The Prospect

This is not a caretaker finance role. Our client is a private equity-backed, multi-site national services provider moving through the next phase in the ownership cycle — and they need a General Manager, Finance who can competently run the day to day whilst also operating as a genuine thought partner to the CFO, CEO and the fund.

You'll own the finance function end-to-end: the accuracy of the numbers, the discipline behind the forecast, and the narrative that gets told to the board. Multi-site complexity, a fast operating cadence, and direct PE reporting requirements mean this role suits someone who is precise under pressure and comfortable being close to key revenue drivers, understanding them and owning the decisions from there.

If you've operated in a PE-backed environment before, you'll recognise the shape of this mandate immediately. If you haven't, you should be someone who wants to learn how institutional capital thinks about cash, covenants, and value — fast.

What You'll Own

Financial Control & Reporting

- Full ownership of month-end close, financial reporting, and transactional accounting across a multi-site structure
- Building reporting that's clean enough for the board and fast enough for the fund

Cash & Covenant Management

- Weekly, granular cash flow reporting — with the instinct to flag variances and adjustments before they're asked for, not after
- Ongoing monitoring of banking covenants and debt-to-income ratios, with early warning built into the process rather than retrospective reporting

Planning & Analysis

- Budgeting, forecasting, and business partnering that goes beyond compliance — analysis that actually informs decisions
- Translating operational performance into the value-creation language the PE fund uses to assess the business

Ad Hoc & Fund Requests

- Fielding requests from the PE ownership group with the responsiveness and rigour that institutional investors expect — this is a standing part of the role,



not an occasional interruption

What This Role Demands

This is a fast-paced, high-tempo business, and the finance function needs to move at the same speed as the operation. You'll need to be:

- Quick — able to move from transactional detail to board-level narrative without losing accuracy in either direction
- Commercially sharp — you understand what drives EBITDA, margin, and cash conversion in a multi-site services model, not just how to report them
- PE-literate (or PE-ready) — comfortable with the reporting cadence, terminology, and scrutiny that comes with institutional ownership
- Hands-on — this role sits close to the transactional detail as well as the strategic view; it is not a delegate-and-review mandate
- Composed under pace — able to hold the line on financial discipline in a business that is growing, changing, and moving quickly

Ideal Background

- CA/CPA qualified, with demonstrated experience across financial control, FP&A;, and cash management
- Prior exposure to a PE-backed or time spent working in a multi-site environment with national coverage strongly preferred
- Track record of building or improving finance function infrastructure — not just running an existing one
- Direct experience reporting to, or working alongside, a private equity ownership group is highly valued
- Must be Brisbane based and comfortable commuting to a CBD based office each week

Why This Role

You'll be the financial backbone of a business in an active value-creation window — with direct line of sight to how a PE fund evaluates, pressure-tests, and builds enterprise value. For the right person, this is a genuine platform to build a track record that opens the door to CFO-level PE-backed mandates.

To apply, or for a confidential conversation about the mandate, contact Shaun Stevens at Clearwater Partners.

Clearwater Partners is a Melbourne-based executive search and interim management firm specialising in placements for private equity funds and their portfolio companies.

📌 General Manager Finance (Brisbane City)
🏢 Clearwater Partners
📍 Brisbane City