Finance Manager - Retail | Central London | Hybrid | Competitive Base + 27% Bonus + Private Healthcare (for you & partner) + Life Insurance
Immediate start available or latest January 2026
A fast-growing retail and consumer goods business is looking for a hands-on, commercially minded Finance Manager to support a period of significant business transformation across its UK & EU operations. This is not a BAU role, it's ideal for someone who thrives in change, enjoys building and improving processes, and wants genuine ownership in a business undergoing major restructuring and growth.
You will partner closely with the VP of EU and senior leadership, acting as the financial heartbeat of the organisation. The environment is busy, lean, and highly manual in parts, so you must be comfortable working in the detail, spreadsheets, Excel modelling, and a simple version of NetSuite form a big part of the day-to-day.
Why this role?
- High visibility with senior leadership
- Major transformation programme - real input, influence and ownership
- Ideal for someone with strong retail experience (essential)
- Hybrid working (3 office / 2 WFH), Central London
- Excellent package: 27% bonus + private healthcare (you & partner) + life insurance
What we're looking for
You must have retail sector experience, specifically:
✔ Inventory accounting
✔ Cost of goods
✔ Stock, margin and SKU-level understanding
✔ Experience in operational retail or consumer products environments
✔ Experience in a restructuring environment
You'll be a qualified accountant (ACA / ACCA / CIMA, 3+ years PQE) who can confidently partner with commercial and operations teams, while still being very hands-on with month-end, reconciliations, and process improvement.
This role suits someone who:
- Is not looking for a steady-state BAU role
- Enjoys fixing, building, implementing and improving
- Likes working close to the numbers and close to the business
- Is comfortable with limited systems and manual processes
- Wants exposure to senior leadership, strategy and decision-making
Key Responsibilities
- Own monthly management accounts, reporting and balance sheet control
- Lead the month-end close process, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
- Review performance, margins and KPIs; drive corrective action with the VP of EU
- Manage statutory compliance with external accountants
- Prepare annual budgets and support strategic planning
- Daily cashflow management and forecasting
- Oversee foreign currency purchasing and supplier payments
- Ownership of general ledger, sales and purchase ledgers
- Support and develop the finance team (management accountant + assistant functions)
- Oversee payroll, PAYE/NIC, pensions and multi-country VAT (UK/FR/DE)
- Maintain internal controls, governance and risk management frameworks
- Act as systems lead for NetSuite, approvals and user controls
- Partner with all heads of department to provide financial insight and commentary
Skills & Experience
- Fully qualified (ACCA / CIMA / ACA)
- Retail sector experience essential
- Strong understanding of inventory, cost of goods and stock reporting
- Confident with spreadsheets and manual processes
- IFRS/GAAP knowledge
- Strong communicator capable of challenging and influencing senior stakeholders
- Able to balance detailed hands-on work with commercial decision support
- Korean language skills welcome, but not essential
