Financial Controller

Financial Controller

Wickford, Essex

Reporting to: Managing Director

Team: 4 direct reports

Group: £20–25m revenue | c.130 employees

Our client is a well-established manufacturing business based in Wickford, Essex . They are looking for an experienced Financial Controller to join their team.

As Financial Controller you will take full ownership of the finance function, a £20–25m group operating across 3 entities, manufacturing, projects and compliance services.

Reporting directly to the Managing Director and sitting on the Senior Leadership Team, this is the most senior finance role in the business. You’ll have real influence over commercial decisions, while remaining close to the detail and delivering the numbers yourself.

This is not a purely supervisory role. You’ll lead a team of four across the UK and Philippines, but you’ll also be hands-on with month-end, reporting, stock, costing, cash flow and commercial analysis.

What you’ll do

Own financial control, management accounts, budgeting and forecasting across three entities.

Lead the year-end and statutory reporting process, including the external audit.

Own the balance sheet, cash flow, banking, working capital and treasury.

Oversee stock valuation, standard costing, margin analysis and inventory provisioning.

Partner with Procurement and Operations to improve stock, pricing and profitability.

Provide commercial insight and challenge to the MD and SLT, including investment and pricing decisions.

Produce and present board reporting and financial analysis.

Manage tax, VAT, statutory compliance and external adviser relationships.

Lead improvements to finance systems, automation, reporting and AI adoption.

Develop and manage a small, partly offshore finance team.

Requirements

About you

You’ll be a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with senior finance experience in an SME

You’ll bring:

Strong manufacturing finance experience, particularly stock, standard costing and margin analysis.

Ownership of year-end, statutory accounts...