We’re looking for a Finance Manager to join our small, mission-driven team in central London.
- Location: Chancery Lane, London (Hybrid working possible)
- Salary: Up to £60,000 per annum, depending on experience
- Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week, Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm with 1-hour lunch break. Flexible working possible.
- Start Date: As soon as possible
- Holiday: 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
- Contract: Permanent (subject to a 6-month probationary period)
About Zaytoun
Established in 2004, Zaytoun is a purpose-led company and the UK’s leading brand of ethically sourced Palestinian products.
Our mission is to support the resilience of Palestinian communities through fair trade.
We work with Palestinian suppliers to bring a range of high-quality products to the UK and Irish markets – from the world’s first Fairtrade olive oil to Medjoul dates, maftoul, freekeh, almonds, za’atar, as well as a recently launched skincare line including the iconic Nablus soap.
The company has grown steadily over the years and closed 2024 with a turnover of over £3 million. Our small team of 6 staff members works closely together on a collaborative basis and the company is governed by a board made up of two executive and 6 non-executive directors.
The Role
This is an opportunity for an experienced Finance Manager to play a central role in the financial stewardship of a growing, mission-driven business.
Reporting to the Managing Director, the Finance Manager leads all aspects of financial management and reporting, supporting sound decision-making and ensuring the organisation’s long-term financial stability and sustainability. As is typical in a small organisation, the role is broad in scope, combining strategic financial oversight with hands-on responsibility for day-to-day finance operations and compliance.
The role will suit someone currently working in a senior finance position in the UK who enjoys operating close to the business and contributing to commercial and strategic discussions, ideally with experience in food, drink or consumer goods.
The Finance Manager manages a Management Accountant and works closely with the Managing Director and wider team to ensure strong financial governance, commercial clarity and the effective delivery of Zaytoun’s growth plans.
Responsibilities
- Act as the primary financial adviser to the Managing Director, supporting timely and well-informed decision-making through clear analysis, recommendations and trade-offs
- Ensure the company’s short- and long-term financial stability, including oversight of cashflow, working capital and liquidity
- Provide financial leadership and governance for the long-term growth strategy, annual budget and financial targets including ensuring assumptions are well-evidenced and commercially grounded
- Proactively identify financial risks and opportunities, surfacing issues early with proposed mitigations
- Lead cashflow forecasting, stock funding analysis and working capital planning in a seasonal, import-led business
- Prepare budgets, forecasts and sales reporting, with clear narrative, conclusions and implications for decision-makers
- Produce quarterly management accounts and provide concise, forward-looking financial briefings to the Board
- Lead the preparation of the annual statutory accounts and manage filing with Companies House and external advisers
- Provide commercial guidance on pricing, margin management and cost control, balancing technical accuracy with commercial reality
- Own and manage the foreign exchange hedging strategy to mitigate currency risk
- Ensure appropriate, proportionate and robust internal financial controls are in place across the organisation
- Day-to-day management and development of the Management Accountant, with hands-on involvement during peak trading periods when required
- Maintain oversight of financial and tax compliance, keeping abreast of relevant regulatory and legislative changes
- Periodically review the alignment of finance and IT systems with business needs (desirable but not essential)
Experience, Qualifications & Skills
Essential
- Several years’ experience in a Finance Manager or equivalent senior finance role in the UK
- Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA)
- Experience acting as a trusted financial adviser to senior leadership
- Strong commercial judgement and the ability to form and communicate a clear financial view
- Ability to translate complex financial information into concise, actionable insight for non-finance colleagues
- Demonstrated experience managing cashflow, working capital and financial risk in a growing business
- Experience supervising or managing junior finance staff
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, hands-on environment, moving between strategic thinking and operational detail as required
- High level of integrity and professionalism
Desirable
- Experience in a food, drink or consumer products business (B2B and/or B2C), ideally SME
- Familiarity with Xero, Unleashed or comparable accounting and inventory systems
- Experience managing foreign exchange exposure or hedging strategies
- Broad awareness of current affairs and their impact on currency, supply chains and trading conditions
- Interest in Palestine and fair trade
To apply
If you’re excited about using your financial expertise to make a difference, we’d love to hear from you!
Please send a cover letter and CV to Manal Ramadan White on jobs@zaytoun.uk, using “Finance Manager role” as the subject line. You can download this full job description here.
Applicants must be resident and eligible to work in the United Kingdom.
We are actively reviewing and interviewing candidates on a rolling basis and may close this posting as soon as a suitable candidate is found.
Discover more about Zaytoun at www.zaytoun.uk
More recent posts
