Tax accountant jobs in Manchester

Combine your financial expertise with real-world impact by joining Parkinson’s Europe (PE) as our Senior Finance Manager. We’re seeking a proactive professional with heart and passion to safeguard our financial health and empower the Parkinson’s community across Europe, offering a role with significant autonomy and clear room for professional growth within our evolving organisation.

Job specification

Location: Remote working (but note that occasional travel – to attend quarterly team meetings in the UK and other ad hoc meetings/conferences – is required)

Salary: £17,200 – £20,000 per annum, dependent on experience (£43,000 – £50,000 FTE).

Annual leave: 13.5 days per annum (inclusive of pro-rata statutory bank holidays, based on a full-time equivalent of 25 days). 

Contract: This is a permanent, employed role

Responsible to: Director General

Collaboration with: Operations Director and Partnerships Director, plus the wider team

Job description

Main purpose of role

To oversee the charity’s financial management, ensuring accurate reporting, effective budgeting and robust controls. The Senior Finance Manager provides insight to support strategic decision-making, maintains compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, and manages day-to-day finance operations to safeguard the organisation’s financial health.

In addition, as part of a small team, the Senior Finance Manager provides light-touch HR support to assist with processes – such as appraisals, payroll and staff records — helping to ensure smooth operations in the absence of a dedicated HR function.

Key tasks – finance

• Ensure accurate recording of information of various funding (industry, donations, memberships etc), spending, banking 

• Manual bookkeeping and liaising with Accountants in the UK and in Belgium to ensure data is uploaded correctly to Sage (or similar software) 

• Monthly month end checks on Sage and accurate nominal coding, working with PE’s appointed accountants 

• Raise invoices and credit control

• Accounts payable & expenses process including employee and freelance pay

• Managing all aspects regarding employee pay – working with PE’s appointed payroll agent, pension provider and insurance broker

• Year-end work – including checks and liaising with PE’s appointed accountants

• Charity Commission – completion of annual return

• Donations – check and manage paypal and other donation platforms accordingly

• Management of all PE bank accounts and all aspects regarding bank matters – i.e unknown payments, bank applications for new card holders, transaction queries etc

• Financial reviews with Director General and Operations Director, and to provide accurate information in regards to forecasting, funding, spending, general P&L and other financial matters

• Perform monthly cash-flow forecasting to ensure the 4-month reserve policy is maintained at all times

• Annual budgeting

• Liaising with Treasurer, dealing with any queries he/she may have; assist with AGM reporting 

• Join Board/AGM meetings as required, and deal with any finance-related queries the Board members may have

• Keeping abreast of UK national regulatory and budgetary developments

Key tasks – HR and other

• Support and liaise with the Operations Director and Partnerships Director with all treatment industry/funding agreements 

• Maintain the organisation’s Contract Register, ensuring all agreements (i.e., treatment iindustry partnerships) are tracked for payment milestones

• Keeping and maintaining employee/freelance agreements up to date 

• Holiday and sickness tracking

• Liaise and support the Operations Director with regards to various policies (i.e expenses, bereavement)

• Supporting the Director General and Operations Director with the appraisal process

Person specification

Essential skills and experience

• Minimum five years’ professional experience in an accounting or finance role, supported by a relevant accounting qualification or significant demonstrable experience. Prior experience within the charity or not-for-profit sector is highly desirable. Experience or comfort managing cross-border EU-UK financial complexities is a plus.

• Experience of preparing management accounts, budgets, forecasts and year-end reporting

• An understanding of charity finance requirements (e.g. charity accounting, Charity Commission obligations)

• Proficiency in accounting software (Sage or similar) and MS Office (especially Excel) 

• Experience of basic HR processes (e.g. recruitment, contracts, record-keeping, employee/er taxes and pension obligations)

• Understanding of payroll administration 

• Ability to interpret and explain financial information to non-finance colleagues and Board directors

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities

• High level of accuracy, attention to detail and integrity

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a collaborative approach

Personal qualities

• Commitment to the values and mission of the charity

• A proactive, hands-on approach suited to a small organisation

• Ability to work independently and take initiative

• Flexibility and willingness to adapt to changing needs

• Discretion and respect for confidentiality

Application process 

To apply for this role, please submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your suitability via the CharityJob portal. The deadline is officially 27 May; however, please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we reserve the right to begin the interview process or close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is found. Therefore, early applications are strongly encouraged.

