Finance manager
Plan and oversee the financial information for a company or organisation.
Also known as: head of finance, finance director, assistant finance manager
About the job
What it's like
As a finance manager, you would plan and oversee the financial information for your company or organisation. You would be responsible for maintaining the integrity of financial accounts and reporting suspected breaches of conduct.
In this role, you would work directly with others. You could be working with people within your company or other businesses. You would advise customers or colleagues on your company's financial policies.
Through your duties, you will manage all financial information for your organisation. You will:
report to the Chief Financial Officer
ensure financial regulatory standards are met
monitor processes and procedures for accounting and financial reporting
lead the finance team
prepare financial information for review – for your company or other organisations that oversee financial regulations.
work with Government bodies such as HMRC
be responsible for tax information
oversee management accounting and budgetary processes
You'll need to have good attention to detail. You’ll keep up to date on market information and financial regulation.
Hours
This role will likely require you to work 35 to 40 hours a week.
Environment
This role is office-based.
Travel
In this role, you may occasionally need to travel to other locations.
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Related industries
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- finance
- accounting
- financial statements
- financial management
- financial controls
- statutory accounts
- cash flow management
- financial strategy
- financial policy
- bipoc issues
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- analysing
- taking responsibility
- ethical
- taking initiative
- attention to detail
- working with numbers
- problem solving
- written communication
- working with technology
- verbal communication
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Maths (Mathematics)
Economics
Business Management
Accounting
Statistics
Applications of Mathematics
English
Foundation Apprenticeship: Accountancy
Skills for Work: Financial Services
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
While there are no formal qualification requirements, a degree in a relevant subject, such as Accountancy or Business Management, will be valuable.
You could complete an apprenticeship to gain a qualification and work experience. Relevant apprenticeships are:
MA Providing Financial Services
MA Accountancy
MA Insurance
MA Payroll
MA Prof Services
GA Accounting
GA Business Management
GA Business Management: Financial Services
You could also gain an Associated Chartered Accountant (ACA) qualification. You could also gain a qualification through the Association of Chartered Accountants (ACCA) or the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). Any of these qualifications will help you to stand out.
Having relevant work experience can help you a lot in this role. You're likely to use spreadsheets, so experience working with Excel will be a valuable asset to employers.
You will need to have good attention to detail and analysis skills. The best thing you can do is have confidence in yourself and your skills.
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