Finance & Compliance Manager – Legal (Onsite)

About the role

Our client is a long‑established legal firm in Datchet, Berkshire, with a £5 million turnover and 30 staff. They are looking for an onsite Finance & Compliance Manager to handle day‑to‑day finance duties and ensure full SRA compliance across the partnership.

Key responsibilities

• Own the finance function, managing income, expenditure, budgeting, AP & AR ledgers and the full billing cycle.
• Produce regular financial and commercial reports for Managing Partners and support strategic decision‑making.
• Post monthly journals, process VAT returns, run payroll and PAYE/NI, and perform bank reconciliations.
• Ensure compliance with SRA, GDPR, AML, COFA and other regulatory frameworks, managing SAR audits and liaising with HMRC and banks.
• Oversee professional indemnity insurance, business policies and support fee‑earners with client onboarding and KYC processes.

Required profile

• AAT qualified or part‑qualified ACA/CIMA/ACCA (or qualified by experience) with recent finance experience in a UK legal firm.
• Demonstrable knowledge of SAR/SRA rules and ability to work closely with partners and fee‑earners.
• Experience managing end‑to‑end AP/AR ledgers, preferably as the sole finance professional.
• Based near Datchet and willing to work fully onsite.

Required skills

• AAT, ACA, CIMA, ACCA qualifications
• VAT returns processing
• Payroll and PAYE/NI administration
• Bank reconciliations
• SAR audit management
• HMRC liaison
• GDPR, AML and COFA compliance