Accounting Finance Manager
Manage and implement accounting, finance systems and processes.
Average salary
£46,678 per year
Level
6 RQF/EQF
National Occupational Standard
Details of
the Standard
Employers involved in creating the standard
5 Star Estate Planning, Acc-Unique Solutions Ltd, Azets, BBC, BDT Group, Birmingham City University, Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Central England Co-operative Limited, Certax, Coventry University, Devonports, Ernst and Young, Exeter University, Forest Phoenix Accountancy Ltd, Gloucestershire County Council, Golden Intelligence Ltd, HBBA Care Ltd, IBM, IBM UK Foundation Manager IBM UK Early Professional Programmes, Institute of Financial Accountants, Jaguar Land Rover, Kingsley Maybrook Ltd, Longhurst Group, Manex Accountancy, Morgan Reach Chartered Certified Accountants, Paton Turberfield Accountants, Right Check, Sage (UK) Limited, TaxWhizz, The Education and Skills Partnership Ltd, Thomson Reuters Professional (UK) Ltd, UK Dies Group Ltd, University of Portsmouth, University of West of England, Watts Accountancy, Wellbeing Residential Care Group, Xero
Summary
Accounting Finance Manager position exists across organisations of all sizes and sectors — public, private, and third. Accounting and Finance Managers work within finance departments or professional accountancy firms, managing and implementing systems that support strategic decision-making.
They oversee accounting operations, ensure compliance with regulations and ethical standards, and provide timely financial information to senior management. Their responsibilities include budgeting, forecasting, analysing financial trends, and ensuring efficient use of resources through appropriate technologies.
These managers act as a bridge between strategic and operational levels, combining technical, technological, and interpersonal skills. They contribute to business planning, monitor performance, manage cash flows, and may train or recruit staff.
In large organisations, they usually report to a Finance Director; in smaller firms, they may be the senior finance specialist. They typically lead a team of finance and tax professionals managing day-to-day operations.
Typical job titles include
Accounting and Finance Manager
Oversees all financial operations, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and strategic alignment. Leads the finance team, manages budgets, forecasts, and reporting, and supports decision-making at both operational and strategic levels.
Accounts Manager
Supervises accounting staff, ensures the completion of ledgers, reconciliations, and reports. Maintains internal controls and liaises with auditors and management.
Accounts Semi-Senior
Supports senior accountants in preparing accounts, processing journals, and conducting reconciliations. Develops professional skills while working under supervision.
Accounts Senior
Prepares full financial statements, manages audits, and ensures compliance with accounting standards. Provides guidance to junior staff and reports to management.
Company Accountant
Responsible for maintaining all financial records of a company, including payroll, tax compliance, and management reports. Acts as the key contact for external auditors.
Credit Controller
Monitors and manages customer credit accounts, ensuring timely payments and minimising bad debts. Maintains good client relationships while protecting cash flow.
Finance Manager
Plans and manages the organisation’s financial activities. Oversees reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and ensures alignment with business strategy.
Financial Accountant
Produces statutory accounts and financial statements, ensuring compliance with legal and accounting standards. Analyses performance and supports audits.
Financial Controller
Manages the financial accounting function, supervises reporting and internal controls, and ensures the integrity of financial information.
Reporting Accountant
Prepares management and financial reports for internal and external stakeholders. Ensures accuracy and consistency across all reporting systems.
Systems Accountant
Combines accounting expertise with IT skills to maintain and improve financial systems. Implements automation, ensures data integrity, and supports digital transformation in finance.
Knowledge
K1: Understand how to apply the regulatory framework of financial accounting to sole traders, partnerships, companies, charities, and public sector organisations.
K2: Understand accounting concepts and standards within UK GAAP and IFRS as they apply to different organisational types, including sole traders, partnerships, companies, charities, and public sector bodies.
K3: Understand how to use financial accounting technologies for reporting and internal control purposes, such as iXBRL.
K4: Understand approaches to analysing competitors, stakeholders, and market trends through ratio, trend, stakeholder, and competitor analysis.
