"I was very impressed by the efficient manner in which Visionfr approached our brief. Upon providing clear direction on our requirements, the VisionFR team was able to consult with us to refine that brief before vetting and then delivering to us a great caliber of candidates at lightning speed from which to interview. I found the process seamless and swift."

David Shiell MD/Founder
Web Liquid Group

New Opportunitiespoint

Finance Manager – Salary up to £70,000 DoE – VFR3241

ruyRole: Finance Manager

Sector: Market Research

Location: Central London

Contract: Full Time/Hybrid

Salary: £62,000 – £70,000

Reporting to: p/t Finance Director

Ref: VFR 3241

VisionFR is delighted to be working with a fab Market Research agency, growing with international reach and with a focus on the pharmaceutical sector, to help find a Finance Manager. This is an excellent opportunity for a Finance Manager to be responsible for the company’s financial operations and financial planning and analysis, balance sheet reconciliations. This is a newly created role bringing the finance function in-house from its outsourced accountancy practice. You will be supported by an office manager/finance assistant and work with a great fractional CFO.

Key Responsibilities of the Finance Manager

  • Own the financial operations governance and delivery to enable timely and accurate reporting
  • Financial Operations: Own the accounting operations to include all aspects of accounts receivable and accounts payable including expenses and corporate credit cards, with transactional support
  • Financial Reporting and Analysis: Preparation of accurate and timely monthly management accounts (profit & loss, balance sheet, cashflow), including month-end close process, reconciliations and variance analysis
  • Project Finance Oversight: Ensure accurate project set-up in the project management system, lead monthly project reviews, and provide profitability and overrun analysis to support stakeholders
  • Budgeting and Forecasting: Support the preparation of revenue and overhead forecasts and annual budgets, and track performance against these, providing ongoing analysis and insights
  • Compliance and Audit: Support financial controls, and lead/assist with annual statutory audits where required, and VAT compliance
  • Business Partnering: Act as a bridge between finance and senior leadership/stakeholders, providing financial advice, interpreting information for budget holders, and contributing to business decision-making
  • Make improvements to procedures and controls as well as ad-hoc projects and requests

The Key Competencies of the Finance Manager

  • Core Technical and Operational. Oversees the finance function, including payroll, invoicing, AP/AR, and preparing management accounts. Manage and monitor budgets and have day to day responsibility for cashflow.
  • Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management. Ensures the business complies with all relevant laws and financial regulations
  • Strategic & Analytical. Beyond reporting, the finance manager must analyse finance data, spot trends and develop solutions to challenges. They have a strong focus on identifying cost-reduction opportunities and improving profitability and serve as a key advisor to senior leadership and other stakeholders
  • Interpersonal and Leadership. The ability to communicate complex financial information clearly to non-finance stakeholders. The business operates in a dynamic environment, requiring the finance manager to be flexible, self-motivated, and capable of adapting to new situations.
  • Planning and Organisation. Is aware of key objectives and requirements. Able to organise their time effectively in order to meet all deadlines. Is able to prioritise effectively and is still able to perform to a high standard when under pressure.
  • Continuous Improvement. Learns quickly when facing new situations; is a relentless and versatile learner. Is open to change; analyses both successes and failures for clues to improvement. Committed to personal and professional development within themselves and others. Has high expectations of themselves, setting the highest performance standards and establishing credibility through expertise.

Qualifications and Skills of the Finance Manager

  • Prior experience of working within an agency environment is essential
  • 5+ years of relevant accounting or finance experience
  • CIMA/ACCA qualified or equivalent or part-qualified with continuation of studies
  • Experience in revenue recognition
  • Experience of systems implementation is essential
  • Must have exposure to the intricacies of agencies servicing work out of multiple offices/regions
  • Advanced proficiency in Excel (VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, data manipulation)
  • Prior experience of Xero a plus. CRM/Project Management systems currently being evaluated
  • Excellent time management. The ability to prioritise workload is vital for dealing with multiple requests from numerous sources.
  • A positive approach to teamwork. It is important to work collaboratively with both internal and external contacts to resolve issues as they arise
  • Attention to detail is paramount
  • Highly organised and efficient. Extremely methodical
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills

VisionFR is committed to encouraging equality, diversity, inclusion and eliminating unlawful discrimination within our workforce and whilst fulfilling our Client recruitment needs.

Due to the high level of applications being received if you do not hear from us within 5 working days, please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion, usually due to other candidates having more relevant sector exposure, qualifications or required skills. We thank you for your interest.

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