Finance Controller

Location: Beverley
Salary: Up to £60,000 (DOE)

Naturewall is looking for a commercially minded, hands-on Financial Controller to join its growing business in Beverley.

Working closely with the Managing Director and Board, you ll strengthen financial control, cash management and commercial discipline across the business. You ll lead a small finance team while remaining close to the detail, helping functional managers understand the financial impact of their decisions and ensuring agreed actions are followed through.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Financial Controller or Head of Finance who has worked in a stock-intensive SME and wants a broad role with genuine influence across operations, supply chain, e-commerce and commercial decision-making.

WHY THIS ROLE STANDS OUT

• Work directly with the Managing Director and Board, with the opportunity to influence key financial, operational and commercial decisions.
• Take ownership of cash flow, working capital and financial control, focusing on the issues that most affect margin, service and business resilience.
• Lead and develop a small finance team while remaining hands-on with analysis, forecasting, reconciliations and problem-solving.
• Gain broad exposure across pricing, purchasing, stock, supplier negotiations, banking relationships and future investment decisions.

WHAT YOU LL BE DOING

• Own the rolling cash-flow forecast and longer-term cash outlook, updating it weekly, testing key assumptions and highlighting funding pressures early with clear recommended actions.
• Provide commercial advice on pricing, product and channel margins, promotions, supplier decisions and investment, considering total cost, cash timing and operational impact.
• Drive measurable working-capital improvements across stock, purchasing, debtors and creditors while balancing cash release with customer service, supply continuity and growth.
• Challenge purchase commitments, order quantities, stock cover and slow-moving inventory with Supply Chain and Operations, ensuring buying decisions reflect demand, lead times and available cash.
• Control payment planning and creditor exposure, agreeing realistic supplier terms and payment arrangements and ensuring commitments are communicated and honoured.
• Manage banking relationships, facility utilisation, funding headroom and applicable covenants, recommending action before constraints become urgent.
• Investigate material cost and margin variances across logistics, manufacturing, purchasing, fulfilment and returns, identifying root causes and quantifying the effect on profit and cash.
• Agree recovery plans with functional owners, setting actions, deadlines, milestones and expected financial benefits, then track progress until the financial outcome has improved.
• Lead or support supplier-term negotiations and take ownership of creditor agreements, payment commitments and dispute resolution while protecting commercial relationships.
• Act as a senior member of the management team, challenging the Managing Director, Board and senior leaders constructively when decisions create unnecessary financial or working-capital risk.
• Lead, develop and manage the finance team, setting clear responsibilities, deadlines and quality standards while retaining accountability for results.
• Produce timely and accurate monthly management accounts for the Board, supported by reliable balance-sheet reconciliations and clear analysis of profitability, cash, working capital and performance against plan.
• Own budgets, rolling forecasts and scenario planning, translating operational assumptions into financial consequences and practical recommendations.
• Strengthen inventory accounting and control through robust stock reconciliations, valuation, provisions and stocktake processes, resolving discrepancies with Operations.
• Maintain effective controls over purchasing approvals, expenditure, payments, revenue, payroll and financial records, and coordinate statutory accounts, tax, VAT and audit requirements with external advisers.

This description is not exhaustive. The job holder may undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the role.

WHAT YOU LL BRING

- Experience as a Financial Controller or Head of Finance with broad, hands-on responsibility in an SME where Finance actively influences operational decisions.

- Direct inventory experience and a practical understanding of purchasing, stock, cost of sales, margin and the relationship between profit and cash.

- Strong experience in cash-flow management, working capital, inventory, operational cost control, management accounting, budgeting and forecasting.

- Experience managing a small finance team and influencing operational managers across functions, with the credibility to hold colleagues accountable.

- Experience negotiating supplier terms and personally handling sensitive creditor or banking discussions while protecting commercial relationships.

- Confident, clear and assertive communication, with the ability to challenge constructively and remain firm when commitments are missed.

- A structured and disciplined approach, strong follow-through, sound commercial judgement and the ability to influence at every level of the business.

- Experience in an owner-managed or entrepreneurial business, ideally with turnover between £15 million and £50 million.

- Manufacturing, distribution, e-commerce or retail experience, ideally combining stock-intensive operations with consumer or online sales.

- ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualification.

- Strong Excel skills and extensive management information and financial reporting experience.

WHAT YOU LL GET

A salary of up to £60,000, depending on experience.

A senior, visible role working closely with the Managing Director and Board.

Genuine ownership of cash management, working capital, financial control and commercial improvement.

The opportunity to lead and develop a small finance team while remaining close to operational decision-making.

Broad exposure across a growing, stock-intensive business operating across manufacturing, distribution and e-commerce.

WHY EMMERSON KITNEY?

At Emmerson Kitney, we Recruit Different. We re committed to building long-term relationships with both our clients and candidates, taking the time to understand what matters most to you. We work in true partnership to match talented professionals with outstanding career opportunities.

WHAT NEXT?

If you re an experienced Financial Controller or Head of Finance with a strong background in stock, working capital and operational finance, we d love to hear from you.

This is a retained search with Emmerson Kitney. All third-party applications will be forwarded to us as the exclusive recruitment partner.