Finance Manager

Finance Manager Sevenoaks Paying £50k - £60k - office based

We are partnering with a growing, well-established Kent-based business that is looking for a commercially minded Finance Manager to join the company on a full-time, on-site basis.

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, you will take ownership of the company's financial performance, reporting and planning. This is much more than a traditional management accounts role: you will get under the skin of the business, understand what drives profitability, and turn the numbers into practical recommendations that shape the company's next stage of growth. It is also a hands-on position, so you will stay close to the day-to-day finance function, including Xero and payroll.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and monitor the financial performance of the business, analysing the P&L, balance sheet and cash flow, and giving the Managing Director clear, commercially focused insight.
• Identify where profitability is being achieved and where margin is being lost, challenging costs, pricing and commercial decisions where necessary.
• Develop project, contract and customer-level profitability reporting, comparing estimated costs and margins against actual outcomes and working with operational teams to understand variances and agree corrective action.
• Support the development of more accurate project costing, estimating and forecasting processes.
• Produce timely monthly management accounts and a meaningful set of KPIs, covering revenue, gross and operating profit, overheads, debtors, work in progress and forecast profitability.
• Work in partnership with the Managing Director on budgets, forecasts, cash flow projections and financial models, including scenario planning for growth, recruitment, new contracts and investment.
• Maintain strong oversight of cash flow, working capital, debtors and creditors, supporting credit control and spotting pressure points before they arise.
• Establish appropriate financial controls and identify financial risks, recommending ways to mitigate them.
• Oversee day-to-day financial processing in Xero, including sales and purchase invoicing, bank reconciliations, supplier payments and a disciplined month-end process.
• Manage payroll processing, pension contributions and PAYE submissions, working with external providers where appropriate.
• Maintain oversight of VAT and other statutory obligations, and liaise with external accountants, auditors and tax advisers.
• Identify opportunities to improve financial systems, automate routine tasks and streamline processes.

Key Requirements

• Experience in a management accountant, finance manager, finance analyst or comparable role, ideally within a commercial SME environment.
• Strong knowledge of management accounts, P&L analysis, budgeting, forecasting and cash flow management.
• Experience analysing project, contract or job-level profitability, ideally within a project-led, engineering, technical services or contracting business.
• Confident using Xero and managing hands-on financial processes, including payroll.
• A highly commercial mindset, with the curiosity to investigate why numbers are above or below expectation, not just report that they are.
• Excellent analytical skills and strong attention to detail.
• Comfortable challenging costs, margins, assumptions and established ways of working.
• The ability to explain complex financial information clearly to non-financial colleagues.
• The confidence to work directly with the Managing Director and contribute to commercial decisions.
• Professional accountancy qualification (ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent) advantageous, though commercial capability and practical experience are equally valued.
• Integrity, discretion and sound professional judgement