Financial Controller

Penny Lane Recruitment Limited; Wellington; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free onsite gym

Health monitoring

Medical insurance subsidy

Job summary

CentrePort is seeking a Chartered Accountant to lead the Finance team, own the monthly close, IFRS reporting, treasury and tax obligations, and ensure strong governance across subsidiaries and joint ventures.

You will partner with senior executives to translate complex financial detail into actionable insight, driving automation and smarter processes while maintaining a hands-on, pragmatic approach.

Qualifications

• Qualified CA with strong IFRS capability.
• Proven people leadership and ability to develop others.
• Ability to translate complex financial detail for non-financial stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own monthly close, IFRS reporting, treasury and tax obligations; ensure governance and controls.
• Drive automation and smarter processes across Finance to improve efficiency and accuracy.

Skills

CA / IFRS expertise

People leadership

Financial reporting

Board communication

Education

Chartered Accountant (CA)

Tools

ERP / IFRS systems

Job description

Penny Lane Recruitment Limited – Wellington, North Island

The Opportunity

This isn't a Financial Controller role where you disappear into the ledger and reappear at month-end. At CentrePort, you're plugged into the commercial engine of Central New Zealand — the port that keeps goods moving between the regions and the rest of the world. You'll own the numbers, yes, but you'll also be in the room when decisions get made, translating complex financial detail into insight the Executive Team and Board can actually use. If you've been looking for a role where technical excellence and commercial influence go hand in hand, this is it.

• Sit close to the Head of Finance and CFO, with genuine input into Board and Audit & Risk Committee reporting
• Take ownership of a function that touches everything from treasury to tax to joint ventures
• Step into a role built for someone ready to lead, not just execute

The Company

CentrePort is a proper piece of New Zealand infrastructure — a full-service port connecting importers, exporters and regional businesses across Taranaki, Whanganui, Marlborough, the Wairarapa and Manawatu to the world. It's an operation with scale and complexity, but it hasn't lost the human touch: values like "One Team" and "Make It Happen" aren't just posters on a wall here, they show up in how people actually work together. It's a business that takes safety, sustainability and its people seriously, in equal measure to its commercial ambition.

• New Zealand's busiest port, with a genuine long-term view on sustainability and community
• A culture built on trust, straight talk, and getting things done together
• Backed by an Employee Value Proposition that covers real benefits, not just buzzwords — free onsite gym, health monitoring, medical insurance subsidy, and more

The Role

You'll take the reins of a Finance team of three, owning the monthly close, IFRS reporting, treasury and tax obligations, and the systems and controls that keep it all running cleanly. There's real scope here to modernise — CentrePort wants someone who'll bring automation and smarter ways of working to the function, not just maintain the status quo. You'll also carry financial governance responsibility across CentrePort's subsidiaries and joint ventures, so no two weeks will look quite the same.

• Own financial reporting, treasury, tax and compliance end-to-end, including IFRS financial statements and external audit
• Drive continuous improvement — systems, automation and smarter processes across Finance

You

You're a Chartered Accountant who's spent enough time in financial reporting and corporate accounting to make complex IFRS matters look straightforward. You know how to lead people, not just manage them — your team's growth matters to you as much as your own. And you can walk into a room with non-financial stakeholders and make the numbers make sense, without losing anyone along the way. You're pragmatic, you're straight up, and you get things done.

• Qualified CA with strong technical accounting and IFRS capability
• A proven people leader who builds trust and develops others
• A clear communicator who's just as comfortable with the Board as with the wider business

At CentrePort, you will engage in interesting and diverse work and be part of a team that makes great things happen every day. They lead with their Values, offering an enviable work environment where you can be your best self.

CentrePort supports an environment of diversity and inclusion and is committed to equal employment opportunities, encouraging applications from different backgrounds. To ensure the recruitment process is fully accessible, please let us know if you require any support or have any accessibility requirements.

Please note: CentrePort is an alcohol and drug‑free workplace, and pre‑employment testing is part of the recruitment process. You must have the right to live and work in New Zealand to be considered for this role.