Eventus Finance are seeking an experienced Finance Manager to lead the finance function of an established law firm based in Birmingham. This is a full-time, permanent, office-based role paying up to £75,000 for a candidate with the right capability and professional background. The incoming Finance Manager will own the day-to-day finance operation and manage a junior finance team. Excellent progression is on offer for a commercially minded professional who wants long-term ownership of a finance function within a specialist regulated sector.

About the Role

As Finance Manager, the successful candidate will be the person senior leadership turns to for the numbers behind a decision. This is not a purely transactional finance job. It calls for commercial awareness, leadership capability and the judgement to know which numbers matter to the business. Alongside senior colleagues and management, the Finance Manager will keep the firm's financial systems, records and reporting accurate, compliant and efficient.

Key responsibilities include:

• Overseeing and managing the day-to-day finance function
• Managing, mentoring and supervising junior finance team members
• Advising senior leadership on key financial decisions, including investments, contracts and business expansion
• Evaluating commercial performance and identifying opportunities for cost savings and margin improvement
• Providing insight and analysis on financial metrics, trends and commercial activity to guide business decisions
• Supporting the negotiation and financial assessment of business contracts and agreements
• Assisting with budgeting, forecasting and financial planning
• Preparing monthly management accounts and supporting financial reporting
• Supporting compliance with SRA Accounts Rules and wider regulatory obligations, with training provided
• Monitoring financial controls, accuracy and reporting procedures
• Liaising with external accountants, auditors and financial service providers
  Overseeing invoice processing, supplier payments, cash flow and payroll coordination
• Managing bank reconciliations and financial postings
• Maintaining accurate purchase, sales and general ledgers
• Managing accounting records and reporting through Xero, including month-end and year-end processes

About You

You will possibly be a formally qualified accountant with a proven track record of running a finance function and developing the people in it. What will set the right candidate apart is commercial awareness and the ability to work with real autonomy. The incoming Finance Manager will also be able to demonstrate

• A minimum of five years' experience in a finance management or leadership job
• A formal finance or accountancy qualification such as ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent
  proven leadership and people management skills, including developing junior finance staff
• Solid financial management, reporting and management accounts capability
• A highly organised and disciplined approach to a broad workload
• Strong familiarity with accounting systems and finance software, with Xero preferred
• Excellent attention to detail across reporting, controls and reconciliations
• Confident communication and stakeholder management skills
• A professional and reliable approach, with the discretion and autonomy a regulated environment demands
• Exposure to Solicitors Accounts Rules, experience within a legal practice or other regulated professional environment, experience managing finance in an SME or professional services business, and payroll experience are all advantageous rather than essential

Benefits and Rewards

The employer is offering a competitive salary reflective of experience, capability and professional background, alongside the following:

• Full training where required, including on the SRA Accounts Rules
• The chance to build specialist expertise in legal finance and regulatory compliance
• A structured and professional working environment
• A long-term position offering stability, responsibility and progression
• A job where quality, ownership and leadership matter more than volume
• An excellent renumeration of up to £75k
• Flexible working hours between 9.30am and 6pm

About the Firm

My client is a well established UK law firm specialising in criminal defence and road traffic law, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The team brings a broad range of legal expertise to a specialist area of practice, and the business is growing. This Finance Manager job supports that growth, working directly with senior leadership on financial planning and the operational decisions that follow from it. For a finance professional who wants ownership of a function and specialist regulatory expertise on top of it, there is room to develop as the firm expands.

Next Steps

Apply now if your skills and experience align with this job. Alternatively, for a confidential conversation about this or other opportunities, contact Jo Hood at Eventus Recruitment Group via email at jo.hood@eventusfinance.com or phone 07496 144225. If this particular job isn't quite right but you're considering your next move, I'm always happy to have an off-the-record chat about the market.

The Eventus Recruitment Group are award-winning recruitment specialists operating across the UK and Ireland in the Legal, Finance and Financial Services sectors. Please note, the years' experience and / or salary are listed in our advertisements as a guide. We are happy to consider applications from all candidates who are able to demonstrate the skills necessary to fulfil the role. As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances. Our privacy policy can be found at the bottom of our website.