Finance Manager – Manufacturing & Systems

Private Advertiser; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Private Advertiser is seeking a hands-on Finance Manager for a growing Australian manufacturing business based in Hornsby, NSW. You will own end-to-end financials, from shop-floor cost analysis to board reporting, and actively drive ERP implementation and improvements.

You will partner with production and sales to translate data into commercial decisions, contribute to strategic manufacturing initiatives, and lead budgeting, forecasting and financial controls in a small-to-medium enterprise.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of financial experience, including manufacturing environment.
• Deep knowledge of manufacturing cost accounting (standard costing, job costing, overhead absorption, BOM).
• Strong commercial judgement to translate financial data into practical recommendations.
• Proven ERP ownership or implementation experience.
• Excellent Excel and data modelling skills.

Responsibilities

• Review and develop monthly reporting system based on product costing.
• Prepare monthly management accounts, including P&L, balance sheet and cash flow.
• Deliver actionable financial analysis to CEO and senior managers.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis.
• Manage year-end accounts and liaise with external accountants.
• Own cost accounting structures (COGS, materials, labour, overhead).
• Advance standard costing and job/batch costing models.
• Provide margin analysis by product line and customer.
• Coordinate ERP system improvements and data quality initiatives.

Skills

Manufacturing cost accounting

ERP ownership

Financial analysis

Advanced Excel

Stakeholder communication

Tools

JobBOSS

Job description

Finance Manager – Manufacturing & Systems

A hands-on Finance Manager role with genuine strategic influence in a growing Australian manufacturer. The company has been awarded over $5m in Federal Government co-funded advanced technology grants to develop world-leading laser drilling technology for filtration and separation screens.

You’ll own the numbers end-to-end, from shop-floor cost analysis through to management and board reporting, while taking an active role in the ongoing implementation and optimisation of our ERP system.

Beyond the traditional finance responsibilities, you will be a key and collegiate member of our management team, actively contributing to the commercial and manufacturing strategies that drive our global business forward. You’ll bring sound commercial judgement, challenge assumptions, contribute to strategic decisions and take the lead on business improvement projects where appropriate.

We are looking for someone who gets behind the numbers — working directly with production and sales to identify problems, understand manufacturing performance and turn financial and operational data into practical commercial decisions.

This is not a big-company Finance role; you’ll be rolling up your sleeves daily while helping shape the future direction of the business. The role is based in Hornsby, NSW.

Key responsibilities

Review and develop a new monthly reporting system based on product costing

Prepare monthly management accounts, P&L, balance sheet and cash flow within agreed timelines

Deliver clear, actionable financial and commercial analysis to the CEO, Factory Manager and Sales Manager

Manage year-end accounts and liaise with external tax accountants

Own budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis

Maintain and interrogate the full cost of goods sold (COGS) structure – materials, labour and overhead absorption

Develop and manage standard costing, job costing and, where appropriate, batch costing models

Analyse direct vs indirect cost variances and provide margin analysis by product line and customer

Partner with the Factory Manager on waste, yield, rejects and laser-hour efficiency metrics

Support the Sales team on pricing decisions with accurate cost-to-serve modelling

Take ownership of the finance and operational aspects of our ERP system, improving data quality, reporting and business processes

Coordinate our outsourced IT service provider and act as the internal point of contact for day-to-day IT requirements

This is not an IT management position. We are looking for a commercially minded Finance Manager with strong systems literacy who is comfortable taking ownership of an ERP environment, interrogating data and improving business processes. Specialist IT infrastructure and support are externally managed.

About you

7+ years' financial experience, including significant experience in a manufacturing environment

Deep working knowledge of manufacturing cost accounting – standard costing, job costing, overhead absorption and BOM structures

Strong commercial judgement – able to interpret financial and operational information and turn it into practical recommendations

A proactive problem solver who will investigate issues, identify root causes and drive improvements rather than simply report the numbers

Demonstrated ERP ownership or implementation experience – not just as a user, but someone who has helped shape how the system and its processes work

Strong Excel and data skills, with the ability to build and interrogate models without relying on others

Confident communicator, able to explain financial information clearly to owners, managers and non-finance colleagues

Comfortable being the only qualified finance person in the business and remaining hands-on with the detail

Demonstrated record of building strong collegiate relationships with work peers

Experience with JobBOSS or a comparable mid-market manufacturing ERP would be advantageous

Experience in a small-to-medium manufacturing business

Familiarity with inventory valuation methods

Understanding of lean manufacturing or continuous improvement principles

Strong general IT and systems literacy; specialist IT expertise is not required

About us

We are an advanced Australian manufacturing company with patented technology and a global leadership position in our specialist laser-perforation field.

We are a small manufacturing enterprise with approximately 25 staff and annual revenue of around $6m, approximately 80% of which is exported. We are a highly profitable and growing business investing significantly in new technology, manufacturing capability and product development.