Financial Controller - Financial Services

Morgan McKinley; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan McKinley is partnering with a high-growth Australian financial services business to appoint a Financial Controller. Reporting to the CFO, you will own financial control, reporting and governance across the group, building structure and scalable processes to support rapid growth.

You will lead a finance team, drive month-end close, external audit, tax compliance and regulatory reporting (APRA/ASIC), and partner with the CEO and leadership team to deliver robust financial insights in a

Qualifications

• CA/CPA qualification or equivalent required.
• Significant experience in financial control or senior finance leadership roles.
• Experience in financial services, banking, fintech or other highly regulated environments.
• Experience supporting listed businesses or IPO/listing preparation.
• Strong financial reporting, statutory accounting and external audit experience.
• Working knowledge of Australian regulatory reporting requirements (APRA/ASIC).
• Experience guiding finance through growth and increasing complexity.
• Leadership of finance teams, including offshore or outsourced resources.
• Strategic focus on automation and technology to improve efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Own the month-end close, financial reporting and consolidation processes with timely, accurate results.
• Oversee management and board reporting, highlighting variances, risks and performance.
• Lead annual external audit and statutory reporting, acting as finance contact for auditors.
• Own tax compliance and reporting across the group (direct and indirect tax).
• Manage APRA and ASIC regulatory reporting, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Strengthen financial controls, processes, and audit trails; ensure robust governance frameworks.
• Develop and lead the finance team, including offshore resources.
• Oversee payroll, accounts payable and core finance operations with a view to automation.

Skills

CA/CPA qualification

Senior finance leadership

Regulated environment experience

IPO/listing experience

Financial reporting

External audit experience

Australian regulatory reporting

Automation/AI mindset

Executive stakeholder management

Education

CA/CPA qualification or equivalent

Tools

ERP/Accounting systems

Job description

Our client is a high-growth Australian financial services business operating in a technology-led environment.

Having established a strong position in its market, the business is entering an exciting phase of continued growth and is investing in its finance function to support increasing scale, complexity and governance requirements.

This is an opportunity to join an ambitious organisation where finance is playing a critical role in building the infrastructure and controls required for the next stage of growth.

The role:

Reporting directly to the CFO, the Financial Controller will take ownership of the financial control, reporting and governance agenda across the business.

This is a senior, hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys building structure, strengthening controls and improving the way finance operates.

You will lead a finance team and work closely with the CFO, CEO and wider leadership team to ensure financial reporting is accurate, timely and robust, while developing a scalable finance function that can keep pace with the growth of the business.

The role will focus on:

• Owning the month-end close, financial reporting and consolidation process, ensuring accurate and timely results
• Overseeing management and board reporting, ensuring financial performance, variances and key risks are clearly understood
• Leading the annual external audit and statutory reporting process, acting as the key finance contact for auditors
• Owning tax compliance and reporting across the group, including direct and indirect tax obligations
• Managing APRA and ASIC regulatory reporting requirements and ensuring reporting remains accurate, complete and timely
• Strengthening the financial control environment, including reconciliations, segregation of duties, approval processes, documentation and audit trails
• Developing robust governance frameworks that support the business as it continues to scale
• Leading and developing the finance team, including offshore accounting resources
• Overseeing key operational finance processes including payroll, accounts payable and other payment processes
• Identifying opportunities to automate and streamline finance processes, including the effective use of technology and AI
• Improving the efficiency and quality of month-end, reporting and broader finance operations
• Partnering with the CFO and wider business to build a finance function that is increasingly scalable, efficient and less reliant on manual intervention

Ideal skills and experience:

We are looking for a technically strong Financial Controller who combines excellent financial control capability with a genuine interest in process improvement and building scalable finance operations.

You will ideally bring:

• CA/CPA qualification or equivalent
• Significant experience in financial control or senior finance leadership roles
• Experience within financial services, banking, fintech or another highly regulated environment
• Experience working within a listed business or supporting an organisation through an IPO / listing preparation process
• Strong financial reporting, statutory accounting and external audit experience
• Working knowledge of Australian regulatory reporting requirements, ideally including APRA and ASIC
• Experience supporting a business through significant growth and increasing organisational complexity
• Experience leading and developing finance teams, including offshore or outsourced resources
• Strong understanding of Australian tax compliance and reporting
• A proven track record of strengthening financial controls, governance and processes
• A strategic approach to automation and technology, with the ability to identify where AI and automation can improve efficiency and reduce manual effort
• Strong executive stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to partner closely with CFO, CEO and senior leadership stakeholders

Experience within lending or non-bank financial services would be advantageous, but is not essential.

What's in it for you:

• Join a high-growth Australian financial services business at an exciting stage of its evolution
• Take genuine ownership of financial control, reporting and governance across the organisation
• Work closely with the CFO and executive leadership team on a highly visible mandate
• Play a key role in building the finance infrastructure required to support continued growth
• Lead meaningful improvements across controls, processes, reporting and automation
• Build and develop a high-performing finance function, including offshore resources
• Join a technology-led business with an entrepreneurial and fast-moving culture

If you're a Financial Controller who enjoys bringing structure to growing businesses, strengthening financial governance and building finance functions that can genuinely scale, we'd love to hear from you.