Finance Manager (AU Accounting, Food Industry, Xero) - #35369

Overview

This role supports a Sydney-based corporate catering and hospitality organization. You will lead finance across two businesses, strengthen financial operations, and drive scalable process improvements. The position has direct exposure to senior leadership and significant ownership, with a focus on delivering a fast, reliable month-end close and improved month-to-date reporting.

Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day finance function across both businesses
• Lead and develop a Philippines-based finance team of three
• Perform group month-end close and consolidation
• Deliver management flash reporting by Day 3
• Manage and improve Xero workflows, reconciliations, and finance-system integrity
• Strengthen inventory accuracy and visibility, including:
  • oversight of food-related inventory
  • tracking stock movements
  • ensuring accurate reconciliation and COGS reporting
• Oversee AP, AR, payment runs, collections, and payroll oversight
• Strengthen finance controls, including:
  • approval workflows
  • segregation of duties
  • journals and write-offs
• Maintain accurate supporting records for Australian BAS, PAYG, superannuation, and external advisers
• Produce consolidated group management reporting, including Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, and EBITDA, and interpret drivers of profitability
• Own budgeting, forecasting, and cash-flow reporting
• Manage intercompany accounting and elimination
• Continuously improve finance processes, systems, and automation
• Identify finance errors and control weaknesses before they escalate
• Support senior leadership with reliable financial information and analysis
• Build finance processes that can scale with business growth (without simply adding headcount)
• Prepare and maintain accurate rolling cash flow forecasts to identify cash flow gaps and support planning, particularly for asset investments and capital expenditure
• Prepare and review inventory reports, including stock-on-hand, stock adjustments, payables, and receivables
• Prepare and review financial reports and cash-flow forecasts required by the bank (with banking relationships retained by the Director/Owner)
• Oversee high-volume weekly payroll processing across both businesses, including hands-on processing where required and periodic compliance audits (catering business workforce approximately 120 employees and growing; payroll must comply with applicable Australian awards)
• Liaise directly with the external accounting firm on finance and accounting matters

Requirements

• Minimum 8 years of progressive accounting experience
• Minimum 3 years in a financial management/leadership role (team management experience required)
• Personally owned or led month-end close
• Supported and experienced with Australian businesses in a finance role
• Prepared Australian finance information relating to BAS, PAYG, and superannuation
• Proven experience overseeing high-volume weekly payroll under Australian awards is essential
• Experience supporting a workforce of approximately 120 employees or more is strongly preferred
• Worked across AP, AR, payroll, reconciliations, and management reporting
• Experience managing multiple Xero files and handling internal transactions between them is required
• Improved finance controls, processes, or systems
• Personally investigated finance errors or unusual balances
• Worked successfully in a hands-on finance leadership role
• Communicated finance issues clearly with senior management
• Hands-on experience managing inventory, stock, and COGS is a strict requirement (ideally within a food, catering, food production, or food distribution environment)
• Previous food industry experience is a strict requirement; FMCG, distribution, wholesale, logistics, or supply chain experience is highly regarded
• Hands-on Xero experience is required, particularly managing multiple Xero files
• CPA Philippines or an equivalent accounting qualification is highly regarded, but not the main selection criterion

Preferred Qualifications

• Formal multi-entity business experience
• Experience with Cin7 Core (not essential; strong transferable inventory or ERP experience can be trained)

Compensation & Benefits

• Job type: Permanent
• Employment type: Direct hire; Full-time

Location

• Remote / Work from home
• Schedule: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Sydney Time (6am – 3pm PH Time)