Finance Manager jobs in Newport County

Opportunity

FLS Group is a rapidly growing, technology-enabled freight and logistics group delivering specialised transport, warehousing and customs solutions across the UK and Europe. Founded in 2016 as a single-service dedicated transport operation, we have grown into a group of six business units – Forward, Connect, Customs, Warehousing, Logiquanta (Lithuania) and Polska (Poland) – underpinned by robust financial management and a digitally enabled approach as the Group continues to scale.

We are seeking a Finance Manager to lead the Group's day-to-day finance operations, taking ownership of the purchase-to-pay and order-to-cash cycles, cash allocation and transactional controls. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance operations leader to combine people leadership, financial control and continuous improvement within a fast-paced, multi-entity group.

Acting as a trusted partner to the Group Finance Controller, and the wider finance team, you will ensure suppliers and employees are paid accurately and on time, money owed is collected efficiently, and transactional records are complete and well controlled, while converting operational data into clear working-capital insight that supports decision-making across the business.

Role Overview

The Finance Manager leads the organisation's day-to-day finance operations, ensuring that money owed is collected, suppliers and employees are paid accurately and on time, cash is allocated promptly, and transactional records are complete and well controlled. The postholder owns service quality across the purchase-to-pay and order-to-cash cycles and converts operational data into clear working-capital insight.

The role combines people leadership, financial control and continuous improvement. It works closely with Finance, Procurement, Technology, operational teams and external customers and suppliers to resolve issues, strengthen controls and deliver efficient, customer-focused services.

Key Responsibilities

1. Service delivery and operational control

• Set clear service standards, workflows, controls and escalation routes for all transactional finance activities
• Ensure invoices, credit notes, receipts, payments, refunds and expenses are processed accurately, promptly and in line with delegated authorities
• Oversee reconciliations of supplier, customer, bank, control and suspense accounts, ensuring that reconciling items are investigated and cleared
• Maintain an effective close timetable and provide accurate schedules and explanations to the wider finance team
• Resolve complex queries, exceptions and disputes, identifying root causes and preventing recurrence
• Provide resilience across the finance function, deputising for the Group Financial Controller and maintaining continuity of core financial control, reporting and payment activities during periods of absence

2. Purchase-to-pay

• Maintain effective supplier onboarding, purchase-order compliance, invoice matching, approval and payment processes
• Manage invoice backlogs, blocked invoices and supplier queries, protecting payment performance and supplier relationships
• Oversee payment runs and changes to supplier bank details, ensuring appropriate segregation of duties and fraud-prevention controls

3. Order-to-cash and working capital

• Lead shipper onboarding, account set-up and data capture, ensuring accurate billing and credit information is in place from the outset, and building the client relationships that underpin effective credit control and debtor management
• Drive timely and accurate billing, cash allocation, credit control, collections and dispute resolution
• Monitor aged debt, doubtful debts, unapplied cash, credit limits and collection commitments, escalating material risks promptly
• Produce reliable short-term cash and working-capital information in partnership with the Group Financial Controller and the wider finance team

4. Governance, risk and compliance

• Maintain documented procedures, approval matrices, access controls and evidence of key financial controls
• Support internal and external audit activity and ensure that agreed actions are completed within deadline
• Identify potential fraud, duplicate payment, data-quality, tax or compliance concerns and escalate them through the appropriate route
• Ensure transactional data is handled in accordance with data-protection, retention and information-security requirements

5. Performance reporting and insight

• Define and report meaningful service, control and working-capital measures, explaining trends, risks and corrective action
• Provide concise performance updates to senior finance and operational stakeholders and follow through on agreed actions
• Use data to prioritise resource, remove bottlenecks and improve customer and supplier experience
• Champion the effective use of data and AI-enabled tools to turn transactional finance data into insight that supports operational and commercial teams in making faster, better-informed decisions

6. Systems and continuous improvement

• Act as the operational owner for relevant finance systems, workflows, master data and reporting tools
• Standardise processes, reduce manual handling and introduce proportionate automation while preserving control quality
• Lead or support system implementations, upgrades, integrations and user-acceptance testing affecting transactional finance
• Maintain a prioritised improvement plan with clear owners, benefits, risks and delivery dates

7. People leadership and stakeholder management

• Recruit, induct, coach and develop team members; set objectives and address performance or conduct issues fairly and promptly
• Build a resilient team structure with appropriate cross-training, cover arrangements and succession plans
• Work constructively with Procurement, HR/Payroll, IT, operational leaders, customers, suppliers and shared-service partners
• Model inclusive, accountable and service-oriented leadership, encouraging challenge and continuous learning

Essential Skills & Experience

• Substantial experience in transactional finance, including strong practical knowledge of both accounts payable and accounts receivable/credit control
• Experience leading, supervising or managing a finance operations team, with accountability for service delivery and individual performance
• Experience managing high-volume processes, reconciliations, month-end deadlines and competing operational priorities
• Evidence of strengthening controls, resolving complex issues and delivering measurable process improvements
• Experience working with senior stakeholders and colleagues outside Finance to achieve timely decisions and action
• Sound understanding of purchase-to-pay, order-to-cash, credit control, cash allocation, payment and reconciliation processes
• Experience of treasury-type activities such as short-term cash flow forecasting and working-capital management
• Good understanding of financial controls, segregation of duties, audit evidence, fraud risk and data integrity
• Strong spreadsheet and data-analysis capability, including the ability to produce accurate management information and explain trends
• Confident use of an integrated finance/ERP system and workflow or reporting tools
• Ability to interpret policies and turn them into clear, workable procedures and service standards
• AAT qualification with progress towards ACCA, CIMA or ICAEW (or equivalent), reflecting the qualification pathway typically required for progression to Financial Controller
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to finance operations, leadership or systems
• Leads with clarity, fairness and accountability, setting priorities and creating a constructive performance culture
• Analyses detail without losing sight of service outcomes, risk and working-capital impact
• Communicates complex or sensitive issues clearly and adapts the message to the audience
• Influences across functional boundaries and manages challenge, conflict and escalation professionally
• Plans effectively, meets deadlines and remains composed during peak periods and organisational change
• Demonstrates integrity, sound judgement, confidentiality and a commitment to inclusive working practices

Why Join FLS Group?

• Lead the day-to-day finance operations of a fast-growth, award-winning logistics innovator headquartered in Pontypool, Wales, with expanding operations in Poland and Lithuania.
• Take ownership of purchase-to-pay and order-to-cash performance at scale—supporting six business units and multi-currency, multi-entity operations across the UK and Europe.
• Work with modern finance systems and tools and help drive automation and continuous improvement across transactional finance.
• Competitive salary, enhanced holiday contributions with service, private medical, bonus and genuine progression opportunities within a growing finance team.

Pay: £50,000.00-£60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Additional leave
• Company events
• Free parking
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking
• Private medical insurance

Work Location: In person