Finance Team Leader

Contract: Permanent Salary: £33,000 - £35,000 per annum (depending on experience) Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday Location: Luton with agile working About Us We are a specialist Supported Living Services provider dedicated to enabling people to live independently and achieve positive outcomes. Our services are centred around dignity, respect, choice and inclusion, and we are committed to delivering high-quality support that makes a meaningful difference. As our organisation continues to grow, we are looking for talented individuals who share our values and want to contribute to a collaborative, supportive and forward-thinking workplace. Our Benefits We value our employees and offer a competitive benefits package, including: • 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays), increasing with length of service • Option to buy or sell up to five days annual leave • Health Cash Plan (following successful probation) • Employee Assistance Programme • Pension scheme with employer contributions • Life Assurance • Personal Accident Cover • Employee discounts and benefits platform • Flexible and agile working arrangements • Learning and development opportunities About the Role This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced finance professional to lead the day-to-day operations of our Finance Team. Reporting to the Financial Controller and working alongside the Management Accountant, you will oversee the smooth delivery of all transactional finance activities, including purchase ledger, sales ledger, banking, reconciliations and cash management. You will provide leadership and support to the finance team, ensuring workloads are effectively managed, deadlines are achieved and high standards of accuracy and financial control are maintained. This is a hands-on role where you will actively contribute to operational finance while driving continuous improvement across the department. Key Responsibilities As Finance Team Leader, you will: • Lead the day-to-day activities of the Finance Team, providing guidance, support and performance oversight. • Maintain accurate cashbooks and complete monthly bank reconciliations across all organisational accounts. • Process journals and maintain the integrity of the general ledger. • Oversee the Sales Ledger function, ensuring invoices are processed accurately and customer queries are resolved promptly. • Manage the Purchase Ledger function, ensuring supplier invoices are processed efficiently and payment runs are completed within agreed timescales. • Monitor income, banking transactions and financial reconciliations to ensure accuracy and compliance. • Support the maintenance of the Fixed Asset Register. • Assist colleagues across the organisation with finance-related queries and provide excellent customer service. • Ensure compliance with financial procedures, internal controls and organisational policies. • Support the preparation of financial reports and documentation for senior management and external stakeholders. • Identify opportunities to improve financial systems, processes and controls. • Contribute to audit preparation and year-end financial activities. • Undertake any other duties appropriate to the level of the role. About You You are an experienced finance professional with strong organisational skills and a proactive approach to leadership. You enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, balancing your own workload while supporting others to achieve shared objectives. You lead by example, communicate effectively and take pride in delivering accurate, timely financial information. You are solution-focused, adaptable and committed to maintaining high standards while continuously looking for ways to improve processes and enhance team performance. Essential Criteria Qualifications • GCSE (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics. • Qualified by experience within a finance environment. Experience • Minimum of two years' experience working within a busy finance or accounting function. • Experience supervising finance processes or supporting a finance team. • Experience using accounting software and Microsoft Office applications. • Strong experience of bank reconciliations, journals, purchase ledger and sales ledger. Skills • Excellent written and verbal communication skills. • Strong Microsoft Excel skills and proficiency across Microsoft Office. • Excellent organisational and time management abilities. • Strong reconciliation and analytical skills. • High level of accuracy and attention to detail. • Ability to prioritise competing deadlines and work under pressure. • Ability to build positive working relationships across the organisation. • Professional, reliable and committed to maintaining confidentiality. Desirable Criteria • AAT qualified or studying towards ACCA, CIMA or an equivalent accounting qualification. • Experience working within Supported Living, Health & Social Care, or the not-for-profit sector. • Experience supporting external audits and financial reporting. • Experience identifying and implementing process improvements.