Practice Manager

Practice Manager — UK Accountancy Practice

Role Overview

The Practice Manager is responsible for the smooth operational running of the accountancy practice, supporting the leadership team in delivering strategic goals while overseeing compliance, financial administration, client service standards, systems, and facilities. This role acts as the central coordination point between partners, staff, clients, and external bodies to ensure productivity, regulatory adherence, team wellbeing, and exceptional service delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Practice Operations

• Oversee day-to-day running of the office, ensuring efficiency, productivity, and effective workflow.

• Implement and refine operational processes, practice policies, and procedural

documentation.

• Manage practice capacity planning, staff scheduling, workloads, and departmental coordination.

• Monitor client service standards and act as an escalation point for client concerns.

• Liaise with suppliers, IT support, HR, contractors, and service providers.

• Ensure clients remain happy and deal with any complaints promptly to the satisfaction of the client.

• Support clients with Group initiatives, such as, fee protection, AGFS, planning

opportunities and IT support. Compliance & Regulatory Oversight

• Oversee practice compliance for GDPR, AML, Professional body requirements

(ICAEW/ACCA practice regulations where applicable), Client due diligence, risk

assessments, and data protection processes.

• Maintain and update compliance policies, registers, filing systems and audit trails.

• Coordinate with HR for CPD training and regulatory deadlines for partners and staff.

Financial & Administrative Management

• Supervise billing timelines, credit control, cashflow monitoring, and KPI reporting.

• Manage practice financial administration including purchase ledger, expenses, office budget tracking.

• Assist partners with practice performance reporting and management information (MI).

• Oversee internal financial controls and administrative accuracy.

Systems & IT

• Maintain oversight of core practice software such as TaxCalc, Xero, or similar systems depending on practice stack.

• Support digitisation, cyber security awareness, IT resilience, and system optimisation.

Facilities & Office Management

• Ensure the office environment is safe, compliant, well-maintained and appropriately resourced.

• Oversee health & safety risk assessments, fire procedures, first aid arrangements, and insurance (professional indemnity, fee protection, office etc.) requirements

Skills & Experience Required

Essential

• Practice operations experience within an accountancy or advisory firm.

• Exposure to professional body practice requirements (ICAEW/ACCA or equivalent).

• Strong understanding of compliance frameworks in regulated practices.

• Experience implementing internal systems, process improvement and staff

coordination.

• Excellent communication with partners, clients and staff at all levels.

• Ability to manage sensitive HR matters with discretion.

• Highly organised, proactive, and solutions-driven.

Desirable

• Project management or business operations qualification/experience.

• Experience supporting business growth and marketing initiatives.

Core Competencies

• Leadership & Influence

• Process & Continuous Improvement

• Compliance Mindset

• Client Service Focus

• Resilience & Discretion

What's on Offer

• Competitive salary aligned to experience.

• Opportunity to shape firm-wide processes.

• Supportive leadership team.

• Collaborative environment within a growing, client-focused practice.