Junior Commercial Finance Manager

At Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, our ambition is to help you achieve your goals.

Exceptional client service and the pursuit of excellence are at our core. We invest in and care about our client relationships, which is why many are incredibly longstanding. And we enjoy breaking new ground, as we have for over 100 years.

We are where you need us to be. We are in the world's largest markets, key financial centres and major growth hubs. Our international footprint is extensive and committed.

We are at our best tackling complexity and navigating change. We work alongside you on demanding contentious matters, exacting regulatory work and complex public and private market transactions. We are recognised as leading in these areas.

We are immersed in the sectors and challenges that impact you. We are recognised as standing apart in energy, ESG, infrastructure and resources. And we're focused on areas of growth that affect every business across the world, including technology and digitalisation.

All of this is achieved by supporting the growth of our people, who help us deliver on our ambition - which is to help you achieve yours.

Your goals. Our ambition.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Junior Commercial Finance Manager to join our Sydney team.

This role will suit a finance professional with strong business partnering skills and a proven ability to deliver strategic insights and financial leadership in a high-performance environment.

In collaboration with the Head of Finance, you will support the Australian Office Section Heads and Partners of the Finance Practice Group, to drive performance, provide insights for decision-making, and deliver the group's annual finance activities.

This role will also support our Australian Pricing team across pricing strategy and negotiations, including financial modelling, reviews and RFP contributions.

What you'll do

• Provide financial insights and commentary on monthly performance, budgets, and P&L/KPIs to support profit improvement initiatives.
• Monitor WIP, debt, and expenses, and develop strategies to address financial risks.
• Lead budgeting and forecasting activities for the practice group, including quarterly forecasting.
• Partner with HR on business cases for recruitment, promotions, and secondments, with a focus on utilisation and resourcing.
• Monitor short- and long-term financial performance of the group including WIP, debt and expense management and developing strategies for dealing with issues.
• Support pricing strategy and negotiations, including financial modelling, agreement reviews, and RFP contributions.
• Collaborate with Business Development to drive commercial performance and strategic planning.
• Ensure financial compliance across the group, including expense approvals.
• Leverage tools like Power BI to deliver data-driven decision support and efficiency insights.
• Act as a trusted advisor to Partners on pricing decisions and client engagements.
• Work with global pricing teams to implement strategic pricing initiatives.

What you'll bring

• A minimum of 2 years' experience
• Tertiary qualifications in Commerce or Finance
• Qualifications as a CPA/CA will be highly regarded
• Demonstrated business partnering and influencing skills
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills.
• Use and Development of Power BI Models.
• A proven history of working directly with a Senior Executive team
• Demonstrated experience identifying profit drivers and improvement opportunities through the analysis of P&L
• Established financial modelling skills, including what-if and scenario planning
• A strong record of preparation of financial presentations

What you can expect from us

• We're a world leading international law firm with a global team of over 6,000 professionals across 26 offices. As the market leader in Australia, we are committed to high performance, collaboration, diversity and digital innovation. We are client-centred, commercially driven, and renowned for our solution-focused expertise. We will align your growth with our ambitions.
• We make your personal and professional growth our business. And as part of the team, our ambition is yours too. Wherever you are in your career: grow and help the firm grow with you.
• We will provide opportunities to learn on the job as well as a mix of learning opportunities tailored to you. Daily experiences, supportive challenges, team collaboration, mentors, and structured learning opportunities help you to expand your knowledge and reach your goals.
• We value your wellbeing, both at home and work and we place a strong emphasis on mental health. If you need support, you'll have it and we'll empower you to harness your personal strengths, navigate uncertainty, embrace opportunities, and effectively manage things within your control.
• Join us to be part of a human, bold and outstanding team at Australia's market leading law firm.

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.

Team

Business Finance

Working Pattern

Full time

Location

Sydney

Contract type

Permanent Contract

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.