Finance Manager
Meet Our Recruiter
About the Role
Harper May is working with a founder-led media and events group that has grown substantially over the past three years through organic expansion and two bolt-on acquisitions. The business operates across live festivals, content production, and B2B conferences, and currently turns over around £25m. Recent funding has sharpened focus on operational efficiency and financial discipline, and the finance function is being strengthened to support the next phase of growth. They are now seeking a Finance Manager to embed strong controls and reporting across a busy, multi-project environment.
The Role
Reporting to the Finance Director, you will own the core finance operations-month-end reporting, cash management, and cost control across events, production teams, and conference operations. The position sits at the centre of the business, providing commercial insight to operational leaders and giving the executive team visibility into project profitability and cash position. You will work in a dynamic environment where timelines shift, new events launch, and financial data needs to move at pace.
- Deliver accurate and timely management accounts and statutory reporting
- Manage cash flow forecasting and working capital across a portfolio of events at different lifecycle stages
- Build and own budget and reforecast cycles; partner with project leads on cost tracking and margin delivery
- Establish and maintain robust reconciliations, bank controls, and balance sheet integrity
- Analyse event and conference performance post-delivery; distil findings into clear commercial recommendations
- Support audit and compliance activity; drive incremental improvements to finance processes and systems
What we are looking for
- Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA) with 3-5 years in a similar operations or management accounting role
- Proven experience in media, events, or other project-driven sectors
- Fluent in Excel and financial systems; comfortable learning and configuring reporting tools
- Ability to explain numbers clearly to non-finance stakeholders without jargon
- Organised and pragmatic; comfortable with ambiguity and able to prioritise in a fast-moving context