The Company
Robert Half Executive Search has been exclusively retained by to appoint a strategic and hands-on Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for a newly created position with a well-established and well-funded scaling Australian technology solutions business. To meet the needs of this scaling business, the CFO should satisfy the dual mandates of being hands-on and into the detail yet strategic in their approach, activity, and acceptance of responsibility. This role is based in Sydney with hybrid working arrangements in place at the firm.
The Role
Reporting to, and partnering with, the CEO and Board, the CFO will lead a small team and will own and shape the firm's financial strategy and day-to-day financial operations.
This is both a hands on in the detail and strategic finance role and as such the CFO will:
Key areas of focus include:
- Lead, mentor, and develop a small finance team.
- Lead all financial and accounting functions.
- Be hands-on in the numbers – owning the month‑end close, revenue recognition and cash forecasting.
- Drive business performance through data‑driven insights and robust analysis.
- Support commercial decisions across sales, product, operations and people.
- Ensure strong governance, controls and compliance in a scaling, investor‑backed environment.
- Provide timely, accurate, and transparent financial reporting to the CEO and Board of Directors.
As a key member of the executive leadership team, the CFO will work closely with the CEO, PE and other senior leaders to:
- Convert the firm's growth strategy into clear financial plans, targets and unit economics.
- Maintain disciplined capital allocation and cash management in a business with material deferred revenue and project cash flows.
- Build a high‑performing, scalable finance function with reliable reporting, systems and processes.
- Prepare the firm for a high‑quality exit to strategic or financial buyers over the medium term.
Your Profile
The ideal candidate will be an experienced finance leader with a track record of building a disciplined, finance function in a growing business. The successful candidate is equally comfortable
closing the books and fixing a reconciliation, and sitting with the CEO and Board to challenge strategy, capital allocation and risk. You enjoy being close to the detail, but you think and communicate in a way that gives the business clarity and confidence. The ideal candidate will have gained hands on technical accounting experience in both SMB and large organisations, and as a result will bring a well-rounded skill set to this role, adding value quickly.
Prior experience navigating Founder-Led and/or PE/VC backed businesses and Boards will be a distinct advantage to the CFO as they take a strategic approach to the role based on a solid foundation of the technical and business partnering requirements of a finance function in a rapidly growing business.
In addition, the ideal candidate will bring:
- ~ 10 years’ experience in progressively senior financial leadership roles.
- Demonstrated hands-on and strategic experience as a CFO, Head of Finance, Financial Controller (or similar) in a technology, SaaS, IT services/managed services, or project‑based B2B environment.
- CA or CPA Qualified.
- A Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or Commerce.
Demonstrated experience in:
- Moving an organisation from hybrid or cash‑based reporting to robust monthly accrual accounting.
- Complex revenue recognition (recurring, project, deferred revenue, unearned income).
- Building and improving financial controls, processes and systems in a growing business.
- Providing clear commercial insight to improve margin, pricing, mix and productivity.
Strong expertise in:
- Financial accounting, compliance and regulatory reporting under Australian standards.
- Deep expertise in hands on preparation of detailed 3-way cashflow forecasting essential.
- Budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management and scenario analysis.
- Working capital management in businesses with significant deferred revenue and project milestones.
- Experience working with investor‑backed businesses (growth equity, PE or similar), including Board reporting, covenants/terms, and preparation for exit, advantageous.
- Exposure to government or healthcare contracting, or other tender‑driven B2B environments, is highly regarded but not essential.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY APPLICANTS WITH FULL WORKING RIGHTS IN AUSTRALIA WILL BE CONSIDERED
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