Financial Controller

Who are we?
The future of energy is digitised, decarbonised, and localised. At SmartestEnergy Australia, we need revolutionary thinkers to help our customers make the most of this new landscape, thinking differently to find smart solutions to complex problems. Formed in 2020, we're an agile business driven by entrepreneurial thinking. As a subsidiary of the Marubeni Corporation and SmartestEnergy Limited UK, we also have strong investment and infrastructure behind us.

We have our corporate office in Sydney CBD and another office in Melbourne. Further expansion is planned for 2025 and beyond which means global career opportunities for you, with plenty of potential to explore new markets.

Flexibility is vital to success in our business and many of our staff work flexibly in many ways, including part-time, remotely or a mix of remote/office. Please talk to us about what flexibility means to you and don't let anything stop you from applying. When you join our Team, you will have the opportunity to contribute and make an impact every single day.

This role is based in our Sydney office with Hybrid working arrangement.
Role Purpose
The Financial Controller plays a key role in overseeing and managing the end-to-end financial control function in the areas of financial accounting (month-end reporting and annual statutory reporting), accounts payable and accounts receivable, tax, ad hoc finance projects (including a new ERP implementation) and other financial governance/compliance and reporting requests.

This role will suit someone who has well-rounded and hands-on accounting experience in the above areas, enjoys a fast-paced environment, is open to performing a variety of tasks, is keen on financial analysis, reporting, internal controls and process improvements, and enjoys working with a variety of internal stakeholders.

In addition, the ideal candidate has energy industry experience and/or is highly experienced with financial instruments fair value volatility and hedging management. For example, exposure to IFRS 9/AASB 9 application, FVTPL treatments, Day 1 accounting, FV hierarchy valuation principles and unobservability issues.

The role reports to the Vice President – Finance.

Key Responsibilities:
Key responsibilities relate to the areas listed above such as:

• End-to-end oversight and management of the financial control function.
• Ensure timely and accurate completion of the month-end close process from start to finish.
• Prepare where required the more technically complex month end accounting items such as the core gross margin journals and reporting.
• Oversee the annual statutory reporting process from start to finish. SmartestEnergy Australia has two year-ends (December for local reporting and March for Group reporting).
• Prepare policies and papers on technical accounting treatments as required.
• Oversee the accounts payable function and tax submissions.
• Manage relationships with external auditors and internal stakeholders.
• Lead and develop the financial control team and ensure operational BAU items are completed on time and accurately.
• Assist and manage ad hoc accounting and governance queries from the business including those from group (both direct parent – SmartestEnergy UK, and ultimate parent – Marubeni Corporation). Eg J-SoX and internal audit requests.
• Contribute and participate on financial reporting and other committees as required.
• Manage ad hoc projects as required, including involvement in the ERP implementation projects and other accounting related projects.
• Drive operational improvements in the financial control function, including contribution on IT-Finance partnered data projects.

Performance Indicators:

• Demonstrates delivery of the above items to a high quality (eg accurate, attention to detail and effort to provide clean deliverables with other users/reviewers in mind, minimal rework).
• Meets deadlines.
• Acts with professionalism and demonstrates a team player and continuous improvement attitude.
• Able to operate in a somewhat autonomous nature but keeps their Manager and team across status of deliverables and roadblocks/issues in advance.

Experience:
Required:

• CA/CPA qualified.
• Experience in a Financial Controller or Senior Manager – Finance role capacity in industry, covering the Key Responsibility areas listed above (minimum 7-10 years PQE, in which 3 years should be in a similar position/responsibility).

Essential skills:

• Knowledge/experience in energy and environmental markets (preferred).
• Familiarity with local AASB/IFRS principles and Australian corporate and tax regulations.
• Practical application and experience with complex technical accounting, particularly financial instruments under IFRS 9 (AASB 9).
• Experience delivering accurate and timely financial reporting in a high pressure and changing environment.
• Experience with a general ledger or ERP implementation project. Workday experience ideal.
• Strong excel and numeracy skills.
• Excellent written skills and experience writing papers (eg policy, board, accounting treatment memos).
• Experience managing senior stakeholders both internally and externally.
• Experience leading and developing a team.

Personal Attributes:

• Excellent attention to detail, organised and able to "see the big picture".
• Professional and acts in the best interests of the company.
• Self-starter, proactive and energetic.
• 'Process-improvement' mindset towards tasks.
• Flexible, able to multitask and work to achieve tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Able to work independently, in addition to working as a team player and maintaining a positive attitude.
• Great communication skills both written and verbal, in order to liaise with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong analytical capability, problem solving skills.
• Exhibits excellent professional ethics.
• Open to working with international teams/outside standard business hours as required. Expected to be infrequent until the Workday implementation project commences.

What we offer:

• A genuine commitment to smarter working – we recognise your work/life balance matters
• Competitive base salary & yearly bonuses
• Leave Benefits - Paid Parental, Service, Wellbeing & Birthday leave
• Employee Assistance Program - SONDER
• Employee Health and Wellbeing Platform - WHEREFIT
• Personal development and coaching opportunities.
• EV Salary Packaging Benefit

Diversity:
Celebrating our inclusive and diverse culture is core to what we do. We value everybody irrespective of background, disability, religion, gender identity, sexuality, or ethnicity.

We know that for our business to thrive we need diverse talent with a range of backgrounds, skills, and capabilities in each of the countries in which we operate. We view diversity as one of the key enablers that helps our business to grow.

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