Financial Controller

Highbury Executive Talent; Sydney; On-site; AUD 170,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Highbury Executive Talent is partnering with a PE-backed consumer products client to appoint a Financial Controller in Sydney. You will sharpen the control environment, improve cash visibility, and lead a growing finance team reporting to the CFO and sponsor.

The role focuses on strengthening forecasting, reporting quality, and governance across the function, while collaborating with external advisers and auditors.

Qualifications

• CA/CPA qualified with strong technical accounting foundation.
• Background in a large corporate environment, then SME/PE-backed growth.
• Proven experience in financial control or senior finance within consumer products or manufacturing.
• Strong cash flow forecasting and working capital experience.
• Working knowledge of Australian tax and payroll obligations.
• Experience leading or building a finance team and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Hands-on ERP implementations or improvements and strong Excel/reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Own financial control across month-end, balance sheet integrity, inventory and cost accounting, and statutory/management reporting.
• Lead cash flow forecasting and working capital management for liquidity visibility.
• Coordinate tax compliance and reporting with BAS/GST, payroll tax and income tax; engage external advisers as needed.
• Take ownership of payroll, ensuring accuracy, compliance and strong controls.
• Drive finance transformation across ERP, automation, reporting and financial controls.
• Recruit, develop and lead the finance team; shape structure and succession.
• Support audit, lender and covenant reporting; prepare board/investor packs.

Skills

Financial leadership

Forecasting

Stakeholder management

Cash flow management

Tax knowledge

ERP & reporting

Education

CA/CPA qualified

Tools

ERP systems

Excel

Job description

Financial Controller | PE-Backed Consumer Products | Sydney | $170k-$180k+ super

Highbury has been exclusively engaged by a PE-backed consumer products client to find its next Financial Controller in Sydney. The business is growing, the CFO wants a leader who can take the control environment to the next level, and the brief is simple: sharpen cash visibility, modernise how finance works and build a team that can keep pace.

You will report to the CFO and run finance day to day, with the PE sponsor as a key stakeholder. The mandate is to lift the quality of control, forecasting and reporting across the function.

The ideal person has built their foundations in a large corporate and then broadened their skills in the SME space. They know what good looks like, and they're ready to put it into practice in a high-growth business.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own financial control across month-end, balance sheet integrity, inventory and cost accounting, and statutory and management reporting
• Lead cash flow forecasting and working capital management, giving the CFO and sponsor clear visibility of liquidity
• Coordinate tax compliance and reporting across BAS/GST, payroll tax and income tax, working with external advisers as required
• Take ownership of payroll, ensuring accuracy, compliance and strong controls
• Drive finance transformation across ERP, automation, reporting and financial controls
• Recruit, develop and lead the finance team, shaping structure, capability and succession as the business grows
• Support audit, lender and covenant reporting, and prepare board and investor packs

REQUIREMENTS

• CA/CPA qualified with a strong technical accounting foundation
• Background in a large corporate environment, with recent experience in a growing SME or PE-backed business
• Proven experience in a financial control or senior finance role, ideally within consumer products or manufacturing environments
• Strong cash flow forecasting and working capital experience
• Working knowledge of Australian tax and payroll obligations
• Experience leading or building a finance team, with the presence to influence senior stakeholders
• Hands-on experience with ERP implementations or improvements, and strong Excel and reporting skills