Finance Manager

Signal Flare is looking for an experienced Finance Manager to oversee the company's financial management, reporting, planning and compliance.

Working closely with management and our project teams, you will provide timely and accurate financial information to support business decisions and maintain strong oversight of cash flow, project performance and overall financial results.

This role is suited to someone with strong accounting fundamentals, commercial awareness and the ability to operate effectively in a dynamic, project-based environment.

What You’ll Do

Financial Management & Reporting

• Oversee the full set of accounts and ensure accurate and timely financial reporting.
• Prepare and review monthly management accounts, including Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow.
• Analyse financial performance, trends and key variances, providing relevant insights to management.
• Prepare annual budgets and periodic forecasts and monitor performance against them.

Cash Flow & Working Capital

• Prepare and maintain cash-flow forecasts and monitor cash position, receivables, payables and upcoming financial commitments.
• Oversee client collections and vendor payment planning.
• Maintain effective oversight of working capital requirements and highlight material cash-flow risks to management.

Tax, Audit & Corporate Compliance

• Coordinate agreed-upon procedures and annual statutory audits, including reviewing draft audited financial statements and liaising with external auditors.
• Liaise with tax agents on tax matters, including reviewing draft tax computations and addressing tax queries.
• Prepare tax estimates for CP204 submissions and CP204A revisions.
• Lead responses to any LHDN tax audits, investigations or compliance queries.
• Work with the Company Secretary on corporate compliance and regulatory filings with SSM in accordance with the Companies Act 2016.
• Ensure timely submission and payment of applicable taxes and statutory obligations.
• Maintain appropriate documentation and records for audit, tax and regulatory purposes.
• Keep abreast of relevant changes in accounting, tax and regulatory requirements.

Payroll & Employee/Contractor-Related Finance

• Prepare and review monthly payroll, including statutory contribution calculations and submissions.
• Maintain accurate payroll records based on approved salary adjustments, promotions, bank details and other relevant changes.
• Administer employee-related payments and claims, including allowances, medical benefits and other approved reimbursements.
• Manage payroll setup for new hires and final payments for departing employees, including applicable tax-clearance requirements.
• Address payroll, remuneration, deductions, payment and relevant tax queries from employees and contractors.
• Manage annual payroll tax reporting, including preparation and distribution of EA Forms and submission of Forms E and CP8D to LHDN.
• Ensure timely reporting of new hires and leavers and other required payroll-related statutory submissions.
• Keep abreast of regulatory changes affecting payroll, statutory contributions and employee taxation.

Project Financial Oversight

• Work collaboratively with the Project Accountant to oversee project financial performance.
• Provide the Management with timely visibility and analysis of project financial performance.

Finance Operations, Controls & Stakeholder Management

• Supervise and support members of the Finance team, review reconciliations and other work prepared by the team.
• Maintain effective financial policies, processes, approval controls and appropriate segregation of duties.
• Review bank reconciliations, payment schedules and other key financial controls.
• Oversee related-party transactions and assess potential transfer-pricing implications.
• Liaise with clients, vendors, banks, government agencies and other external stakeholders on relevant financial and regulatory matters.
• Ensure the accuracy, integrity and appropriate supporting documentation of financial transactions and records.
• Support management with financial analysis and information required for business decisions.
• Support efficient and consistent Finance workflows and reporting processes.

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in Accounting, Finance or a related discipline.
• Approximately 5 - 7 years of relevant accounting and finance experience, including supervisory or managerial experience.
• Professional accounting qualification such as ICAEW, ACCA, CPA, CIMA or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of full-set accounting and management reporting.
• Good understanding of cash-flow management, budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis.
• Experience with Malaysian tax, audit and statutory compliance.
• Experience with accounting software.
• Strong Excel and/or Google Sheets skills.
• Strong analytical ability and attention to detail.
• Able to manage priorities independently and meet reporting deadlines.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively with both finance and non-finance colleagues.
• Experience dealing with cross-border transactions including multiple currencies, international clients, vendors, employees and/or contractors.

Nice To Have

• Experience in any project-based industry.
• Experience in media production, film & television, advertising, creative agencies, events or professional services.

Media industry experience is an advantage, but not essential.

The Kind of Finance Manager We'd Love to Meet

You're an accountant who wants to understand why the numbers moved, not simply report that they did.

You're also able to turn financial information into something useful. You can explain complex numbers clearly, highlight what the Management needs to pay attention to and offer practical recommendations rather than simply presenting a report.

As a manager, you're organised, dependable and comfortable taking ownership. You maintain high standards while being approachable to colleagues who may not have a finance background.

You're commercially curious. When something changes materially against budget or forecast, you want to understand what's driving it and what it means for the business.

Above all, you bring together financial discipline, commercial thinking and good judgement.

About Signal Flare

Signal Flare is an independent media production company based in Kuala Lumpur, working with international clients across the commercial and non-profit sectors to create compelling and thought-provoking content for audiences around the world. We believe in a world where storytelling transcends entertainment, inspiring positive change, shifting perspectives and shining a light on stories that matter.

Our work spans local and international productions and brings together filmmakers, producers, editors, designers and creative collaborators across different countries and cultures.

We are looking for a Finance Manager who combines strong financial expertise with commercial awareness and enjoys working collaboratively in a creative, project-driven environment.