Job Title: Finance Manager

Location: Ashford , Kent

Salary: £45,000 - £55,000 per annum (dependent on experience)

Job Type: Full time/Permanent

We are looking for an experienced Finance Manager with manufacturing industry experience to lead financial operations, drive performance improvements and support strategic decision-making. This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on finance professional to take ownership of finance processes within a fast paced manufacturing environment.

Key responsibilities

• Lead month-end and year end financial close, preparation of management accounts and statutory reporting
• Produce timely management reporting, variance analysis and KPI dashboards for senior leadership
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting and long-range planning processes; drive rolling forecasts and scenario planning
• Manage cost accounting, product costing, inventory valuation and margin analysis in a manufacturing environment
• Implement and maintain robust financial controls, policies and compliance with accounting standards
• Support operational teams with financial analysis for pricing, production planning, process improvement and cost reduction initiatives
• Drive ERP and systems improvements, including enhancements to reporting, costing and process automation
• Other duties as assigned by the SLT

Skills and experience required

• Proven experience as a Finance Manager or senior finance role within the manufacturing industry (essential)
• Strong technical skills in cost accounting, inventory management and production costing
• Hands-on experience with ERP systems and advanced Excel skills; experience with BI tools an advantage
• Solid understanding of budgeting, forecasting, cash management and statutory reporting
• Experience leading month-end and year-end close, and supporting external audits
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills; able to translate financial data into actionable insight for non-finance audiences
• Experience managing and developing finance teams
• Professional accounting qualification (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent) or relevant degree preferred