Role purpose

Business context

•  A multi-entity group with UK and Irish operations across 5 group companies
• Current Group turnover of approximately £17m+, with a five-year objective to grow toward £30m.
• A finance function that must support high volume supplier payments, overseas customers, multi currency transactions and seasonal cashflow demands.
• A strategic objective to strengthen financial control, improve debtor management and cash conversion, and increase the quality and timeliness of management information.

Key responsibilities

• Take ownership of the monthly close process across all Group companies.
• Prepare and review monthly management accounts, including P&L, balance sheet and cashflow reporting.
• Prepare Group consolidation and variance analysis against budget, forecast and prior year.
• Ensure balance sheet reconciliations, journals, accruals and prepayments are accurate and completed on time.
• Provide clear commentary on business performance, risks and emerging trends.
• Support year-end accounts, audit requirements and external adviser queries.

• Maintain and improve rolling cashflow forecasting, including a 13-week cashflow view.
• Monitor daily and weekly cash positions and identify short-term funding or timing risks.
• Lead the operational focus on debtor management, overdue balances and cash collection.
• Work with operational teams to ensure invoices are raised accurately and promptly.
• Review aged debt and ensure appropriate escalation of overdue accounts.
• Plan supplier payments in line with cash priorities, agreed terms and operational requirements.

• Provide direct day to day management of the finance team.
• Allocate work, set priorities and ensure deadlines are achieved.
• Coach and develop team members, building accounting knowledge and confidence.
• Introduce cross-training so that critical tasks are not dependent on one individual.
• Create clear accountability for AP, AR/credit control, reconciliations and payroll support.
• Hold regular one-to-one meetings and support performance and development planning.

• Strengthen and standardise financial controls across all Group companies.
• Develop consistent month-end, reconciliation, approval and payment procedures.
• Improve segregation of duties and evidence of review.
• Identify opportunities for automation and simplification of routine finance processes.
• Ensure finance procedures are documented and consistently followed.
• Support future finance system improvements and integrations.

• Work with the Finance Director and operational management to provide useful financial insight.
• Analyse margins, profitability and cost trends across customers, tours and business areas.
• Support budgeting, forecasting and scenario planning.
• Provide financial input into pricing, supplier negotiations and commercial decisions.
• Help move the finance function from transaction processing toward proactive commercial support.

• Oversee accounting for overseas agents and customers, deposits, staged payments and final balances.
• Understand and manage multi-currency transactions and foreign exchange impacts.
• Oversee financial processes relating to hotels, transport providers, guides, attractions and other tour suppliers.
• Support accurate accounting for deferred income, accrued supplier costs and tour profitability.
• Maintain awareness of VAT and TOMS requirements where applicable.
• Plan for the seasonal cashflow characteristics of an inbound travel business

Measures of success

Person specification

• ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualified, part-qualified with strong relevant experience
• Proven experience preparing management accounts and managing month-end processes.
• Experience supervising or managing finance staff.
• Strong understanding of balance sheet control, cashflow and working capital.
• Comfortable operating in a hands on SME environment as well as reviewing the work of others.
• Strong Excel and accounting systems capability.
• Clear communicator who can explain finance to non-finance colleagues.
• Organised, practical and able to prioritise across multiple companies and deadlines.

• Experience within travel, tourism, hospitality or another high-volume service business.
• Multi-company and multi-currency accounting experience.
• Knowledge of UK VAT and TOMS.
• Experience improving finance processes, controls or systems.
• Experience supporting a growing owner-managed or privately held group.

Candidate profile

Career opportunity

Cashel Travel is proud to be an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), meaning our business is owned on behalf of our employees.

Employee ownership reflects the way we want to work: with a shared sense of purpose, long-term thinking and a genuine commitment to the success of both our people and our business. Everyone has a part to play in shaping our future, and when Cashel Travel succeeds, our employees share in that success.

For us, being employee owned is about more than ownership it’s about creating a workplace where people feel valued, involved and invested in what we achieve together.

Our benefits also include:
28 days holiday including Bank Holidays
Remote Working Abroad policy
EOT Bonus based on eligibility rules