Acuity Associates
Financial Controller
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Financial Controller
Opportunity
An established family-owned UK manufacturer and distributor of specialist hardware products, is looking for a hands-on Finance Manager / Financial Controller to take ownership of finance and help strengthen the business for its next stage of growth.
This is a practical, embedded SME finance role. The business needs someone who is comfortable owning the detail, improving the quality of reporting, challenging the numbers and making sure the basics are done properly. It is not a pure strategic Head of Finance role and it is not a narrow transactional role. The right person will sit between the two: strong enough to own management accounts, stock, margin and controls, but grounded enough to get into the system and do the work where needed.
The Role
Reporting to the Managing Director and working closely with shareholders and external advisors, you will become the lead finance person in the business. Your focus will be to bring control, accuracy and better visibility across day-to-day finance, monthly reporting, stock, product costing, margin analysis and cash flow.
Early priorities will include improving confidence in the numbers, tightening process discipline, reducing reliance on the MD for finance detail and building reporting that helps the business make better decisions.
You will be responsible for:
- Owning monthly management accounts from end to end.
- Improving the quality and reliability of finance data, rather than simply accepting system reports at face value.
- Getting hands-on with transactional finance, reconciliations, purchase invoices and process clean-up when required.
- Improving visibility of gross margin, stock, product costing, cost of goods and working capital.
- Supporting better cash flow forecasting, budgeting and cost control.
- Working with external accountants and advisors on tax, statutory and compliance matters.
- Helping shape a more reliable, scalable finance function as the business grows.
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About You
This role will suit someone who wants ownership, but who also understands that in a growing SME, ownership means being close to the detail.
- Qualified, part-qualified finalist or qualified by experience with strong SME finance experience.
- Confident producing management accounts and explaining the story behind the numbers.
- Experienced in stock, manufacturing, distribution, wholesale or product-led environments.
- Commercially aware, but first and foremost technically reliable and hands-on.
- Prepared to challenge data, investigate issues and fix root causes.
- Low-ego, pragmatic and happy to work directly with operational colleagues.
- Comfortable being the number one finance person in a small but ambitious business.
- Motivated by improving, building and creating control rather than simply maintaining a process.
What is on Offer
- Lead finance ownership in a respected, family-owned UK manufacturing business.
- Direct access to the Managing Director and shareholders.
- A hands-on role with real influence over reporting, controls, stock, margin and process improvement.
- Scope for the role to develop as the business scales.
- West Sussex location with regular on-site presence required.
- Package to be confirmed, aligned to experience and level.
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This is a strong opportunity for a practical Finance Manager or Financial Controller who wants to step into a visible number one finance role, fix the foundations properly and grow with an ambitious SME manufacturer.
All candidates will be required to complete The Acuity Measure.
Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are only able to contact shortlisted candidates. If you have not heard from us within 10 days of submitting your application, please assume you have not been successful on this occasion. Please note that we reserve the right to close or withdraw this vacancy early should we receive a sufficient number of applications.
Acuity Associates and our clients are committed to equal opportunities. We celebrate diversity and are dedicated to fostering inclusive environments where individuals from all backgrounds can thrive.
Acuity Associates is an executive search partner trusted by privately owned and investor-backed businesses to appoint high-impact finance and executive leaders. We specialise in roles that drive value creation, transformation and long-term growth.
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