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 robust 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 robust 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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📌 Senior Accountant with Leadership Ability (Williamstown)
🏢 seek.com.au
📍 Williamstown