REPORTING TO: Client Manager (Outsourcing Team) 

ROLE SUMMARY:                           

To manage a varied portfolio of Limited Companies and Partnerships, where you will act as the financial controller for clients that we provide a full outsourced finance department to. With this, you will be ensuring that the quality and accuracy of the delivery of our services are provided at the highest standard.

To lead, support and develop the team to ensure our clients are receiving an excellent client experience.

                                                            To develop and grow the client base, providing additional services to existing clients, and actively seeking new business.

We are a focussed on using the best technology available, so experience of cloud accounting products such as Xero, Dext and Fathom would be an advantage. You will have gained experience working in a practice or industry environment, and ideally be ACCA/ACA/CIMA qualified (or similar) and have an excellent working knowledge of accounting issues affecting small to medium sized owner managed businesses

ABOUT THE TEAM

Farnell Clarke was formed over 15 years ago by our Chairman, Will Farnell, who saw the opportunity of embracing new digital practices into the traditional accountancy sector. This led to Farnell Clarke being the first 100% Cloud accounting firm in the UK. We have a team of around 70 people within the business.

The team we’d like your expertise and support in is within the Outsourcing department within Farnell Clarke. We are a friendly team who work together to ensure we are delivering the highest standard of service to our clients.

To achieve this, we are constantly striving for better changes internally to ensure our processe are efficient and we’re using the best cloud technology and apps there are available in the market. This also frees us up to have proactive meetings with our clients and add value to them, their team and their business.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Here is how you fit in

Our clients see us as their virtual finance team. We free up our clients time so they can focus on their business. Each member of the Outsourcing team have designated clients, and with this comes frequent communication, swiftly ensuring we build strong relationships and are valued members of our client’s team. Bookkeeping is the backbone of everything we do. The accuracy of the information we provide monthly; management accounts & cashflow forecasts is wholly reliant on accurate bookkeeping and is hugely appreciated by our clients. Management information, produced in a timely manner, ensure business decisions can be made and clients can be reactive. We are very much focused on each member of the outsouringe team, encouraging and supporting CPD and career progression. 

Operations

• Quality control of the teams work, including reviewing: sales and purchase ledgers, VAT returns, Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet, Management reports
• Preparation of management accounts, cashflow forecasts and assisting with budgets
• Maintain strong relationship with the clients to explain their numbers and results, to support initiatives, growth and profitability
• Provide support to clients
• Follow-up with clients during and after the delivery of services to ensure that their needs have been met
• Keep clients up-to-date on the progress of the service they are receiving and changes that affect them
• Strive to consistently meet service standards whilst always striving to make improvements to clients financial processes
• Is able to manage small projects and co-ordinate resource requirements

Culture

• Oversee the training and development of the team by developing and monitoring plans to provide every individual with the support and tools that give the best chance of success
• Assist your team with managing their workloads to ensure task allocations are based upon experience and are commercially viable
• Lead team meetings and attend management meetings to ensure the team have the support they need to carry out their day-to-day responsibilities
• Provide feedback to the team members
• Acts as a positive role model to the team

Support

• Liaise with vendors to ensure we are utilising all of the software’s tools
• Ensure the team and clients are kept up to date with any changes and enhances to software
• Work with the management team to ensure processes and procedures are up to date, streamlined and risk mitigating
• Is able to make decisions confidently, reaching out for help when required

Strategy

• Investigate where we have gone over budget on delivering services to our clients
• Ensure there is no scope creep on jobs
• Proactively communicates with clients by spotting opportunities where we could add value
• Identify areas to develop new business ideas or offer additional services and follow these opportunities through to implementation
• Promote the services of the business to clients and potential clients
• Proactively looks to increase portfolio profitability