GM Accounting

Our Purpose

At Xero, we’re here to help supercharge small businesses. We do this by automating routine tasks, surfacing actionable insights and connecting businesses with the right data, advisors and apps. When that happens, we’re not only making life better for small business, we’ll be building a stronger economy that can change the world.

This is a 4-Month Fixed Term Contract Role.

Working as part of the Finance executive leadership team, the GM - Accounting (FTC) will play a critical role in managing all aspects of the group's accounting function including external financial reporting, the month end close process, accounting policies, and internal controls. The role will drive the strategy for external reporting, determining various ways we would improve the value of the reporting to our external stakeholders. It will be responsible for ensuring the production of accurate financial reporting, compliance with accounting standards and regulations, and maintaining effective internal controls. The role will collaborate closely with various stakeholders to ensure accurate and timely financial information is available for internal reporting as well as delivering external reporting, establish and enforce accounting policies and maintain a strong internal control environment.

What You'll Do

- External reporting strategic leadership: Define and lead reporting strategies for Xero to ensure that our longer term desire for a more global and dispersed shareholder base, while still fulfilling the needs of current markets. Execute the outcomes of that strategy across the finance team.

- Audit and Risk Committee: Manage the engagement with the ARMC chair with respect to all audit matters, and prepare and present to the committee.

- Board Engagement: Supporting the CFO in communicating with the Board and Board committees on progress towards strategic goals and objectives.

- Month End Close: Manage the month end close process from end to end, ensuring accurate and timely financial data is available for internal and external reporting while embedding efficiencies and improvements.

- Accounts Payable and Accounting Back Office: Lead the accounts payable, Treasury Settlements, non subscription accounts receivable and administration teams embedding controls efficiencies and improvements.

- External Reporting: Ensure reporting compliance with accounting and sustainability standards, reporting regulators, and relevant reporting frameworks.

- Technical accounting expertise: Manage the key technical accounting areas of Xero’s reporting, including goodwill impairments, share based payments, software capitalisation and financial instrument accounting.

- Financial Statements: Oversee the preparation of financial statements by your team, including annual and half yearly reports, as well as subsidiary statutory accounts, ensuring accuracy and adherence to reporting deadlines.

- Auditor Relationship: Coordinate with external auditors to facilitate the audit process and address any financial reporting inquiries.

- Accounting Policies: Establish and maintain comprehensive accounting policies in alignment with regulations and accounting standards, and monitor changes assessing their impact on Xero.

- Internal Controls: Design, implement and maintain a strong internal control environment, developing and enforcing policies and procedures relating to those controls.

- People Leadership: Coach, guide, and lead to a team of global GMs/Directors to operate as a high performing and highly engaged cohesive senior leadership team. Develop and implement development plans and provide performance feedback to your team.

- Team culture: Foster a culture of continuous improvement, teamwork and excellence within the finance team.

- Xero Evangelism: Senior ambassador and champion for Xero.

Success Looks Like

- Your business unit’s strategy is aligned to Xero’s strategic plan and priorities.

- Your business unit is delivering value to their internal customers.

- Your direct reports are effectively managed and supported. Their performance is reviewed regularly and feedback is continually provided in a timely manner. A high level of engagement across your teams, with consistently high levels of feedback and action plans to address concerns.

- Your team understands, is connected to the Finance strategy, and they understand how their roles contribute.

What You'll Bring With You

- Critical Competencies:

- Strong skills managing strategy, business delivery, financial planning and building high performing diverse teams.

- Strong people leadership and management skills. Systems thinking and can put solutions in place at scale. People management on a global level.

- Ability to influence outside immediate remit. Senior ambassador and champion for Xero. Track record implementing AI and automation to improve processes and create efficiencies.

- Experience:

- Hold a CA/CPA qualification or equivalent.

- Extensive experience as a Financial Controller (15+ years of senior finance leadership).

- Strong technical knowledge of reporting requirements, accounting standards and financial regulations.

- Excellent understanding of internal controls and risk management practices in an ASX / NYSE / NASDAQ / LSE or similar environments.

- Advanced analytical and problem solving skills.

- Previous experience at an Executive or Senior GM level within Finance in a fast paced software, tech company or equivalent environment.

- Experience with coaching and managing people across different disciplines.

- Experience in setting and executing on global strategy.

- Budget and financial management. Experience in driving performance improvements, implementing change and identifying efficiencies, all in support of the corporate mission. Experience in clearly communicating results and recommendations to the CFO.

- Strong management and leadership experience at a senior level, including the ability to drive the organization to achieve goals and objectives and be results-oriented and accountable.

- Ability to work effectively in a fast paced, deadline driven environment.

Why Xero?

Offering very generous paid leave to use however you’d like (plus statutory holidays), dedicated paid leave to care for your physical and mental wellbeing as well as an Employee Assistance Program to access mental health care for you and your family, health insurance, life insurance, and income protection, wellbeing and sports programmes, employee resource groups, 26 weeks of paid parental leave for primary caregivers, an Employee Share Plan, beautiful offices, flexible working, career development, and many other benefits that reflect our human value, you’ll do the best work of your life at Xero.

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