K5: Understand how to use data analytics technologies to visualise insights from financial and non-financial data obtained from internal and external sources.
K6: Understand the requirements of the Data Commissioner under GDPR and those of other relevant regulatory stakeholders.
K7: Understand digital technologies and cybersecurity protocols used to protect data against cyberattacks and corruption.
K8: Understand the principles of legal, professional, and ethical frameworks, including anti-money-laundering, criminal finance, data protection, health and safety, computer misuse, and cybercrime regulations.
K9: Understand how to manage digital systems in compliance with legal, professional, and ethical standards.
K10: Understand the importance and methods of reconciling internal system records with external sources such as banks and suppliers.
K11: Understand the purpose and techniques of budgeting and forecasting to manage revenue, expenditure, and cash flow effectively.
K12: Understand how digital technologies are used to compile, manage, and report on budgets.
K13: Understand approaches to preparing reliable cash-flow forecasts.
K14: Understand how to use digital technology to forecast, monitor, and report on organisational cash-flow movements.
K15: Understand approaches to analysing the financial and non-financial impact of management decisions.
K16: Understand how to use digital tools to produce management reports that support effective decision-making.
K17: Understand the role and importance of taxation in society and its influence on government policy.
K18: Understand how UK taxation relates to the accounting and finance function within organisations.
K19: Understand the implications of taxation reporting and obligations for organisational and client decision-making.
K20: Understand how digital technologies are used to process data and meet HMRC and organisational digital taxation requirements.
K21: Understand the purpose and importance of internal and external audit functions and how to provide required information to audit teams.
K22: Understand strategic planning techniques used to analyse, develop, and implement organisational strategies.
K23: Understand how digital technology supports the analysis, communication, monitoring, and reporting of strategy implementation and achievement of strategic objectives.
K24: Understand how to identify and evaluate quantitative and qualitative factors influencing business performance.
K25: Understand how technology can be used to collect, analyse, and communicate quantitative and qualitative data.
K26: Understand the various sources of finance available to organisations and their implications.
K27: Understand how to use technology to identify, apply for, and manage finance and credit relationships.
K28: Understand the legal and organisational framework governing receivables, credit control, and stakeholder relationships.
K29: Understand how technology supports effective credit-control management for internal and external stakeholders.
K30: Understand the principles and practices for designing, implementing, and maintaining internal controls to mitigate risks such as fraud, cyberattacks, or data inaccuracies.
K31: Understand approaches to internal controls for both manual and digital systems, taking account of the wider control environment.
K32: Understand how to manage and maintain positive external relationships that impact the organisation.
K33: Understand how digital technologies are used to produce stakeholder information, including Integrated Reporting and ESG reports.
K34: Understand the principles of effective staff recruitment, training, appraisal, mentoring, and management.
K35: Understand how to use digital technologies to appraise, monitor, and manage staff performance.
Skills
S1: Prepare financial statements, or extracts thereof, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (UK GAAP).
S2: Identify and apply appropriate digital technologies to produce statutory or financial reports that meet professional and organisational requirements.
S3: Analyse financial and non-financial internal data and compare it with benchmark data from competitors, stakeholders, and market trends.
S4: Use data analytics tools to visualise findings, make evidence-based recommendations, and communicate outcomes effectively.
S5: Interpret and implement the latest guidance on secure data management to satisfy the requirements of the Data Commissioner and comply with GDPR.
S6: Implement protocols and technological safeguards that minimise risks to data integrity and cyber security.
S7: Evaluate internal and external factors influencing the organisation’s compliance with legal, professional, and ethical frameworks.
S8: Apply principles of digital systems management to ensure ongoing compliance with all relevant frameworks and standards.
S9: Analyse and interpret discrepancies between internal and external records and produce reconciliations that clearly identify differences and corrective actions.
S10: Create accurate budgets and forecasts using appropriate tools, methodologies, and analytical techniques.
S11: Interpret budget reports to assess the reliability of forecasts, identify variances, and recommend corrective actions.
