Finance Manager, Outsourced Finance

Own client finance functions. Lead a team. Make an impact in the not for profit sector.

This is not a traditional Finance Manager role: you will be the Finance Manager for a portfolio of client organisations.

If you enjoy being close to the business, building trusted relationships and making finance work better, this role offers variety, autonomy and genuine influence. You will take ownership of the day to day finance function for a portfolio of clients, with a particular focus on not for profit organisations, while leading the junior team members who support the transactional work.

You will oversee everything from AP/AR and reconciliations through to month end reporting, budgets, forecasts and audit preparation, but your value will be in leading the process, solving problems, improving systems and helping clients understand their numbers.

Why Lucent

Lucent Advisory provides outsourced Finance, Payroll and HR services, helping organisations connect their systems, people and data for better decision making. Our Outsourced Finance team works as an extension of our clients’ businesses, combining strong accounting discipline with practical advice, modern systems and genuine partnership.

What You Will Do

As Finance Manager, you will be the key day to day finance contact for an allocated client portfolio. You will coordinate the full finance cycle, lead month end delivery, support budgeting and forecasting, manage audit requirements and ensure finance operations are accurate, controlled and on time.

The transactional work is largely completed by Accountants and Graduate Accountants. You will delegate, review, coach and troubleshoot, retaining ownership of the outcome while giving junior team members the support they need to succeed.

You will also play a lead role in onboarding new clients: understanding their current environment, designing better processes, setting up systems and reporting, training users and creating a smooth transition into Lucent’s ongoing outsourced finance service.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the day to day finance relationship for a portfolio of clients and become a trusted contact for finance queries, reporting and operational support.
• Lead month end close and management reporting, including reconciliations, journals, KPI reporting, variance analysis and written commentary.
• Oversee AP, AR, bank reconciliations, payroll interfaces and other recurring finance processes completed by junior team members.
• Lead annual budgeting and support rolling forecasts, cashflow planning, scenario modelling and financial analysis.
• Coordinate year end preparation and annual audits, working with client stakeholders, auditors and external advisers.
• Lead, coach and review the work of Accountants and Graduate Accountants, helping manage workflow, quality and deadlines.
• Onboard new clients and design fit for purpose finance processes, controls, reporting and internal workflows.
• Set up and optimise Xero and connected systems such as Dext, ApprovalMax, Fathom and other cloud based tools.
• Identify opportunities to automate, standardise and improve finance processes across your client portfolio.
• Work closely with Lucent’s Virtual CFOs/Managers and broader Payroll, HR and Tax teams to deliver a joined up client experience.

What’s in It for You

• Variety without losing ownership: operate as Finance Manager across multiple organisations rather than one business.
• Purpose led client work: this portfolio has a strong not for profit focus, so your finance capability supports organisations making a difference in their communities.
• Real client influence: build relationships with senior stakeholders and help shape better reporting, systems and decisions.
• Leadership without being removed from the work: guide junior team members while staying close to clients and the numbers.
• Build, don’t just maintain: onboarding and systems improvement are a meaningful part of the role.
• Hybrid flexibility and a collaborative team environment, with ongoing development across finance, leadership, systems, automation and advisory.

What You Bring

You are an experienced finance professional who enjoys working with people as much as working with numbers. You can move comfortably between reviewing a balance sheet, coaching a team member, speaking with a client CEO and redesigning a finance process that is not working.

You will bring:

• 5+ years’ relevant accounting experience across management accounting, commercial finance, outsourced finance, public practice business advisory or a similar environment.
• Strong experience with month end reporting, reconciliations, budgeting, forecasting, cashflow and financial analysis.
• Confidence managing clients or senior stakeholders and communicating finance clearly to non financial people.
• Experience reviewing work, delegating tasks and supporting or mentoring junior finance team members.
• Strong Xero capability and confidence learning and implementing cloud based finance systems.
• A degree in Accounting, Commerce, Business or a related discipline.
• CA/CPA qualification or progress toward qualification is highly regarded.

Experience with not for profit organisations will be highly regarded.

We are particularly interested in candidates who understand that strong finance in a not for profit environment is about more than compliance: it is about stewardship, sustainability, clear reporting and giving leaders confidence to make good decisions.

Ready for a Finance Manager Role with More Variety?

If you are looking for a role where you can own client relationships, lead finance delivery, develop others and improve the way finance works across purpose led organisations, we would love to hear from you.

When Rachael Turner founded Lucent Advisory in 2005, her vision was to provide SME’s with the same levels of business support, capabilities, and financial and people clarity enjoyed by much larger businesses – but for a fraction of the cost.

Today, we’re a nationally connected firm based in Adelaide, delivering outsourced bookkeeping, accounting, taxation, payroll, HR administration and business advisory services through one integrated, scalable service model. We help SMEs move away from fragmented, disconnected service providers and towards a fully managed finance and back-office function that operates as an extension of their internal team.

When Rachael Turner founded Lucent Advisory in 2005, her vision was to provide SME’s with the same levels of business support, capabilities, and financial and people clarity enjoyed by much larger businesses – but for a fraction of the cost.

Today, we’re a nationally connected firm based in Adelaide, delivering outsourced bookkeeping, accounting, taxation, payroll, HR administration and business advisory services through one integrated, scalable service model. We help SMEs move away from fragmented, disconnected service providers and towards a fully managed finance and back-office function that operates as an extension of their internal team.

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