Finance Manager

About A&T Trained Dogs A&T Trained Dogs is a dog training and care business on a seven-acre countryside site in Lancaster. We train and sell assistance, therapy, family protection and pet dogs, and run residential and one-to-one training, boarding, daycare and grooming. We have a team of around 18 people and a strong customer reputation. The business has grown quickly, and we now need our finances run with the same care we give our dogs. Purpose of the role You will own A&T's finances day to day: keeping the books accurate, controlling spend and cash, and giving the Managing Director clear numbers to run the business on. The main goal is to cut cost and grow profit across every service line. This is a hands-on role. You will tidy up and put in order what exists today, then build the controls and reporting a growing business needs.   Key responsibilities Bookkeeping and accounts

• Run the day-to-day books in Sage, making sure every transaction is coded correctly and consistently
• Carry out monthly bank, card and payment-provider (Stripe) reconciliations
• Review and correct the chart of accounts so income and costs are grouped clearly by service line
• Keep sales and purchase ledgers accurate, chase overdue customer balances and manage supplier payments Reporting and analysis
• Produce monthly management accounts showing profit by service line: boarding, dog sales, training, daycare and grooming
• Build and maintain an annual budget and a rolling cash-flow forecast
• Report monthly to the Managing Director on performance, cash and cost-saving opportunities
• Track key costs such as wages, advertising and suppliers against budget Financial control
• Design and run spending approval limits and purchasing procedures
• Write clear finance policies and procedures and make sure staff follow them  
• Keep proper records for dog-sale deposits, balances and handover charges Payroll, tax and compliance
• Prepare payroll information and check payroll and PAYE accuracy  
• Prepare VAT returns and make sure they are filed on time
• Work with the external accountants on year-end accounts and act as their main contact
• Review supplier and service contracts for value for money What we're looking for Essential
• At least three years' experience running the finances of a small or medium-sized business
• Strong, hands-on Sage experience
• Confident with VAT, PAYE and management accounts
• Experience of cleaning up messy or inconsistent books  
• Good Excel skills
• Able to explain numbers in plain English to non-finance people
• Organised, accurate and comfortable working on your own initiative Desirable
• Part-qualified or qualified accountant (AAT, ACCA or CIMA)
• Experience in a service business with several income streams
• Experience setting up finance policies, approval limits and controls from scratch What success looks like in your first year
• The books in Sage are clean, correctly coded and reconciled every month
• Monthly management accounts arrive on time, showing profit by service line  
• A budget and cash-flow forecast are in place and reviewed monthly
• Spending approval limits and finance procedures are written down and followed  
• Clear cost savings have been found and acted on, improving profit