Finance Manager

Annual Salary: Up to £65,000Location: Chelmsford, Essex (hybrid)Job Type: Full-time

Reed Finance have partnered with a leading distribution business, who are seeking a driven, dedicated, and methodical Finance Manager to join their finance team at our offices on the outskirts of Chelmsford. Experience within a fast-moving distribution business and/or prior use of NetSuite is essential for this role.

This key role will report directly to the Managing Director and will have a direct line of communication to the Board. As a Finance Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day finance operations within our busy distribution company, ensuring the timely completion of all finance tasks and adherence to statutory requirements.

Day-to-day of the role:

• Oversee the preparation of monthly management accounts and KPIs, including variation analysis and commentary.
• Ensure all Balance Sheet reconciliations and controls are completed on time each month.
• Assist in the identification, investigation, and resolution of stock discrepancies as part of the monthly stock take, along with review of the aged stock report.
• Manage accurate capitalisation and recording of fixed assets.
• Oversee cash flow management, including weekly forecasting, variance analysis, and commentary.
• Oversee credit control, authorise credit applications, and maintain the general sales ledger.
• Manage weekly/monthly multi-currency payment runs and general purchase ledger maintenance.
• Conduct daily reviews of bank and cash, including invoice finance management.
• Assist in the preparation of the monthly payroll and ensure monthly VAT returns are completed accurately and submitted on time.
• Manage the finance team day-to-day, ensuring all relevant deadlines and objectives are consistently met, and queries or issues are resolved promptly.
• Work closely with the management team to drive continuous improvement in the department, identifying and implementing improvements across processes, controls, and reporting to ensure efficient working practices.
• Support the Managing Director with budget preparation and forecasts.
• Liaise with external stakeholders, including accountants, banks, and HMRC.
• Undertake project or ad-hoc work as requested by the Managing Director.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Fully qualified accountant (CIMA/ACCA/ACA). Qualified by experience will also be considered.
• Experience working within a fast-moving distribution environment and/or strong working knowledge of NetSuite is required.
• Excellent financial analysis, reporting, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong finance & accounting technical skills.
• Highly IT literate, proficient in Excel (including Pivot Tables & VLOOKUPs) and PowerPoint.

Personal Qualities:

• Team player with strong management skills.
• Resilient and flexible work approach.
• Solutions-focused with a “can-do” attitude.
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with external stakeholders.
• Proactive, uses initiative.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Attention to detail.

If you are interested in finding out more about this Finance Manager position, please apply now.