Accountancy and finance recruitment for South West businesses

From the person who keeps the ledgers straight to the finance director who steers the business, we recruit the finance people South West organisations rely on. Permanent, temporary and interim, through a team led by Matt Wicks

Accountancy & Finance Vacancies

What we recruit

Finance teams are built in layers. We recruit every one of them.

Accounts and payroll. Bookkeepers, accounts assistants, finance officers, purchase and sales ledger, credit control and payroll. The people who keep the numbers accurate and suppliers paid.

Management and reporting. Assistant, management and financial accountants, finance managers, and finance systems and analysis specialists. The people who close the month, report on time and explain what the numbers mean.

Finance leadership. Financial controllers, heads of finance, finance directors and CFOs, permanent or interim. The people who run the function and sit at the board table.

Permanent, temporary or interim

Permanent. We search, screen and shortlist for the finance hire you want to keep.

Temporary. Ledger, payroll and finance support to cover absence, a busy period or a vacancy while you recruit, with timesheets and compliance handled.

Interim and fixed-term. An experienced finance lead for a defined period: covering a departure, steering a systems change or bridging the gap before a permanent hire.

Who we recruit for

Our finance clients range from owner-managed businesses to large not-for-profits. Recent hires have been made by:

• Care providers and healthcare organisations
• Charities and membership organisations
• Schools, academy trusts and student organisations
• Housing associations and housebuilders
• Manufacturers, engineering and aviation businesses
• Retail, leisure and hospitality businesses
• Technology and software companies
• Law practices and professional services firms

What finance roles pay in the South West

Salaries agreed on the finance roles we have placed in Devon and the South West between September 2024 and September 2026, full-time. A guide only: pay depends on the size of the business, the sector and the scope of the role.

Looking at pay for a role you are about to advertise? Ask Matt for the figures for your sector and size of business.

How we find the right finance hire

We start with the role, not the job title. A finance manager can mean month-end and reporting in one business and systems and a team in another. We agree what the role really involves, the systems you use and the level you need before we search.

We check the technical side. We test for the finance basics the role needs, such as reconciliations, month-end and the accounting system you use, before a CV reaches you.

We screen before we share. Every candidate you meet has had at least two screening interviews with us, so you see people who are right for the role.

We stay with you to the start date. We advise on salary, manage the offer and keep in touch with your new starter before they join, because the finance people worth hiring usually have more than one offer.

Questions finance hiring managers ask us

Should we hire a qualified accountant or someone part-qualified? It depends on what the role has to do. For technical reporting and anything an auditor will look at, qualified (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) is usually right. For ledger and process-heavy roles, an AAT or part-qualified hire who wants to develop can be the better fit, and often stays longer.

Do we need a financial controller or a finance manager? A financial controller owns the whole finance function and usually reports to the board; a finance manager runs the team and month-end day to day. In smaller businesses one person often does both, and the titles vary, so we start from the work rather than the label.

When does an interim finance director make sense? When you need experienced leadership for a set period: covering a departure, a systems change, a sale or funding round, or while you work out what permanent role you need.

What should we expect to pay? See the salary guide above, or ask Matt for the figures for your sector and size of business.

Your contact

Matt Wicks, Recruitment Manager.

Matt leads our accountancy and finance team and works with finance leaders across Devon and the South West.

Hiring in Finance, get in touch