Finance Manager

Propeller; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee share options

Professional development budget and le

Mentorship program

Mental health resources

Monthly telephone and/or internet ○

Paid parental leave policies

Hybrid work arrangements

WFH equipment provided

Job summary

Propeller is seeking a Finance Manager to own the engine room of our global finance function. You will lead month-end close, manage multi-entity compliance, and ensure payroll, accounts payable, banking and reconciliations run accurately and on time.

As Propeller scales across Australia, the US, the Philippines and Europe, you will drive rigor and consistency in closing books, identify manual processes for automation, and actively use AI to speed up reconciliations, reporting and documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or related discipline.
• CA or CPA qualification.
• 5+ years of relevant experience including ownership of a month-end close.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge with global month-end processes.
• Experience managing compliance across multiple jurisdictions, with external advisors.
• Hands-on payroll and accounts payable workflows.
• Demonstrated use of AI tools in finance with value-driven perspective.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to explain variances and trends.
• Highly organized, able to manage deadlines and priorities.
• Meticulous attention to detail and strong communication.

Responsibilities

• Own the global month-end close; deliver journals, accruals, prepayments, cut-offs.
• Lead BAU finance operations across accounts payable, payroll, banking and treasury.
• Manage compliance and statutory obligations across global entities.
• Coordinate annual audit and statutory accounts with auditors.
• Partner with People, Legal and leaders on payroll changes and spend approvals.
• Identify and implement system/process improvements to reduce manual work.
• Use AI tools to speed reconciliations, reporting and data prep.
• Provide ad-hoc analysis and support on finance projects.

Skills

Attention to detail

Month-end close ownership

Analytical skills

AI tools experience

Cross-border accounting

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

CA or CPA qualification

Tools

ERP systems

Excel

Job description

Propeller is on a mission to take the guesswork out of moving dirt - reducing wasted fuel, time, and money. We do this through the power of maps.

Our customers use Propeller's integrated hardware and software products to capture accurate 3D versions of their worksites. With over 50,000 worksites worldwide using Propeller's smart survey technology, we empower project teams to map, measure, and manage site activity.

Propeller empowers everyone to approach, own, and solve problems creatively. We're data nerds who care about impact, honesty, and each other. We take pride in being a great place to work and are proud to be recognized as a Fast Company and BuiltIn Best Place to Work. You can learn more about us on Glassdoor.

Your Mission

We are looking for a Finance Manager to own the engine room of our global finance function. Working closely with the wider finance team, you will run our month-end close, keep compliance obligations across multiple entities on track, and make sure our core finance workflows - payroll, accounts payable, banking and reconciliations - run accurately and on time.

This is a hands-on role with real breadth. As Propeller scales across Australia, the US, the Philippines and Europe, you will be the person who brings rigour and consistency to how we close the books, and who spots the manual processes worth automating.

AI is central to how our Finance team works. We expect the person in this role to actively use AI tools to speed up reconciliations, reporting, analysis and documentation - not as a novelty, but as a default part of the workflow. You will help define where AI can safely remove manual effort, where human judgement and controls must stay firmly in place, and what "great" looks like for the team.

Your Responsibilities

• Own the global month-end close, coordinating the team and contributing hands-on where needed to deliver journals, accruals, prepayments, revenue and cost cut-offs, balance sheet reconciliations, management accounts and variance analysis accurately and to an agreed timetable
• Lead and continuously improve BAU finance operations across accounts payable, payroll, banking and treasury, enabling the team to deliver accurate, timely transaction processing with appropriate approvals while strengthening controls as the business grows
• Manage compliance and statutory obligations across our global entities, including indirect taxes (GST/VAT/sales tax), payroll tax, superannuation and other filings, with support from external advisors
• Coordinate the annual audit and statutory accounts preparation, acting as the primary day-to-day contact for auditors and advisors
• Partner with People, Legal and business leaders on payroll changes, vendor onboarding, spend approvals, reporting needs and wider finance projects
• Identify and implement system and process improvements - reducing manual work, and improving data quality that flows into reporting and planning
• Use AI tools to improve the speed, quality and scalability of Finance work - automating repetitive reconciliation and data-preparation tasks, drafting commentary and documentation, integrating large data sets, and helping define where AI can safely remove manual effort while keeping appropriate human judgement and controls in place
• Provide ad-hoc analysis and support on wider finance projects and strategic initiatives

About You

You demonstrate an exceptional eye for detail and support the business to the highest standards of excellence. You are comfortable owning a process end to end and being accountable for its accuracy.

Operating in a fast-paced environment, you quickly adapt, manage competing priorities, and consistently meet deadlines. Your communication and commercial skills, combined with a problem-solving attitude, mean you approach tasks with a constant focus on continuous improvement rather than simply repeating what was done last month.

You are genuinely curious about AI and already reach for it in your day-to-day work. You are the kind of person who, faced with a tedious manual task, asks whether a tool can do it better - and then goes and tries. Equally, you know when to be sceptical: you check outputs, understand the limits, and never let speed compromise accuracy.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or a related discipline
• CA or CPA qualification
• 5+ years of relevant experience, including ownership of a month-end close
• Strong technical accounting knowledge and experience with global month-end processes, including accruals, prepayments, intercompany and foreign currency
• Experience managing compliance and tax obligations across multiple jurisdictions, working alongside external advisors
• Hands-on experience running or overseeing payroll and accounts payable workflows
• Demonstrated use of AI tools in a professional finance or accounting context, with a clear point of view on where they add value and where they don't
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to identify, investigate and clearly explain variances and trends
• Highly organised, with the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Meticulous attention to detail, coupled with excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience collaborating with colleagues across multiple locations and time zones to achieve shared objectives

Benefits

• Employee share options
• Professional development budget and leave
• The opportunity to take part in our mentorship program
• Mental health resources
• Monthly telephone and/or internet allowance
• Paid primary & secondary parental leave policies
• Hybrid work arrangements and WFH equipment provided

About Propeller

Propeller is for everyone, so come as you are. We value all types of experience, skill, and ability. If you don't think you meet all the requirements, but still think this role would be a good fit, we'd love to hear from you.

Diversity makes our team more creative, fun, and effective, so bring your whole self to the application process, and we will too!

If you're interested in what life at Propeller is like, check out our employee-owned Medium blog page!