Finance Manager

Bradford

Up to £78,000 + Bonus + Car Allowance + Excellent Benefits

Want a Finance Manager role where you're much closer to the commercial decisions that actually drive the business?

This is an opportunity to join a substantial international distribution business and take a key finance leadership role within its UK operation.

You'll take ownership of financial reporting, forecasting, budgeting and analysis, but the real opportunity is to go beyond producing the numbers.

You'll work closely with the wider business to understand what's driving revenue, margin, costs, inventory and cash flow, providing the insight and challenge that helps people make better commercial decisions.

You'll also lead and develop a small team, giving you the opportunity to combine hands-on financial management with people leadership and continuous improvement.

Why Apply?

• Salary up to £78,000
• Performance-related bonus
• Company car allowance
• Excellent wider benefits package
• Key finance role within an established international distribution business
• Genuine exposure to commercial decision-making
• Work closely with senior stakeholders across the business
• Broad responsibility across reporting, forecasting, budgeting and controls
• Opportunity to improve processes and develop the finance function
• International exposure within a larger group structure

The Opportunity

This is much broader than simply producing a monthly set of accounts.

As Finance Manager, you'll provide the financial understanding behind the performance of a busy distribution operation.

You'll analyse what's happening across the P&L and balance sheet, identify variances, understand customer profitability, monitor cash flow and provide the business with meaningful financial information.

That means working with people outside Finance.

You'll build relationships across commercial, operational and support functions, helping managers understand the financial impact of their decisions and giving them the information they need to improve performance.

What You'll Be Doing

You'll:

• Take ownership of the month-end timetable and reporting process
• Prepare monthly management reporting packs, including full P&L and variance analysis
• Produce and justify P&L and cash flow forecasts
• Manage balance sheet reconciliations and ensure balances are accurate and substantiated
• Develop meaningful KPIs to improve visibility of business performance
• Investigate variances and recommend corrective actions
• Prepare annual budgets and support the wider business planning process
• Analyse costs, profitability and commercial performance
• Review customer profitability before commercial agreements are approved
• Support new business proposals with financial analysis and recommendations
• Manage financial controls around customer rebates and commercial agreements
• Work closely with different departments to understand the factors influencing financial performance
• Oversee inventory revaluation and support stock-counting processes
• Support fixed asset audits
• Manage and support internal and external audit requirements
• Ensure appropriate financial controls and compliance are maintained
• Support VAT and Intrastat reporting requirements
• Contribute to continuous improvement across Finance and the wider business

Commercial Finance

One of the attractions of this position is the opportunity to understand how a distribution business makes money, rather than operating solely within the accounting function.

You'll get involved in customer profitability, rebates, inventory, pricing-related decisions, new business proposals and the financial implications of operational decisions.

You'll be expected to ask questions, challenge where appropriate and turn financial information into something the wider business can use.

If you enjoy understanding why the numbers have moved rather than simply reporting that they have, you'll enjoy this role.

What We're Looking For

You'll be ACCA or CIMA qualified, although someone part-qualified and progressing towards full qualification could also be considered.

You'll need strong financial accounting fundamentals, but equally important will be your ability to communicate with people outside Finance.

We're looking for someone who can combine attention to detail with a broader commercial perspective.

Ideally, you'll bring:

• ACCA, CIMA or equivalent accounting qualification
• Strong management accounting and financial reporting experience
• Experience within a distribution, wholesale, supply chain or similarly stock-led environment
• Good understanding of P&L, balance sheet and cash flow management
• Budgeting and forecasting experience
• Strong variance analysis skills
• Experience analysing customer and commercial profitability
• Understanding of inventory and stock accounting
• Strong Excel capability
• Experience working with ERP and financial reporting systems
• Good internal control and audit knowledge
• The confidence to work with senior stakeholders throughout a business

Experience with SAP, OneStream, SOX controls or working within an international group structure would be advantageous.

Leading the Team

You'll have a small team, so this is also an opportunity to develop your leadership experience.

The expectation isn't simply to check their work.

You'll provide direction, support their development and create an environment where the team understands both what needs to be done and why it matters to the wider business.

At the same time, you'll remain close enough to the detail to understand what's happening and step in when required.

Why Consider It?

This role offers an interesting combination.

You get the structure, resources and exposure that come from working within an international organisation, alongside the opportunity to have a very visible impact on the UK business.

You'll be involved in the numbers, but you'll also be involved in the decisions behind them.

For a commercially minded Finance Manager who understands distribution and wants greater influence across a business, this could be an excellent next move.

Apply today and Stewart Lupton at JSL Solutions, specialists in industrial and automotive aftermarket recruitment, will be in touch. Alternatively, please contact Stewart on 07763004067 for further information.

JSL Solutions – Recruitment...The Right Way.

Specialists in senior commercial and leadership recruitment for manufacturers and distributors across the automotive and industrial aftermarket.