Senior Financial Controller / Chief Financial Officer

ProFound People; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

ProFound People is seeking a commercially sharp Senior Financial Controller or CFO to lead the finance function at a growing engineering / deep tech company in Sydney. This hands-on role balances rigorous financial control with speed, owning budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and future capital raises in collaboration with founders and the board.

You will build financial models, implement systems, manage external stakeholders, and grow a small finance team as the company scales, with a hybrid

Qualifications

• Proven experience as Financial Controller or CFO in engineering/deep tech or hardware-led business.
• Experience leading capital raises (venture debt, equity rounds, or grant funding).
• Strong budgeting, forecasting and financial planning in startup/scale-up.
• Ability to build processes from scratch with limited resources.

Responsibilities

• Own the full finance function, including monthly reporting, budgeting, and cash flow forecasting
• Build and maintain financial models to support fundraising, board reporting, and strategic decisions
• Partner with founders and leadership on capital raising, including due diligence, data rooms, and investor reporting
• Implement and improve financial systems, controls, and processes as the company scales
• Manage relationships with investors, auditors, banks, and other external stakeholders
• Provide commercial insight into R&D spend, project costing, and grant funding where relevant
• Mentor and, over time, build out a small finance team

Skills

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial modeling

Capital raising

Stakeholder management

Excel

Tools

Excel

Job description

Location: Sydney, NSW (hybrid)

Type: Full time/Permanent

Salary: $180,000 - 200,000 + Super + Equity (open to discussion)

About the Role

We're looking for a commercially sharp Senior Financial Controller or CFO to lead the finance function at a growing engineering / deep tech company. This is a hands on role for someone who has scaled finance operations inside a startup or scale up environment and knows how to balance rigorous financial control with the pace of a fast moving technical business.

You'll own budgeting, forecasting, and reporting, and play a central role in future capital raises, working closely with founders and the board.

What You'll Do

• Own the full finance function, including monthly reporting, budgeting, and cash flow forecasting
• Build and maintain financial models to support fundraising, board reporting, and strategic decisions
• Partner with founders and leadership on capital raising, including due diligence, data rooms, and investor reporting
• Implement and improve financial systems, controls, and processes as the company scales
• Manage relationships with investors, auditors, banks, and other external stakeholders
• Provide commercial insight into R&D spend, project costing, and grant funding where relevant
• Mentor and, over time, build out a small finance team

What We're Looking For

• Proven experience as a Financial Controller or CFO within an engineering, deep tech, or hardware led business
• Direct experience supporting or leading capital raises (venture debt, equity rounds, or grant funding)
• Strong track record in budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning in a startup or scale up environment
• Comfortable operating with limited resources and building processes from scratch
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, able to communicate financial concepts clearly to technical founders and investors
• Based in or willing to work from Sydney

Nice to Have

• Experience with R&D tax incentive claims or government grant programs
• Exposure to manufacturing, robotics, or physical product companies
• Prior experience working directly with a board or investor syndicate

What's on Offer

• The opportunity to shape the finance function of a growing deep tech company from an early stage
• Direct exposure to founders, the board, and the investor community
• Competitive salary plus equity
• Flexible, hybrid working arrangement in Sydney