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 and external audit.
• Experience managing and developing a remote/offshore finance team.
• Strong commercial and analytical skills, with the confidence to challenge senior stakeholders.
• Experience with multi-currency environments and FX.
• A track record of improving processes, systems or automation.
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with a willingness to get into the detail.

Why join?

This is an opportunity to own the finance function rather than operate within one. You’ll report directly to the MD, have a seat at the senior leadership table and play a key role in shaping the financial and commercial direction of the group.

Benefits

• Salary- £65,000- £70,000 basic plus profit related bonus
• 25 days annual leave increasing by 1 day for each year’s service up to a maximum of 28 days
• Option to buy up to 3 additional holidays
• Breakfast and lunch ingredients provided
• Fresh fruit delivered weekly
• One paid volunteer day per year
• Private Healthcare (following successful completion of probation)
• £10 gift voucher on your birthday
• Free 24 hour employee assistance programme
• Staff discount