Financial Controller

The Opportunity
Reporting to the MD, you will own group reporting, management accounting and financial controls across five operating entities spanning construction, civil works, land development, sawmilling and landscaping. This includes the group close, consolidation, management accounts, reconciliations, intercompany eliminations and reporting pack, with clear analysis for board and funder reporting.

Success will mean a timely, reliable close, stronger controls, clearer reporting and more consistent processes. In return, you will join a visible senior finance role with ongoing development and an intended pathway towards CFO, subject to performance and group growth.

You will lead a finance team, oversee project claims and job-costing support, improve cashflow visibility and work closely with operational leaders. You will also strengthen workflows, controls and reporting tools, using automation and AI where they can reduce manual effort and improve accuracy.

The Company
This privately held New Zealand group operates across construction, civil contracting, land development, sawmilling and landscaping. Its project-based environment makes claims, WIP, job costing and cash timing central to performance, with finance being strengthened to support continued growth.

The culture is practical, values-led and low ego. You will work closely with the CFO, operational leaders, banks and other stakeholders, with genuine scope to improve reporting, processes and capability across the group.

The Role
You’ll keep the group numbers reliable and make them useful to the people running the work. Key responsibilities include:

• Own month-end for all group entities — journals, reconciliations, management accounts, fixed asset registers and depreciation — and prepare the reporting pack with variance analysis and commentary for the CFO’s review.
• Own group reporting across every entity, including complete balance sheet reconciliations, intercompany eliminations and the schedules that feed board and funder reporting.
• Own the group financial controls framework and policy, including consistent coding, GST treatment, RWT across entities, and control discipline on tax and intercompany processes.
• Manage project claims and support job-costing reporting, including Procore and claim hygiene, and direct the work of the Senior Accounts Payable Assistant so claims go out on time and AR follow-up stays tight.
• Support forecasting, cashflow visibility and financial analysis for the CFO and senior leaders, including rolling forecast inputs, scenario work and early escalation when cash, timing or accuracy is at risk.
• Lead the small finance team day to day — the Senior Accounts Payable Assistant and the incoming Assistant / Management Accountant — including one-on-ones, priorities, recruitment, onboarding and development.
• Improve finance workflows, templates, reporting tools and automation across the group, including where AI and better systems can reduce error, speed up close and lift capability outside finance.

Your Profile
This seat needs someone who can live in the detail and still lead. You’ll bring:

• CA or CPA qualification, with seven or more years in finance including experience owning a full consolidation and close process — not only contributing to one.
• Strong experience in a Xero-based environment, and a proven ability to prepare accurate financial analysis and reporting inputs that senior leaders will actually use.
• Experience leading or mentoring, with the organisation and judgement to hold both the recon and the deadline. Clear, professional communication is essential.
• Ideally, experience across multiple New Zealand entities and exposure to construction, contracting or other project-based businesses — customer claims, project reporting, WIP or job costing are a genuine advantage, and Procore experience is useful.
• Personal style that matches the group: reliable and well organised, calm under pressure, high standards and low ego, proactive and solutions-focused, comfortable speaking up early, and strong enough EQ to work with site teams, the CFO and external stakeholders in the same week.

For a confidential conversation regarding this role, or about your broader career plans, please contact Simon Lawrence on [021 240 2620](tel:021 240 2620) or apply via the link below
  
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