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Financial Controller
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Financial Controller – Manufacturing
Cambridge
£70,000–£80,000 + bonus and benefits
Permanent | Full-time | Predominantly on-site
A specialist engineering manufacturer is bringing its finance function in-house as it enters the next stage of its growth.
The business designs and manufactures process machinery, ranging from established product lines to large, bespoke systems for customers across Europe, the US, and the Middle East.
Its equipment is used in sectors including medical devices, aerospace, and Formula 1.
Following significant new contract wins, the company is relocating to a larger facility in Cambridge and strengthening its integration with a US-based, private-equity-owned industrial group.
It now needs a qualified Financial Controller who can take ownership of the UK entity’s numbers while working closely with operations to improve cost, margin, and commercial performance.
The opportunity
This is not a role limited to producing monthly reports.
You will work directly with the local leadership, production, engineering, and sales teams—reviewing bills of material, investigating manufacturing costs, and identifying where the business can improve its margins.
You will also take ownership of the integrity of the UK financial statements, validate the monthly close, and provide accurate, timely reporting to the wider international group.
Transactional AP and AR activity is moving into a shared-service center, allowing you to focus on financial control, costing, analysis, and business partnering.
An experienced external accountant who has supported the business for many years will provide knowledge transfer and help create a smooth transition.
You will be responsible for:
- Taking ownership of the financial statements for the UK entity
- Validating the monthly close and ensuring accurate group reporting
- Reviewing balance-sheet reconciliations, journals, and financial controls
- Managing budgets, forecasts, cash flow, and working capital
- Owning UK statutory reporting and coordinating the year-end audit
- Overseeing VAT, corporation tax, payroll, and pension compliance
- Maintaining accurate inventory and work-in-progress valuations
- Reviewing bills of material, labor rates, and manufacturing overheads
- Maintaining and improving the product-costing processes
- Analyzing material, labor, purchasing, and production variances
- Comparing estimated and actual costs on customer-specific projects
- Identifying cost-saving and margin-improvement opportunities
- Supporting quotations, pricing, and customer-profitability decisions
- Producing clear operational reporting for local and international leadership
- Developing stronger finance systems, processes, and controls
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About you
You will be ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified, with hands-on finance experience gained within manufacturing or engineering.
You should be able to demonstrate:
- A strong understanding of manufacturing finance
- Experience of inventory, WIP, and stock valuation
- Practical product or standard-costing knowledge
- The ability to understand bills of material, routings, and production orders
- Experience of month-end close, budgeting, and forecasting
- Knowledge of UK statutory reporting, VAT, and audit requirements
- Strong Excel and ERP-system capability
- The confidence to challenge operational and commercial decisions constructively
- The ability to explain financial information without relying on accounting jargon
Experience of job costing, bespoke equipment, capital machinery, or project-based manufacturing would be particularly valuable.
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Exposure to a US-owned, international, or private-equity-backed organization would also be advantageous, although previous US GAAP experience is not essential.
The environment
The company has retained the pace, personality, and close working relationships of a smaller engineering business while gaining the investment and support of an international group.
You will suit the culture if you are:
- Structured, self-sufficient, and comfortable taking ownership
- Curious about how products are engineered and manufactured
- Willing to get close to the operation rather than remain behind a spreadsheet
- Commercially minded and motivated by improving performance
- Comfortable working at pace in a growing, private-equity-backed environment
- Approachable, collaborative, and able to enjoy working as part of a close team
Why join?
- Become the finance lead for a growing UK manufacturing business
- Bring a previously outsourced finance function in-house
- Influence costing, margins, and operational decision-making
- Join during a move into a larger manufacturing facility
- Support major new contracts and international growth
- Gain visibility across European and US group leadership
- Work with technically interesting products and high-profile global customers
- Receive structured handover support
The role will be based predominantly on site in Cambridge because of its close involvement with manufacturing and operations.
For an experienced Manufacturing Finance Manager seeking their first Financial Controller appointment—or a hands-on Financial Controller who wants greater operational influence—this is an opportunity to take genuine ownership and help shape the next stage of the business.
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