Senior Finance Associate

Do you have a strong sense of social justice and equality? Are you looking for an opportunity to demonstrate and develop your financial management, leadership and advisory skills?

Purpose Accounting is seeking a Senior Finance Associate to join our growing team of financial management professionals, supporting a diverse range of clients across the non-profit sector.

This role is Sydney-based, for at least 4 days per week (0.8 FTE to full time), though you will need to be available across all working days (Mon-Fri) to deal with urgent matters and meet client expectations as necessary. You will have the opportunity to manage your hours flexibly and work from home for approximately one third of your time.

The key focus of this role is to deliver expert financial management and advisory services, to support our clients to increase their social impact and financial viability. The role is a combination of ongoing and project-based work.

Ongoing work

In this role you will provide services to a portfolio of ongoing clients. You will act as both an outsourced Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for small and medium sized non-profits, and an advisor on financial management and strategy for larger clients.

The outsourced CFO part of your role will include:

• Leading the Finance Function for small to medium sized non-profit clients
• Supporting in-house accountants or bookkeepers, including mentoring and training requirements
• Acting as the ‘face’ of the Function, representing clients at Board meetings and in other executive forums
• Providing financial management services including financial reports; budgeting and forecasting; management of annual audit processes; and financial acquittal processes for grants
• Problem identification and resolution, including managing process and technology change, whilst ensuring minimum disruption to clients’ daily business

The advisory component of your role will include:

• Providing impactful high-level advice on financial strategy to clients
• Mentoring and developing financial skills in CEOs and Boards
• Identifying potential areas of improvement and proposing opportunities to increase efficiencies
• Interpreting legislative and compliance requirements and advising on changes needed

Project based work

You will also have the opportunity to consult on project-based work for medium to large clients (large clients being those with over $10 million turnover). We also provide project services to Government clients and we partner with several management consulting firms (where we sub-contract financial aspects of projects).

Projects can involve strategic financial forecasting; viability analysis; unit costings; reviews of Finance Functions and business services; implementing systems; re-design of reporting processes; reviewing finance personnel; capacity assessments; development plans; and providing expertise on start-ups, mergers and structural changes.

You will have significant scope to grow and develop in this role and make it your own. There may also be opportunities to manage or mentor new Purpose Accounting staff members in the long term (this could include management of 1 to 2 FTEs).

Your skills and perspective

To be successful in this role you will:

• Have a high level of emotional intelligence, strong interpersonal skills and excellent relationship management abilities
• Be proactive, highly self-motivated and comfortable working autonomously – you are innovative, demonstrate initiative and seek opportunities to add value
• Be personally invested in the non-profit sector – you have a strong sense of social justice and equality and your personal values align with Purpose Accounting’s direction
• Have either previous experience in the non-profit sector, or a demonstrated commitment to sector aims and philosophy
• Bring a breadth of financial experience to the role, having served multiple Finance Functions in previous positions
• Have strong leadership qualities, influencing skills and decision-making abilities
• Possess high-level communication skills (both verbal and written) and a strong focus on collaboration and consultation. You are effectively able to convey financial information to those with a non-financial background.
• Have an eye for detail and accuracy but also a strategic view – you are equally strong in both areas
• Be familiar and comfortable with industry technology – you have previous experience across multiple accounting packages and a willingness to learn new packages
• Be a qualified accountant (CA/CPA/CIMA) – you have at least eight years’ experience in the field

We will also favourably view applicants that have:

• Experience within a consulting or practice environment, and/or in serving internal customers
• A background working in diverse environments and with a diverse range of clients
• An understanding of the social/ political/ economic issues that are foundational to the non-profit sector

Salary

Salary will be dependant upon qualifications and experience.