S12: Prepare, calculate, and interpret cash-flow forecasts to support financial planning and control.
S13: Interpret cash-flow reports and recommend future actions to manage liquidity and cash balances effectively.
S14: Apply management accounting techniques to support and enhance organisational decision-making.
S15: Interpret management reports and communicate advice that influences decisions, using appropriate media and demonstrating professional communication skills.
S16: Interpret and apply HMRC regulations to prepare accurate tax computations and statutory returns.
S17: Implement and oversee systems and processes that collect the information required by HMRC.
S18: Analyse and summarise organisational or client decision-making and evaluate the taxation implications and obligations.
S19: Implement and manage digital technologies to comply with HMRC’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) reporting requirements.
S20: Prepare and present the information required by internal and external auditors in a clear and comprehensive format.
S21: Evaluate strategic options, taking into account the influence of internal and external environmental factors.
S22: Develop, communicate, and deliver operational plans aligned with strategic objectives; set targets and KPIs, allocate resources, and monitor performance to ensure effective, efficient, and economical operations.
S23: Interpret quantitative and qualitative data to assess business performance and communicate findings using a range of media, demonstrating professionalism and emotional intelligence.
S24: Analyse and interpret how data is collected, extracted, processed, and reported to support business decision-making.
S25: Evaluate the impact of various sources of finance on the organisation, assess risks, and recommend suitable financing options.
S26: Advise organisations on raising finance, implementing technology to manage funding, and maintaining effective credit relationships.
S27: Design and manage a compliant credit-control system that supports strategic objectives for customers, insurers, and cash-flow management.
S28: Implement technology that enables the delivery and monitoring of an effective credit-control system.
S29: Analyse, design, implement, communicate, monitor, and review internal control systems and processes that mitigate risks, including fraud, error, and cyber threats.
S30: Document manual and digital internal controls, identify weaknesses, and provide practical recommendations for improvement.
S31: Develop and maintain positive and effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
S32: Identify and compile relevant information for inclusion in stakeholder reports and decision-support documents.
S33: Identify and recommend improvements to HR policies and practices, including recruitment, training, appraisal, mentoring, and performance management.
S34: Evaluate the effectiveness of digital technologies used to appraise, monitor, and manage staff performance.
Behaviours
B1: Demonstrate conscientiousness and diligence, maintaining a high level of attention to detail that ensures completeness and accuracy in all work.
B2: Demonstrate a rigorous and evidence-based approach to analysing data, researching facts, and consulting expert opinion before recommending actions.
B3: Commit to continuing professional development (CPD) by staying current with legislation, professional standards, advances in digital technologies, and guidance from HMRC and standard-setting bodies.
B4: Act objectively and work effectively both independently and as part of a team. Demonstrate a reflective approach focused on continuous improvement of self, team, and organisational relationships.
B5: Act with professional scepticism — maintain a questioning mind, remain alert to potential misstatements or irregularities, and critically assess all evidence before forming conclusions.
B6: Act with integrity, professional judgement, and ethical awareness. Apply professional standards to make informed, responsible decisions that serve both organisational and public interests.
B7: Demonstrate creativity, innovation, and enterprise when addressing business challenges. Be adaptable, receptive to feedback, and open to new methods, technologies, and management approaches.
National Skills. Real Jobs
SwissFin embeds the National Occupational Standards in all programmes, ensuring graduates are job-ready and able to evidence their competence.
- Learn exactly the skills employers need
- Job-ready upon graduation
- Ability to demonstrate competence
- Strong employability in banking, fintech
- Pathway to global professional
- 180+ country career mobility
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With the SwissUK™ dual-award system, learners gain international and public-sector recognition, with cross-recognition in over 180 countries through RQF/EQF compatibility.
Private Degree from SIMI Swiss and a Qualification from an Ofqual UK Government Awarding Body.
The Swiss Private Degree is highly recognised and prioritised in international corporate settings.
Recognised in the public sector through UK national, government-regulated qualifications.
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