Interim Management Accountant

Sewell Wallis are working with an established PE backed business based in Sheffield, who are looking for an Interim Management Accountant to join them on a maternity cover contract.

The successful candidate will play a significant role during a key growth phase for the business, as this opportunity combines core accounting responsibilities with automation, process improvements and driving system adoption. Candidates with a strong background in change management will be well suited to lead on enhancing efficiency and reducing manual work within this role.

If you're a qualified Accountant, with relevant automation/systems experience, I'd love to hear from you!

What will you be doing

• Lead short-term impact projects to streamline finance processes and reduce manual work.
• Champion system adoption by driving greater use of Sage Intacct and Salesforce across finance workflows.
• Act as a change agent, influencing stakeholders and embedding best practices during the contract period.
• Support the month-end close, including preparation and posting of journals, prepayments, and accruals.
• Assist with monthly management accounts and variance analysis, collaborating with the Management Accountant.
• Maintain and reconcile balance sheet control accounts, investigating and resolving discrepancies.
• Process monthly payroll for approximately 140 employees across two companies using Sage, ensuring accurate and timely submission of PAYE and pension contributions.
• Ensure compliance with UK payroll legislation, including statutory payments and pension auto-enrolment.
• Manage supplier relationships, resolve queries, and ensure timely payments aligned to authorisation limits.
• Prepare and process weekly supplier payment runs, following internal controls.
• Maintain accurate bank and cash records, including daily reconciliations and correct allocation of transactions.
• Use Sage Intacct for financial reporting, transaction processing, and system-based workflows.
• Reconcile large and complex data sets accurately and efficiently as part of month-end and reporting.
• Assist with year-end accounts and audit schedules, responding to auditor queries.
• Provide operational finance support to other departments, including resolving coding queries and supporting budget tracking.
• Support the Financial Controller and Finance Director with ad-hoc tasks and continuous improvement initiatives.

What skills will you need?

• Qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent), with practical experience in a fast-paced SME or scale-up.
• Demonstrable experience project-leading process or systems change in finance, including stakeholder management and delivery.
• Comfortable balancing hands-on accounting with strategic initiatives.
• Comfortable with cloud-based finance systems; experience with Sage Intacct desirable.
• Advanced Excel skills and ability to translate manual processes into systemised workflows.
• Experience supporting external audits and preparing audit schedules is desirable.
• Proactive approach to improving processes and maintaining strong internal controls

What's on offer?

• Hybrid working - 3 days in the office
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays (Pro rata to length of contract)
• Enhanced pension.
• Healthcare scheme

Please apply below, or for more information, contact Lawrie Bacon.

To apply please send your CV, quoting our reference and specifying which website you saw this position advertised on. Due to the high volume of applications please accept that if we have not responded to your application within seven days, your application has not been successful. Sewell Wallis is a specialist recruitment company with a vast amount of experience in our industry we offer permanent, temporary and interim recruitment support for accounting and finance, human resources and business support positions. We recruit at all levels within finance from Purchase Ledger Administrator and Credit Controller level through to Financial Controller and Director positions. With offices in Sheffield and Leeds, we are well situated to cover all of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Manchester. Please visit our website for more information on accountancy and finance jobs and human resources or business support positions.