Financial Accounting Manager (Maternity Cover)

Introduction into the position

We are looking for an experienced Group Management Accounting Manager to join our Group Finance team on a 14–16-month fixed-term contract, providing maternity cover.

Reporting to the Group Financial Controller, you will lead Group month-end reporting, balance sheet governance and financial control across a complex, multi-entity, PE-backed environment. You will play a key role in the external audit process, improving reconciliations and reporting processes, and supporting the Group’s legal entity rationalisation programme. You will also manage a small team and work closely with finance teams across the business to ensure accurate, timely and reliable financial reporting.

What you will be doing:

• Lead the Group month-end close process, ensuring accurate and timely reporting against agreed deadlines.
• Own Group balance sheet integrity, leading reconciliation and clean-up activities, reviewing balances and resolving historical items and discrepancies.
• Develop and maintain robust balance sheet governance, including standardised templates, clear ownership, review sign-off, issue tracking and effective controls.
• Coordinate the external audit Prepared by Client (PBC) process, acting as a key contact for auditors and ensuring supporting evidence and audit queries are dealt with promptly.
• Ensure accounting policies and technical requirements are consistently applied, working with the Technical Reporting team on complex accounting matters.
• Analyse and explain balance sheet movements, oversee intercompany reconciliations, and review accruals, prepayments, provisions and other accounting adjustments.
• Oversee Group cost allocations and fixed asset accounting, ensuring accurate recording, reconciliation and allocation across entities.
• Drive continuous improvement through process standardisation, automation and stronger financial controls.
• Work with transactional finance, operational teams and Group FP&A to ensure accurate financial information and reporting.
• Support legal entity rationalisation, including balance sheet clean-up, intercompany reconciliations and transfers of assets and liabilities.
• Oversee payroll journals through D365 and TM1, ensuring entries are accurate, complete and appropriately reviewed.
• Manage and develop a Financial Accountant and offshore assistant, providing guidance, reviewing work and ensuring deadlines are met.
• Support ad hoc Group Finance projects and process improvement initiatives.

What we are looking for:

• A professionally qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA).
• A degree in finance, accounting or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Strong technical knowledge of IFRS and UK GAAP, including IFRS 16, ideally within a multi-entity group.
• Demonstrable finance business partnering experience.
• Proven experience delivering accurate and timely month-end reporting in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Experience in group consolidations, balance sheet reconciliations, statutory reporting and working with external auditors.
• A track record of improving finance processes, reporting and financial controls.
• Experience managing or supervising a small team, including reviewing others’ work; experience managing offshore teams would be advantageous.
• Experience in a PE-backed or similarly complex group environment is desirable.
• Strong analytical skills, attention to detail and a right-first-time mindset.
• Clear communication skills, problem-solving ability and curiosity, with the confidence to explain financial matters to non-specialists.
• Excellent organisation skills and the ability to manage competing deadlines.
• Advanced Excel skills; experience with D365 and TM1 would be an advantage.

What you will get in return:

• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Package, subject to eligibility criteria
• Health Cash Back Plan
• Staff benefits, including discounts on high street and online shopping, travel, socialising and wellbeing
• Pension Scheme
• Hybrid working, with two days per week in our Rochdale office