Senior Management Accountant
Location: Manchester
Employment Type: Permanent, Full-time
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced and commercially focused Senior Management Accountant to join our finance team. The successful candidate will take ownership of the monthly management accounts process, deliver high-quality financial reporting, and provide meaningful analysis to support strategic and operational decision-making.
This role requires a strong technical accounting background, excellent analytical ability, and the confidence to work closely with senior stakeholders across the business. The Senior Management Accountant will also play a key role in budgeting, forecasting, process improvement, financial controls, and supporting the wider finance team.
Key Responsibilities
- Take ownership of the preparation and review of monthly management accounts, including profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow, and supporting schedules.
- Manage the month-end close process, ensuring deadlines are met and reporting is accurate, complete, and timely.
- Prepare and review journals, including accruals, prepayments, depreciation, payroll journals, revenue adjustments, and other month-end postings.
- Review balance sheet reconciliations and ensure reconciling items are investigated and resolved promptly.
- Provide detailed variance analysis against budget, forecast, and prior periods, highlighting key drivers of performance.
- Prepare and present monthly management reporting packs for senior management.
- Support the preparation of annual budgets, reforecasts, and longer-term financial plans.
- Monitor revenue, cost of sales, overheads, margins, and working capital to identify risks, opportunities, and areas for improvement.
- Support cash flow forecasting and provide analysis of key cash movements.
- Assist with VAT returns, statutory reporting, and compliance requirements where required.
- Support the year-end audit process, including preparing audit schedules and liaising with auditors.
- Maintain and improve financial controls, processes, and reporting procedures.
- Identify opportunities for automation, efficiency, and improved quality of financial information.
- Provide guidance and support to junior members of the finance team.
- Assist with ad hoc analysis, projects, and strategic initiatives as required.
Skills and Experience Required
- Qualified accountant, such as ACCA, CIMA, ACA, or equivalent, preferred.
- Strong experience in a management accounting role, ideally within a fast-paced or multi-entity environment.
- Proven experience owning or leading month-end reporting processes preferred.
- Strong technical accounting knowledge, including accruals, prepayments, reconciliations, revenue recognition, and financial controls.
- Strong Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookups, formulas, and financial modelling.
- Experience using accounting systems such as Business Central or similar preferred.
- Experience preparing management reporting packs and presenting financial information to senior stakeholders preferred.
- Strong understanding of budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis preferred.
Personal Attributes
- Commercially minded with strong business partnering skills.
- Confident communicator with the ability to challenge constructively.
- Proactive, organised, and solutions-focused.
- High attention to detail with a strong sense of ownership.
- Able to work independently while supporting the wider finance team.
- Comfortable working with both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
- Motivated to improve processes, controls, and reporting quality.
Benefits
- Pension scheme.
- Study support, where applicable.
Equal Opportunities
We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.