People Recruitment Company for a confidential conversation.