Senior Accountant with Leadership Ability

Senior Accountant with Leadership Ability

A growing project-based business is seeking an experienced Senior Accountant / Finance Lead to look after its finance function and contribute to the ongoing commercial success of the organisation.

Reporting to the executive leadership team, this role offers a broad remit across financial management, strategic planning, business partnering, and operational leadership. The successful candidate will play a critical role in driving financial performance, strengthening controls, improving systems and processes, and providing commercial insights to support business growth.

This opportunity would suit a hands-on Senior Accountant who enjoys balancing day-to-day financial operations with strategic financial leadership in a dynamic and evolving environment.

Key Responsibilities

Key selection criteria:

• Strong management/project accounting understanding
• Someone who is going to grow with the business
• CIMA (ACMA/FCMA/CGMA) holders
• Hands-on/doer
• Confidence to own the finance function

Financial Leadership & Reporting

• Lead the end-to-end finance function, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and financial administration.
• Manage month-end and year-end reporting processes, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting.
• Deliver meaningful financial analysis and performance insights to support strategic decision-making.
• Maintain strong financial controls, governance, and reporting frameworks across the business.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Commercial Analysis

• Lead annual budgeting and regular forecasting processes.
• Develop and maintain project pipeline forecasts and business performance models.
• Provide strategic financial analysis, profitability reporting, and tax planning insights.
• Support executive leadership with commercial recommendations and business performance initiatives.

Cash Flow & Working Capital Management

• Manage company-wide cash flow forecasting and liquidity planning.
• Monitor working capital performance and identify opportunities to improve cash conversion.
• Oversee financial planning to support long-term business sustainability and growth.

Project & Operational Finance

• Manage Work in Progress (WIP) reporting, project profitability analysis, and revenue recognition processes.
• Monitor project financial performance, cost controls, and margin outcomes.
• Partner with operational stakeholders to improve project financial visibility and decision-making.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with all statutory and financial obligations, including payroll, superannuation, payroll tax, and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee financial risk areas including insurance programs, bank guarantees, lease obligations, and contractual commitments.
• Coordinate external audits and maintain compliance with accounting standards and company policies.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Drive continuous improvement across financial systems, reporting tools, dashboards, and business processes.
• Support the implementation and optimisation of ERP, accounting, and job management systems.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, automation, reporting accuracy, and business intelligence capabilities.

Stakeholder & Commercial Management

• Build strong relationships across the business, providing financial guidance and commercial support.
• Manage key financial relationships with customers, suppliers, banks, and external advisors.
• Review commercial agreements and support contract negotiations from a financial perspective.
• Identify and assess grants, incentives, and funding opportunities that support business growth.

About You

You are a commercially astute finance professional who combines strong technical accounting expertise with the ability to influence business outcomes. You are equally comfortable managing day-to-day finance operations and contributing at a strategic level.

Skills & Experience

• Demonstrated experience managing accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and finance operations.
• Strong leadership experience managing and developing finance teams.
• Experience with accounting systems, ERP platforms, job costing software, and financial reporting tools.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Highly Regarded

• Experience within project-based, construction, engineering, trade services, infrastructure, or contracting environments.
• Exposure to Work in Progress (WIP) reporting, project accounting, and revenue recognition.
• Experience leading finance transformation, system implementations, or process improvement initiatives.

Personal Attributes

• Highly organised with exceptional attention to detail.
• Commercially minded with a strong focus on business outcomes.
• Strategic thinker with a proactive and solutions-focused approach.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capability.
• Ability to build credibility and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Comfortable managing multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Adaptable, resilient, and committed to continuous improvement.

Pre-Screening questions:

• How would you account for WIP in an industrial project setting?
• What is your approach to recovering overdue invoices?
• How would you ensure all Directors were engaged and informed in a multi-director business where they are geographically separated?

What's on Offer

This is an opportunity to join a successful and growing organisation where finance is viewed as a key strategic partner to the business. You will have the opportunity to influence decision-making, improve systems and processes, and contribute directly to the organisation's future growth and success.

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