Parkinson's Europe is an inclusive employer committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. We use an anonymous recruitment process to prevent unconscious bias, and welcome applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender identity or expression, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic. We believe that a diverse team enriches our work and strengthens our ability to serve the entire Parkinson's community across Europe. Please let us know if you have any accessibility requirements we can provide to support you during the application process. 

Magic Breakfast

Financial Accountant

Salary: £43,500 – £50,500

Permanent, Full-time (35 hours per week)

Fully remote (UK-based)

About Magic Breakfast

Magic Breakfast is on a mission to ensure that no child is too hungry to learn. Every school day, we provide nutritious breakfasts to over 300,000 children and young people across England and Scotland, working with schools in areas of greatest disadvantage.

The latest research shows that 2.7 million children are at risk of hunger, meaning one in five arrive at school without enough to eat. Hunger affects concentration, behaviour and attainment and that’s why our work matters.

We are now entering an exciting next phase as we launch Nourishing Futures, our long-term strategy to scale our impact, strengthen partnerships and redefine breakfast spaces as places where children can thrive, not just eat.

To support this growth, we are looking for an experienced and technically strong Financial Accountant to safeguard the integrity of our financial reporting and provide assurance across our finance function.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Finance, the Financial Accountant is the technical cornerstone of Magic Breakfast’s finance function.

You will lead on statutory accounting, financial controls and compliance, acting as the guardian of the general ledger, balance sheet integrity and finance systems. This role provides trusted technical expertise to senior leadership, ensuring that our financial reporting, governance and regulatory obligations are met to the highest standard.

This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified accountant with a strong technical background whether from audit, charity or complex organisations who wants to apply their expertise in a purpose-led organisation making a real difference to children’s lives.

The role is fully remote, with occasional travel within the UK as required (for example, key meetings or audits).

Key Responsibilities

Statutory Accounts & External Reporting

• Lead the preparation of statutory annual accounts in line with Charities SORP, Companies Act and relevant accounting standards
• Exercise professional judgement on complex accounting matters, estimates and disclosures
• Support and coordinate the annual audit, acting as the main liaison with external auditors
• Ensure clear reconciliation between statutory accounts, management accounts and ledger data
• Present and explain statutory results and accounting judgements to senior leaders and governance committees

Financial Controls, Ledger & Balance Sheet Integrity

• Own the general ledger, approving journals and maintaining high standards of accuracy
• Lead month-end and year-end close processes
• Ensure all balance sheet reconciliations are robust, timely and resolved
• Strengthen and maintain effective financial controls across finance processes

Technical Accounting Leadership

• Act as the technical accounting lead across the organisation
• Provide guidance on restricted funds, income recognition, reserves, capitalisation and consolidation
• Review funding and partnership agreements to ensure correct accounting treatment and compliance
• Maintain and implement financial policies, staying ahead of regulatory and accounting changes

Tax, Payroll & Regulatory Compliance

• Prepare VAT returns and optimise Magic Breakfast’s VAT position where possible
• Oversee payroll data accuracy in partnership with People & Culture and external payroll providers
• Ensure full compliance with VAT, PAYE, pensions and other statutory requirements

About You

We’re looking for someone who brings strong technical expertise, sound judgement and a collaborative mindset.

You will ideally have:

• A recognised accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
• (Part-qualified or qualified by experience will also be considered)
• Strong experience preparing statutory accounts and working with external auditors
• Excellent knowledge of accounting standards, Charities SORP and regulatory requirements
• Experience overseeing VAT, payroll and statutory compliance
• A strong understanding of financial controls and governance
• Experience using ERP systems (Microsoft Business Central desirable) and Excel
• The confidence to explain complex financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues

How to Apply

Magic Breakfast are partnering exclusively with Allen Lane on this appointment. To find out more about the role or to discuss your suitability, please contact Iain Slinn at Allen Lane to arrange an informal conversation.