Finance Manager

Somerset College; Gold Coast City; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Remuneration

Onsite gym, barista and catering

Employee Assistance Program

Wellbeing initiatives

Campus facilities

Job summary

Somerset College on the Gold Coast seeks an experienced Finance Manager to lead the Business Services team, overseeing financial reporting, budgeting, payroll, taxation, cash flow and controls. You will partner with college leaders to support strategic decision-making and ensure regulatory compliance.

You will mentor the Accounts team, drive process improvements and contribute to the long-term sustainability of a diverse services portfolio within a values-driven independent school.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in Accounting, Finance, Commerce or a related discipline.
• CPA or CA qualification.
• Significant experience in a Finance Manager, Financial Controller or comparable senior finance leadership role.
• Strong expertise in financial management, budgeting, forecasting, management accounting and statutory reporting.
• Knowledge of payroll legislation, superannuation, taxation, employment legislation and wage compliance frameworks.
• Experience overseeing payroll governance, financial controls and regulatory compliance.
• Proven ability to develop robust financial controls and business improvement initiatives.
• Strong leadership, mentoring and development of finance professionals.
• Business partnering and stakeholder management with the ability to influence leaders.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership of the College's finance function.
• Ensure financial governance, compliance and sustainability.
• Prepare accurate financial reports, budgets and variance analysis.
• Manage cash flow, investments and long-term financial planning.
• Oversee payroll operations and regulatory reporting requirements.
• Coordinate external audits and financial reporting for entities and funds.
• Develop and monitor financial controls and governance frameworks.
• Drive process improvements and systems optimisation across finance.
• Provide trusted financial advice and commercial insights to leaders.
• Mentor and develop Accounts team members and foster high performance.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Commercial acumen

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Financial planning

Education

Accounting/Finance degree

CPA/CA qualification

Job description

Somerset College is seeking an experienced and commercially astute Finance Manager to join our Business Services team, reporting directly to the Head of Business Services.

This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for the effective management of the College's financial operations, ensuring financial sustainability, regulatory compliance and operational excellence across a diverse portfolio of services. Working closely with senior leaders across the College, the Finance Manager plays a key role in supporting informed decision-making and the long-term success of the College.

The role oversees core finance functions including financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, payroll, taxation, cash flow management, accounts payable and receivable, audit coordination and financial controls. In addition, the position partners with leaders across a range of support services including catering and hospitality, retail operations and other ancillary services.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a proactive and collaborative finance professional who enjoys leading teams, driving process improvement and contributing strategically within a values-driven organisation.

Key Responsibilities

As Finance Manager, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across the College's finance function, ensuring strong financial governance, compliance and sustainability. Working closely with the Head of Business Services and key stakeholders, you will contribute to informed decision-making, continuous improvement and the effective stewardship of College resources.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the College's financial accounting, reporting, budgeting and forecasting functions.
• Preparing accurate and timely financial reports, budgets, forecasts and variance analysis to support organisational decision-making.
• Managing cash flow, investments and financial planning activities to support the College's long-term financial sustainability.
• Ensuring compliance with all financial, taxation, payroll, superannuation, employment legislation, industrial instruments, wage and entitlement obligations, and associated statutory reporting requirements.
• Overseeing payroll operations, ensuring the accurate and timely processing of employee entitlements, salary packaging, superannuation and regulatory reporting requirements.
• Coordinating the annual external audit process and financial reporting obligations for associated entities, trusts and funds.
• Developing, implementing and monitoring effective financial controls, governance frameworks, policies and procedures to manage risk and support compliance.
• Driving process improvements, systems optimisation and operational efficiencies across finance and business service functions.
• Providing trusted financial advice, budget support and commercial insights to leaders across the College.
• Leading, mentoring and developing members of the Accounts team, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and high performance.
• Building strong and collaborative relationships with leaders across operational, retail, hospitality and support service areas.
• Contributing to the achievement of the College's strategic objectives while supporting a culture of professionalism, collaboration and continuous improvement.

About You

You are an experienced finance leader with strong commercial acumen, excellent analytical skills and a collaborative leadership style. Comfortable operating at both a strategic and operational level, you are adept at balancing financial stewardship, compliance, risk management and stakeholder engagement. You enjoy partnering with leaders across an organisation and are committed to delivering high-quality outcomes that support organisational success.

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate:

• Tertiary qualifications in Accounting, Finance, Commerce or a related discipline.
• CPA or CA qualification.
• Significant experience in a Finance Manager, Financial Controller or comparable senior finance leadership role.
• Strong expertise in financial management, budgeting, forecasting, management accounting and statutory reporting.
• Demonstrated knowledge of payroll legislation, superannuation requirements, taxation obligations, employment legislation, industrial instruments and wage compliance frameworks.
• Experience overseeing payroll governance, financial controls, risk management and regulatory compliance within a complex organisation.
• Proven experience developing and maintaining robust financial controls, governance frameworks and business improvement initiatives.
• Strong leadership capability, with experience managing, mentoring and developing finance professionals.
• Highly developed business partnering and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and build trusted relationships.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• High levels of integrity, professionalism and discretion when handling confidential information.
• Experience within education, not-for-profit or community-focused organisations will be highly regarded.

Eligibility to obtain and maintain a Queensland Working with Children Blue Card.

Somerset College is one of Australia's leading co-educational independent schools, educating over 1,700 students from Pre-Prep to Year 12. Nestled in the heart of the Gold Coast on a stunning 22-hectare campus in Mudgeeraba, we are proud of our global outlook, academic excellence and commitment to student success.

The Somerset Experience includes a strong commitment to developing engaged global citizens who aspire to excellence, demonstrate integrity and value difference. As an International Baccalaureate World School, Somerset encourages students to fulfil their individual potential across academic, sporting, creative, co-curricular and personal pursuits.

We Offer:

• Competitive Remuneration – attractive salary package.
• Fantastic Employee Benefits – onsite gym, barista and catering services, Employee Assistance Program and wellbeing initiatives.
• First-Class Campus and Event Facilities – modern learning environments, well-resourced classrooms and outstanding resources across Somerset's impressive 22-hectare campus.
• Professional Growth Opportunities – ongoing professional learning and development.
• Ideal Gold Coast Location – enjoy a vibrant lifestyle surrounded by world-class beaches, natural beauty and outstanding amenities.
• Supportive and Collegial Culture – work alongside talented staff committed to excellence, innovation and student success.

Children's safety, wellbeing and voice are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an environment where children feel safe, supported and empowered, and where staff understand their role in protecting children from harm. We expect all staff to actively contribute to a culture of safety, care and respect, with all appointments subject to comprehensive screening and ongoing safeguarding obligations.