Finance Manager

Finance Manager

Location: Clapham, London (office-based)

Hours: Full-time

Salary: 50,000 depending on experience

Reports to: CEO

Start date: ASAP

Build the finance backbone of a growing global brand Original Duckhead is a London-based umbrella brand selling across wholesale and D2C, with customers and partners across the UK, Europe, the US, and other international markets. We are hiring a hands-on Finance Manager to bring order, clarity, and control to our finance function. This is not an oversight role. You will be in the detail, owning day-to-day bookkeeping in-house, producing monthly management accounts, managing UK VAT, maintaining a rolling cash flow forecast, and improving the quality and usability of our reporting. You will work closely with the CEO and external accountants and play a key role in building financial discipline across the business.

Why this role matters

This role is critical to improving visibility, control, and reporting quality. The goal is a finance function that gives clear insight into cash, costs, margin, and performance across channels, markets, and major areas of spend.

What you will own

Bookkeeping and finance operations

• Own day-to-day bookkeeping in Xero
• Maintain accurate records across GBP, EUR, and USD accounts
• Reconcile bank accounts, payment platforms, and control accounts
• Post journals, accruals, prepayments, and month-end adjustments
• Own accounts payable and accounts receivable
• Own credit control and maintain visibility on aged debt

Management accounts and reporting

• Prepare monthly management accounts (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow)
• Deliver variance analysis and clear commentary to the CEO
• Build meaningful cost centre reporting Improve visibility on channel performance, margin, and overheads
• Create reporting that highlights profitability drivers, including major projects and trade shows where relevant

Cash flow and financial control

• Maintain a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast
• Track key cash commitments and upcoming outflows
• Improve visibility on receivables, payables, VAT, payroll, and major costs
• Strengthen financial control and reporting discipline across the business

VAT and accountant coordination

• Own UK VAT returns and filings
• Prepare clean finance data for external accountants and advisors
• Coordinate with external accountants on EU VAT, US sales tax and year-end requirements where needed
• Maintain accurate multi-currency reporting and organised underlying data for compliance support

Systems and process improvement

• Improve the structure and cleanliness of Xero over time
• Help create consistent reporting across Xero, Cin7, Shopify, Stripe, Faire, and related systems
• Reduce manual errors and improve processes through simple, practical improvements

What we are looking for

• Fully qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA, or equivalent)
• Experience in a hands-on finance role in a retail, wholesale, consumer goods, or e-commerce business
• Experience working across multiple markets and currencies
• Strong bookkeeping and management accounts experience
• Strong understanding of accruals, prepayments, journals, reconciliations, and month-end close
• Experience owning UK VAT Experience working with external accountants and tax advisors
• Exposure to EU VAT and US sales tax or nexus coordination
• Strong attention to detail and strong organisational discipline
• Commercial understanding of costs, margin, and reporting
• Comfortable working in a small, ambitious business where ownership matters

What success looks like

Within the first few months:

• Bookkeeping is accurate and fully run in-house
• Monthly management accounts are clean and on time
• Reconciliations are up to date and reliable
• UK VAT is owned internally and filed correctly
• The 13-week cash flow forecast is live and maintained
• Cost centres are clear and useful
• The CEO has materially better visibility on cash, costs, and performance
• External accountants receive organised, reliable data