Finance Operations Leader — Hybrid & Transformation

Sharp & Carter; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid work

Melbourne CBD location

Salary packaging

Annual leave benefits

Job summary

Sharp & Carter is helping a purpose-led organisation recruit a Head of Finance Operations in Melbourne. This role leads payroll, AP/AR, banking ops, asset management and the finance systems landscape, while steering a major transformation and technology roadmap.

You will own operational excellence, drive continuous improvement, and mentor a high-performing team through significant change, reporting to the CFO with three direct reports.

Qualifications

• Our client seeks an experienced leader for finance operations and shared services.
• Experience in finance transformation, systems implementation or large-scale process improvement.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management capabilities.
• In-depth knowledge of payroll, AP, AR, banking operations and asset management.

Responsibilities

• Lead Finance Operations across payroll, AP, AR, and finance systems.
• Drive operational excellence, service delivery and continuous improvement.
• Oversee finance systems improvements, upgrades and integrations.
• Partner with Finance, People & Culture, Procurement and other stakeholders.
• Deliver process improvement initiatives, automation opportunities and strengthened controls.
• Coach, mentor and develop team capabilities and succession plans.
• Support teams through organizational and systems change.
• Ensure high-quality service delivery, governance and stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Finance operations leadership

Transformation programs

Stakeholder management

People leadership

Coaching and mentoring

Emotional intelligence

Change management

Education

CA/CPA qualifications

Job description

Our client is a highly regarded, purpose-led organisation that is seeking an experienced Head of Finance Operations to lead a critical operational finance function through a period of significant transformation and growth.

Reporting directly to the CFO, this role combines operational leadership, systems transformation, process improvement and people leadership. It presents a rare opportunity to influence the future direction of the finance function while developing and mentoring a high-performing team. The role reports directly to the CFO and has three direct reports.

The Opportunity
This is far more than a traditional shared services or transactional finance leadership role.

You will oversee Finance Operations across Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Banking, Fixed Assets, Expense Management and Finance Systems while playing an instrumental role in a major finance transformation program and future technology roadmap.

The successful candidate will act as the business owner for key operational systems, lead continuous improvement initiatives, drive process redesign and support the implementation of a new enterprise finance platform. While close to the operation, this role is focused on leadership, capability development and operational improvement rather than processing transactions directly.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Finance Operations function across payroll, transaction services and finance systems.
• Drive operational excellence, service delivery and continuous improvement across multiple teams.
• Lead the delivery of finance systems improvements, upgrades and integrations.
• Partner closely with Finance, People & Culture, Procurement and other key stakeholders across the organisation.
• Deliver process improvement initiatives, automation opportunities and enhanced controls.
• Build and develop team capability through coaching, mentoring and succession planning.
• Act as a key leader supporting teams through organisational and systems change.
• Ensure high-quality service delivery, governance and stakeholder engagement across operational finance activities.

About You
We are interested in speaking with candidates who bring a combination of operational finance leadership and transformation experience.
You will bring:

• Extensive experience leading finance operations, shared services or transactional finance functions.
• Exposure to finance transformation, systems implementations or large-scale process improvement programs.
• Strong leadership capability with a proven ability to lead teams through change.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and customer-centric leadership.
• High levels of emotional intelligence, resilience and behavioural flexibility.
• Experience across payroll, AP, AR, banking operations, fixed assets or broader finance operations functions.
• A track record of coaching, developing and mentoring teams.

CA/CPA qualifications are preferred, however candidates with significant operational finance leadership experience and demonstrated transformation capability will also be considered.

Why This Opportunity?

• Report directly to an experienced CFO.
• Lead a sizeable and highly visible finance operations function.
• Play a key role in a significant multi-year transformation program.
• Opportunity to shape future systems, processes and team structure.
• Genuine succession potential into broader finance leadership roles.
• Flexible and hybrid working environment.
• Melbourne CBD location with excellent transport access.
• Attractive salary packaging benefits.
• Additional annual leave benefits and strong workplace flexibility.

This role would suit a commercially minded finance leader who enjoys improving processes, developing people and driving change, while still remaining close enough to operations to understand what good looks like.

How to Apply
To apply online, please click on the appropriate link below.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Rebecca Close or Chris Belegrinos.