Finance Manager

High-Growth UK Manufacturing SME Warwickshire Up to £50K (Study Support offered)Full-time office 8am-4pm If you're a hands-on finance professional who thrives in fast-paced SMEs, loves taking ownership, and wants a genuine pathway to Finance Director level, this role will accelerate your career. This isn't a traditional bookkeeping job. It's the financial heartbeat of a scaling manufacturing business with big ambitions, including a growing US presence.The Opportunity After years of rapid growth and a period of economic turbulence, the business is now stabilised, diversified, and gearing up for its next scale-up phase. With international expansion underway, the next few years are pivotal, and you'll be right at the centre of it. You'll modernise the finance function, sharpen cashflow visibility, and act as the Founder's commercial partner. If you want autonomy, influence, and progression, you'll find it here.What You'll Lead - In this standalone role, you will take full ownership of day-to-day finance operations across accounts payable, accounts receivable, credit control, bank reconciliations, VAT, payroll, and month-end. - Managing a varied volume of invoices and payments depending on order flow and project size. - Confident, relationship-driven credit control; picking up the phone, building rapport, and keeping cash moving. - Preparing monthly management accounts and working closely with external accountants. - Supporting tax planning, R&D claims, and compliance activity. - Improving and optimising systems including Xero, Stripe, and internal order management tools. - Enhancing cashflow forecasting, scenario modelling, and commercial analysis. - Leading improvement projects such as automation, reporting upgrades, and pension scheme review. - Providing financial insight to support UK operations and US expansion.What Great Looks Like - Broad finance experience in an SME environment, ideally manufacturing or engineering. - Comfortable with pace, variability, and the realities of SME cash cycles. - Confident communicator who can challenge, advise, and partner with the MD. - Organised, proactive, commercially minded, and ambitious. - Someone who enjoys being the go-to person for all things finance. - Happy in a close-knit, entrepreneurial environment (and with a friendly office dog). Qualifications are flexible, experience and mindset matter most. Professional study support is available.Your Growth Path - Now: Own the UK finance function. - Medium term: Modernise systems, strengthen reporting, and improve cashflow visibility. - Long term: Step into a Finance Director role as the business scales internationally.What's on Offer - Competitive salary with higher banding available for exceptional capability and FD trajectory within the next 5 years. - Private healthcare (including family cover). - Compassionate leave policy. - Profit-linked bonus scheme. - Standard pension with appetite to improve. - Real autonomy, influence, and a front-row seat to international growth.Who This Suits We are looking for someone who is grounded, resilient, and excited by growth. You will strive to build, improve, and take ownership leading projects to drive change.