Finance Partner

The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 122,000 - 132,000; Full time

Job summary

The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Parkville is seeking a Finance Partner to join the Finance Department. This senior, highly visible role partners with Deputy Directors to provide financial stewardship and strategic advisory support across scientific centres and laboratories.

You will lead budgeting, forecasting and long-term planning, build robust cost models, and translate complex financial data into clear, evidence-based insights to enable sustainable research activity and informed

Qualifications

• 8+ years senior-level finance experience in commercial or grant-funded environments.
• Strong analytical capability with attention to detail.
• Proficient in financial modelling, cost models and scenario analysis.
• Experience in FP&A or business partnering function.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and data storytelling for senior stakeholders.
• Ability to manage a complex portfolio with multiple cost centres and funding streams.
• Knowledge of NHMRC, ARC and MRFF funding bodies; familiarity with Workday ERP and planning tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead budgeting, forecasting and long-term planning for the portfolio.
• Provide financial stewardship and advisory support to scientific centres and laboratories.
• Translate complex financial information into clear insights for decision-making.
• Develop robust cost models and scenario analyses to inform new initiatives and funding proposals.
• Strengthen financial capability and governance across the portfolio.

Skills

Senior finance experience

Analytical capability

Financial modelling

FP&A / business partnering

Stakeholder engagement

Data visualization

Portfolio management

Grant/funding knowledge

Workday

Workday Adaptive Planning

Tools

Workday

Workday Adaptive Planning

Job description

The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute – Parkville VIC

An exciting opportunity is available for a Finance Partner to join the Finance Department at Australia's pre-eminent biomedical research institute.

About the position

The Finance Partner is a highly interactive and visible role that partners with Deputy Directors and their reports to support the achievement of the Institute's strategic and operational goals, by providing financial stewardship and advisory support to an assigned portfolio of scientific centres and laboratories.

The Finance Partner leads budgeting, forecasting and long-term planning processes within their portfolio, while maintaining strong oversight of financial performance, resource allocation, funding sources and utilisation, and risk exposure. The role translates complex financial information into clear insights that enable confident, evidence-based decision-making and longterm sustainability of research activity. The role also leads the development of robust cost models and scenario analysis to inform new initiatives, funding proposals, and evolving resource requirements. Through effective partnerships, the Finance Partner strengthens financial capability across their portfolio, contributing to sound governance and alignment with the Institute's strategic objectives.

• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and proven experience in a similar commercial role, with the ability to operate autonomously and exercise sound professional judgement
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trusted relationships
• Excellent communicator in both written and verbal form with the ability to simplify and present complex information to support informed decision-making
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage competing priorities in a complex environment, work independently and deliver high-quality outcomes within tight timeframes
• A collaborative, solutions-focused and growth mindset with a commitment to continuous improvement, operational efficiencies and organisational outcomes
• Proactive can-do attitude with a high level of initiative
• Demonstrate discretion when managing sensitive or confidential information

Knowledge and skills

• Extensive senior-level finance experience (typically 8+ years), ideally within a commercial environment or in a strong commercial role in medical research, higher education, health, or other complex grant-funded environments
• Advanced analytical capability and high attention to detail, with the ability to interpret complex financial data and operate effectively in complex and fast-paced environments
• Strong financial modelling capability, including development of cost models and scenario analysis
• Experience operating within an FP&A or business partnering function
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills including strong data visualisation and financial storytelling capability, with experience presenting complex analysis to senior stakeholders
• Ability to manage a complex portfolio with multiple cost centres and funding streams
• Knowledge of major Australian research funding bodies such as NHMRC, ARC, and MRFF and experience in modern ERP system and financial planning tools such as Workday and Workday Adaptive Planning will be reviewed favourably.

Terms of appointment

This position is an ongoing role in a full time capacity. Salary is Professional Services Employee Level 8 ($121,642 - $131,663). Very attractive salary packaging options are available for general living expenses, meal entertainment, novated leasing and more. 12% superannuation payable, plus up to a further 5% after the first 6 months of service via our matching superannuation scheme.

General enquiries can be directed to ***********@wehi.edu.au.
A position description is available here.

Application Closing Date: The closing date for applications is 24 November 2026, however, we will be reviewing applications as they are received, and WEHI reserves the right to appoint a suitable candidate prior to the closing date. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid missing this opportunity.

WEHI - Brighter together

WEHI is where the world's brightest minds collaborate and innovate to make discoveries that will help us to live healthier for longer. Our medical researchers have been serving the community for more than 100 years. We bring together people with different skills and experience who are committed to long-term discovery. Our teams of researchers are committed to solving the most complex health problems, making transformative discoveries for cancer, infectious and immune diseases, developmental disorders and healthy ageing.

WEHI is a place where people are able to shine. People who are inquisitive, who are committed, who are passionate. People who want to make a difference. And we are committed to ensuring they have the tools to flourish, personally and professionally. We are a community of researchers, students and professional service staff who work towards achieving discoveries that improve human health. We are driven by collaboration, curiosity and creativity. We are committed to making a positive difference to the lives of people in Australia and around the world. We are WEHI. We are brighter together.

WEHI's commitment to diversity and inclusion

At WEHI we strive to foster a flexible working environment that encourages individual differences and promotes collaboration and creativity. We recognise that talent does not sit within a single identifiable group in our society and that WEHI's ability to shape contemporary scientific thinking and deliver leading professional services relies on a diversity of thought within our organisation. Our action to promote gender equality has been recognised with an Athena SWAN Bronze Award from Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) and we offer a range of support for women researchers.

Our commitment to celebrating diversity and addressing inequities is further demonstrated through our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, Gender Action Plan, Reconciliation Action Plan and our WE-Pride network for LGBTQIA+ staff and students. We actively encourage applications from, people with a disability, culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse people and people with diverse genders and sexualities. Should you require support during the recruitment process due to special needs or consideration, please contact the People and Culture team.

WEHI's commitment to Indigenous employment

WEHI is working to create a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will be engaged at the scientific frontier, making exciting discoveries and decisions about the future of health in this country, and part of a leading professional services workforce supporting the realisation of these discoveries. We are committed to creating a culturally safe workplace and offering career development and leadership opportunities to First Nations staff and students. We strongly encourage any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to apply.