Commercial Finance Director - Independent SME Marketing Communications Agency

Salary £80,000 - £90,000 depending on experience

We are delighted to have been appointed to help our client find their first commercially focused Finance Director. The client is circa 50 staff strong and currently is operating out of two offices, one in Europe and the other in Hertfordshire.

This role gives the individual great scope to grow and develop with the business which has seen great growth over the last year and again is looking to grow substantially in 2021.

The company which is an independent SME Creative agency is looking for a Finance Director who can think strategically and commercially as well as lead on the overall financial management and accounting.

This person will lead on developing the systems and overall processes of the company in order to set up and continuously improve procedures, finance and management information in order to help the business run efficiently and effectively.

It will feel hands on for the short term and will involve on going collaboration with the other departments within the business; raising commercial awareness throughout, together with regular reviews and discussion of future business.

Team Focus

• Manage the day to day bookkeeper, who has extensive corporate history with the business
• Will motivate and support them where necessary
• On the job training and development
• Establish objectives
• Carry out performance reviews

Financial Focus

• Annual Budgets
• Monthly Reforecasts
• Monthly Management Accounts with monthly, YTD & annual actuals .v. budget, and variance analysis with commentary for the Board
• Balance Sheet review
• Dashboard creation / Flash reporting
• Revenue analysis by Client / Revenue type / KPI measurement
• Cashflow forecasting and improvement
• Setting of FX policies
• Overall responsibility for ensuring Company taxes are minimised and accounted for accurately
• Ensure adherence to IFRS and Guidelines
• Oversee the accounting system - currently Sage and Synergist, review performance to assess requirements
• Responsible for the overall production of Statutory Accounts and Tax Returns

Commercial focus

• Work with the owners to develop and deliver the strategic growth plans of the business
• Ensure that EBITDA is maximised
• Work with the owners liaising with potential future investors
• Support on strategic development of the business and growth into new global markets/territories / services
• Regular income forecast and time charges vs fee forecast reviews with the Account teams
• Looking at cost efficiencies on Gross Profit on jobs and job types - looking to improve recoverability across the board
• Commercial guidance to account teams
• Support on pitch and pricing models
• Work alongside HR to advise on employee benefits and retention schemes
• Support with procurement reviews - both Client & Supplier

The Ideal Candidate

Our Client is looking for an ambitious, determined and charismatic candidate with the following:

• A collaborative team player approach
• You will be a qualified accountant ACA, CIMA or ACCA with strong academic background
• You will have prior experience of working within a marketing communications agency
• You will have a proven track record of understanding what it is like working in a bigger network and an understanding of SOX compliance
• Ideally you will have had exposure to the SME environment proving agility and an ability to work across the broad spectrum of needs
• Exposure to M&A activity could be a distinct advantage

Due to high levels of applications anticipated we will only respond to candidates with the right sector experience and those who have the correct qualifications and exposure.