Finance Manager (Remote) - Air Conditioning Business

The Finance Manager will oversee day-to-day finance operations, including payables, receivables, reconciliations, payroll administration, office finance admin, and compliance preparation for a Gold Coast-based air conditioning business with 50+ years of history and 80+ staff. The role focuses on transforming simPRO and Xero data into clear reporting and job-level margin insights, ensuring the General Manager and owners make data-driven decisions.

Key Responsibilities

The role includes financial advice to the General Manager (GM) ahead of major decisions, delivered monthly and on request.

• Accounts Receivable and Cash Flow (Highest Priority):
• Prepare and submit progress claims and invoices accurately and on time.
• Run a disciplined debtor follow-up cadence; produce weekly ageing reports and escalate overdue accounts.
• Maintain a 13-week rolling cash flow forecast and update it weekly.
• Manage recurring billing for maintenance agreements, including renewals and failed payment follow-up.
• Job Costing and Margin Analysis:
• Reconcile simPRO job costs to Xero; identify unbilled jobs, unclaimed variations, uncharged materials, and warranty costs.
• Report gross profit by builder, job type, division, and technician; flag jobs falling below target margin.
• Support pricing decisions with margin data, aligned to the service-led business model.
• Accounts Payable and Supplier Management:
• Code, match, and process supplier invoices in Xero; prepare payment runs for onshore approval.
• Reconcile supplier statements (including Daikin); pursue rebates, warranty claims, and early-payment discounts.
• Maintain supplier records with strict change-control on bank details.
• Reconciliations and Month-End:
• Complete bank, credit card, and intercompany reconciliations across all business entities.
• Deliver month-end close to an agreed calendar, including accruals, prepayments, and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Produce a monthly management pack: P&L by entity, budget vs. actual, WIP, cash position, and plain-English commentary on profit drivers.
• Payroll, Tax, and Compliance Support:
• Support payroll in Employment Hero: timesheet-to-pay checks, leave, and super reconciliations.
• Prepare BAS, GST, and PAYG workings and stat-reporting packs for review by the external accountant.
• Maintain finance SOPs and audit-ready documentation.
• Reporting, Forecasting, and Planning:
• Build and maintain KPI dashboards feeding the company KPI and incentive matrix.
• Support the 5-year business plan with financial modelling, budgets, and scenario analysis.
• Build annual budgets and forecasts around the GM and owners' targets and growth plans.
• Run periodic cost-control reviews (subscriptions, fuel cards, vehicles, supplier price movements).
• Respond to ad hoc finance queries from the GM, owners, and department managers.
• Payroll Administration, HR Data, and Office Finance Admin:
• Enter new starters into Xero, including bank, tax, super, leave, and pay templates.
• Map employees in simPRO for accurate job costing.
• Prepare the weekly domestic hours report from timesheet data.
• Reconcile fleet card transactions against vehicle tracker data and report exceptions.
• Route marketing invoices, staff reimbursements, and receipts to the correct approver.
• Record scrap metal sales and receipts in the scrap metal spreadsheet.
• Track and chase invoices and keep records up to date.
• Track Teamified contract renewals and alert the GM ahead of renewal dates.

Key Performance Indicators

Indicative measures and targets, to be confirmed at the start of the role and reviewed quarterly:

• Cash collection: Reduce debtor days (DSO) on builder accounts by [X] days within 6 months.
• Cash collection: Keep debtors over 60 days below 10% of total.
• Month-end: Deliver management pack by working day 5.
• Accuracy: Bank reconciliations current 100% by working day 3.
• Margin leakage: Identify and recover unbilled jobs and variations; reported monthly with $ recovered tracked.
• Payables: Process 95% of invoices within 2 business days.
• Compliance: BAS/PAYG prep ready for accountant 100% on time.
• Payroll admin: 100% of new starters set up correctly in Xero before first pay, zero payroll errors.
• Reporting: Deliver weekly domestic hours report and fleet card reconciliation on schedule.
• Contracts and invoices: Flag renewals 60 days ahead; follow up overdue invoices weekly.
• Forecasting: Update 13-week cash forecast weekly, without exception.

Authority and Financial Controls

• Prepares, but does not release, bank payments (approved onshore).
• Supplier bank-detail changes must be verified and approved onshore.
• Payroll is prepared and checked remotely but approved onshore.
• Employee bank, tax, and super details are handled as confidential.
• Funding decisions and contract renewals sit with the GM.
• Access to Xero and simPRO is user-level (no admin rights).
• Must comply with data privacy, confidentiality, and information security policies.

Selection Criteria - Essential

• Degree in accounting, finance, or commerce, or equivalent (CPA/CA/CMA preferred).
• 5+ years of finance or accounting experience, including AP, AR, reconciliations, and month-end close.
• Strong working knowledge of Xero.
• Working knowledge of Australian GST, BAS, and PAYG (or ability to learn quickly).
• Excellent written English and clear communication with non-finance managers.
• Advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills.
• High attention to detail, integrity, and a habit of documenting processes.
• Reliable internet and remote work setup; willingness to work AEST overlap hours.

Selection Criteria - Desirable

• Experience with simPRO, or similar field service/job management software.
• Experience in trades, construction, HVAC, or project-based businesses.
• Experience with Employment Hero or Australian payroll, superannuation, and award obligations.
• Experience supporting Australian businesses from offshore.
• Experience building dashboards and financial models.

Personal Attributes

• Ownership mindset: proactive problem-solving.
• Numbers-driven, curious, and commercial.
• Clear, honest communicator who raises issues early.
• Structured and dependable; adheres to deadlines and controls.

First 90 Days

• Days 1-30: Learn systems, entities, and processes; take over AP processing, bank reconciliations, and new starter Xero setup; document SOPs; meet key managers.
• Days 31-60: Own debtor follow-up, weekly ageing report, weekly hours report, and fleet card reconciliation; deliver first month-end management pack; begin simPRO-to-Xero job cost reconciliation.
• Days 61-90: Deliver first margin leakage report and 13-week cash forecast; agree KPI targets with GM; take full ownership of month-end close.

Benefits

• Flexibility in work hours and location.
• Access to online learning platforms and professional development budget.
• Collaborative, no-silos environment encouraging growth.
• Dynamic social culture with team lunches, social events, and creative input opportunities.
• Health insurance.
• Leave benefits.
• 13th Month Salary.