Finance Manager - 18 Month FTC - Newcastle (Hybrid)

Finance Manager - 18 Month Fixed Term Contract

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Hybrid (2 days on-site)

Salary: £50,000-£60,000

Type: 18 Month Fixed Term Contract, Full-Time

Role Summary

My client are seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Finance Manager to lead the financial reporting and statutory accounting function for a complex group of corporate entities. This is a pivotal role within the organisation, responsible for managing a team of finance professionals and ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely financial reporting in accordance with IFRS and UK regulations. The successful candidate will possess strong statutory audit experience, technical accounting expertise, and the ability to lead and improve financial operations across a multi-entity environment. This position offers a great opportunity to take ownership of both external reporting and internal financial controls while driving process improvements and supporting wider business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Demonstrate strong statutory audit experience , ensuring readiness for annual and quarterly audits and compliance with audit standards across multiple entities.
• Lead and develop the Corporate Accounting team to deliver high-quality, reliable financial reporting across ~40 corporate holding entities.
• Maintain accounting records in full compliance with IFRS and UK financial regulations.
• Collaborate with the Transactions team to ensure efficient handover and execution of transactional finance activities.
• Own the relationship with shared services (GBS), managing service delivery and resolving operational issues.
• Oversee month-end and financial control processes including management charges, intercompany recharges, capex, payroll, fixed assets, and journals.
• Ensure timely and accurate performance of mid-month bookkeeping and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Apply internal service level agreements and group policies effectively across finance operations.
• Deliver clear and accurate monthly management reporting with variance analysis and business partner insight.
• Conduct monthly balance sheet reviews and impairment testing, supporting business decisions such as distributions, restructuring, or investments.
• Reconcile key financial platforms including general ledger, management accounts, statutory accounts, and consolidation tools (e.g. SMART).
• Prepare management accounts under FRS 101 and ensure covenant and funding agreement reporting deadlines are consistently met.
• Produce quarterly management accounts to statutory standards and lead presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
• Prepare and review statutory accounts and supporting schedules for annual and half-year reporting cycles.
• Lead the external audit process for all relevant entities, including planning, issue resolution, and sign-off.
• Manage delivery of regulatory and industry-specific reporting (e.g., Office of National Statistics, IAS 19 pension disclosures).
• Coordinate pension reporting with actuaries, reviewing assumptions and reporting accuracy.
• Investigate complex accounting matters and provide clear guidance and resolution.
• Collaborate with the tax team to support tax return preparation, data submission, and HMRC enquiries.
• Lead preparation and submission of budgets and forecasts, working closely with department heads to ensure accuracy and control.
• Assess and advise on restructuring and capital transaction steps to ensure compliance and integrity.
• Conduct impairment reviews for all legal entities and ensure accurate reflection in the financial statements.
• Monitor and maintain records of realised vs unrealised profits to support dividend and reserve decisions.
• Oversee treasury operations, approve payments, maintain segregation of duties, and perform banking administrator duties.
• Ensure correct application of hedging policies and proactively monitor forecasts to manage FX exposure.
• Maintain key relationships with internal treasury and external stakeholders for cash, banking, and investment operations.
• Design and implement new processes to transition accounts payable, payroll, and VAT responsibilities into the accounting team’s remit.
• Support ERP transformation projects, overseeing financial master data and system integration post-migration.
• Serve as the central point of contact for internal and external finance stakeholders.
• Build and lead a high-performing, cross-trained team that is well-resourced, engaged, and able to operate under pressure.
• Share financial reporting knowledge and provide training across business units to ensure consistency and best practice.
• Ensure team resilience by cross-training to cover for leave and absenteeism.

Experience & Qualifications

• Proven experience leading a finance team in a complex, multi-entity environment.
• Strong track record in managing statutory audits and engaging with external auditors.
• Deep technical knowledge of IFRSs and UK accounting legislation.
• Experience working across full finance operations including tax, treasury, VAT, AR/AP, and compliance.
• Skilled in designing and applying internal control frameworks.
• Highly organised with strong planning, analytical, and administrative capabilities.
• Demonstrated leadership in stakeholder management, communication, and influencing at all levels.
• Comfortable leading through transformation and challenging the status quo to drive innovation.
• Strong commercial understanding of financial reporting, budgeting, and decision support.
• Systems & Technical Proficiency
• Strong knowledge of core finance processes (R2R, P2P, H2R, O2C).
• Proficiency with SAP ERP, BPC, and banking/payment systems (including BACS).
• Advanced Excel skills and working knowledge of data integration between financial systems.
• Qualifications
• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Minimum 3 years post-qualification experience in a senior financial leadership or reporting role.

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