Finance Manager | PE Backed | Consumer Services

Zanda is an Executive search partner that works exclusively with high growth start-ups and scale-ups as they look to scale their business with senior talent. Zanda partners with VCs, Founders, CEOs, CFOs and CPOs when it comes to successfully delivering on key senior appointments.

We are supporting a fast-growing, PE backed tech company operating in a long-established consumer services industry. Part of a well-known and highly regarded UK group, the business is on a clear scale path with ambitions to become a household name. It operates across multiple legal entities and is building out a high-calibre team to support its next stage of growth. The culture is fast-paced, ownership-driven, and genuinely committed to developing its people, including funded support towards professional qualifications and exams.

You'll sit at the heart of the finance function, owning core accounting processes end-to-end as the business scales across multiple entities. This is a hands‑on role with real ownership, spanning ledger integrity and reconciliations through to management reporting and compliance. You'll be responsible for the accuracy and commercial usefulness of the company's financial data, improving the systems and controls that allow senior leadership to operate with confidence and clarity.

Day to day, you will:

• Prepare monthly management accounts, including P&L, balance sheet and cash flow reporting.
• Manage month-end close, reconciliations (bank, expenses, accruals and prepayments) and financial controls.
• Monitor and track expenses and departmental budgets, flagging variances and supporting cost control.
• Work closely with external accountants, auditors and vendors to ensure compliance and smooth reporting cycles.
• Optimise and improve financial systems, processes and reporting tools as the business scales, including automation where possible.
• Conduct ad‑hoc financial analysis to support commercial decisions and operational planning.
• Own finance‑related aspects of employee onboarding and offboarding (payroll, systems access, documentation).

• Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics or similar, and working towards (or planning to pursue) a professional accounting qualification.
• 3 to 5+ years' experience in finance, accounting or a management accounting role.
• Ability to thrive in the fast pace of the start‑up world.
• Strong grounding in accounting fundamentals, comfortable reconciling ledgers, reviewing balance sheets and preparing management accounts.
• Highly detail‑oriented, with the discipline to manage high‑volume transactional work accurately.
• Confident working across multiple entities and reconciling complex accounts.
• Strong Excel or Google Sheets capability, with hands‑on experience using Xero in a multi‑entity environment.
• Comfortable in a fast‑paced, scaling environment where processes are evolving.
• High ownership mindset: you don't just process numbers, you ensure they're right.
• Experience with regulated environments (e.g. SRA/solicitor account rules) is a bonus but not essential.