Commercial Finance Manager

Reports to: Financial Controller

Location: Manchester, hybrid (in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays)

Type: Full-time, permanent

The role

Rise at Seven is a search and social agency across the UK and US, with a growing European business. We're hiring a Commercial Finance Manager to own the monthly close and be finance's day-to-day partner to Client Services, Operations and the Senior Management Team.

You'll run a predictable, controlled close across multiple entities. You'll also turn the numbers into decisions: how we price, which clients and projects make money, where revenue is moving and what that means for cash. Reporting into the Financial Controller, you'll lead our Finance Assistant and take real ownership of how finance supports a business preparing for its next stage of growth.

The Board's priorities are profitable growth, strong cash and numbers they can trust. This role sits at the centre of all three: it shows where we make and lose money, and gives the Board early sight of what is coming.

This role suits someone who enjoys being in the room with commercial teams as much as being in the detail of a balance sheet.

What you'll own

Month-end close and controls

- Own the monthly close for the UK, US, Holdings and EU entities to a fixed timetable, including accruals, prepayments, reconciliations and intercompany, so the Board has reliable numbers within five working days

- Keep a working paper for every balance, agreed back to source and ready for audit

- Prepare the management accounts and commentary that feed the Financial Controller's board pack

- Run payroll checks and submissions with our UK and US providers, and approve bank payments within agreed limits

- Hold Client Services, Operations and craft teams to account for the inputs the close depends on: signed scopes, timesheets, billing changes and approvals

- Maintain financial controls and segregation of duties as the business scales

Commercial partnering

- Be finance's day-to-day partner to Client Services, Operations and the SMT

- Support pricing and renewals using the master rate card, and flag discounting, over-servicing and under-pricing early

- Report client and project profitability, recovery, utilisation and staff cost ratios, and recommend actions that protect margin in a business where people are our biggest cost

- Spot scope creep and over-servicing early, and work with Client Services to fix the cause

- Make sure scope and billing changes are contracted properly, with an addendum where needed

Forecasting and cash

- Own the rolling revenue forecast with the commercial teams, explaining every movement month to month and giving the Board early sight of revenue, cash and client risk

- Build and maintain the 13-week cash flow forecast across entities

- Own debtor management and collections, keeping debtor days at or below 60 and accrued income billed promptly

- Track client concentration and flag early when any client approaches 10% of group revenue

- Model the impact of hiring and cost decisions before they are made

- Support the annual budget and re-forecasts

Revenue recognition and systems

- Own monthly revenue recognition in line with FRS 102, using Dawn, our in-house project and revenue system, so revenue and margin by client and department are right at source

- Reconcile Dawn revenue to the general ledger every month

- Help build multi-entity consolidation and intercompany forecasting as the group grows, using Xero and the consolidation tooling we adopt

People

- Lead and develop our Finance Assistant, setting clear priorities and standards

- Document processes so the function runs without single points of failure, freeing senior finance time for the commercial work the Board needs

What success looks like in 6 to 12 months

- The close runs to a working day 5 timetable, with a working paper for every balance, and the Financial Controller reviews it without rebuilding it

- Every forecast movement is explained by its owner before month-end

- Recovery and margin by client, project and department are reported monthly, and pricing and resourcing decisions use them

- Dawn revenue reconciles to the general ledger every month

- A 13-week cash forecast is in place across the group, with debtor days at or below 60 and at least three months' cash runway visible

- Client concentration is tracked monthly, and no client exceeds 10% of revenue without a plan the Board has seen

- The Finance Assistant runs transactional finance with confidence and clear priorities

About you

- ACCA or CIMA qualified, or qualified by experience, with at least 4 years in a finance manager or commercial finance role

- Agency or professional services experience, ideally retainer-based, with a strong grasp of how a people business makes money: utilisation, staff cost, recovery, project profitability and revenue recognition

- Confident running a multi-entity close, including intercompany. UK and US experience is a plus

- Commercially minded: you can challenge a forecast, price a renewal and explain the numbers plainly to non-finance colleagues

- Strong in Xero and spreadsheets, and comfortable with new systems and automation

- Strong systems thinking, and quick to adapt to new tools and ways of working

- Able to hold people to account on process while keeping relationships strong

- Experience leading or developing a junior team member

Why join us

You'll join a scaling agency where finance sits at the centre of commercial decisions. You'll have real ownership, regular exposure to the Senior Management Team and Board reporting, and the chance to shape how finance supports the next stage of our growth.

Package

- Salary £55,000 to £60,000 depending on experience

- 30 days holiday plus bank holidays, with loyalty days accrued annually (capped at 5)

- Christmas and New Year shutdown

- Private medical insurance, health cash plan and group life assurance

- Company pension scheme

- Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

- Flexible and hybrid working

- Bucket list scheme

At Rise at Seven we celebrate diversity and are committed to an inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.