Finance Manager - Fashion Retail

Our client is an luxury Childrenswear Fashion brand with stores in London and a big online presence, they are going through growth and currently looking for an experienced Part Qualified Finance Manager to join their business as the first in-house Finance hire.

They are looking for someone that has worked in Fashion / Retail and have a good knowledge of this sector.

This is an exciting role that will look after the day to day finances, cash-flow forecasting and reporting but you will also work closely with the MD on business and commercial tasks and projects to really add value.

Responsibilities:

Finance and Accounting Operations:

• Ensure all finance functions and accounting records are accurately maintained and updated in a timely manner.
• Undertake all primary bookkeeping tasks, ensuring all income and expenses are approved, accurately recorded, and VAT is correctly treated.
• Initially, manage outsourced accountants, but to save costs, consider scaling outsourced accountants back to only handling payroll and annual accounts.
• Conduct regular reconciliations, including weekly reconciliations between all accounting systems, bank accounts, debtors, creditors, monthly income, and actual vs. budget cost summaries.
• Reconcile customer and supplier deposits, payments, and invoices, ensuring they match sales.
• Manage Purchase Order process interdepartmentally to ensure full and detailed clarity on company expenditures.
• Maintain all fixed asset registers, ledgers, and control accounts accurately.
• Assist in the preparation of management and statutory accounts and support the preparation of year-end files for internal and external review.
• Assist with the monthly stock reconciliation and attend physical stock takes as required.

Financial Management and Reporting:

• Assist with cash flow management and maintain P&L for all individual cost-centres within business.
• Prepare VAT returns, ensuring timely submission.
• Create payment runs on a fortnightly and ad-hoc basis.
• Establish and implement financial reporting systems to comply with all regulations and legislation, ensuring the company always remains compliant.
• Assist in the preparation of budgets and financial plans for the company, incorporating appropriate market research.
• Establish new Month-End reporting structure and inventory stock-take procedures.
• Prepare payroll submissions for the Managing Director to review, prior to submission to the third-party payroll bureau.
• Assist the Finance Director and Managing Director in presenting all financial reports to stakeholders and board members.

Personal Qualities:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Finance, Business, Economics, or a related field.
• Part-qualified ACA, ACCA, or CIMA accounting qualification is desirable.
• Several years of experience in a fashion/retail business environment.
• Management experience, with proven leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills, and a high attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• High degree of honesty, integrity, and reliability.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, with excellent research and analytical skills.
• High level of computer literacy, especially in Excel and Xero.