Finance Business Partner / Manager

Title: Finance Business Partner / Manager

Location: Melbourne VIC, - Hybrid

Job Type: Full-time

Join the Clean Energy Revolution!

Are you ready to shape the future of sustainable energy? Hydrostor, a pioneer in Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) systems, is seeking a Finance Business Partner / Manager to join our team in Melbourne. We’re enabling the energy transition to a cleaner, more reliable electricity grid, and invite you to be at the forefront of this groundbreaking journey.

Why Hydrostor?

Our cutting-edge A-CAES technology is uniquely positioned to revolutionize the energy landscape. Join us as we lead the way in shaping a greener, more sustainable future.

Your Mission:

As a Finance Business Partner / Manager, you will act as the primary finance liaison, supporting senior management and operational teams across a range of strategic and operational activities.

Your responsibilities will include assisting with project rollouts, project and Australian entity reporting and stakeholder engagement, as well as providing accounting support for payables, receivables and tax-related matters.

You will prepare management reports, develop short- and long-term financial projections and support the team in creating annual budgets and periodic forecasts (e.g., 3+9, 6+6, 9+3). Additionally, you will evaluate business cases and feasibility proposals. In this role, you will also serve as a budget controller, ensuring that costs are accurately managed and classified within the business unit. The role will be directly reporting to the CFO, in-parallel supporting corporate accounting, tax and FP&A/management reporting teams.

Your expertise will be vital in coaching teams on accounting policies and procedures, fostering a culture of financial literacy and discipline. You will propose and implement policies aimed at improving financial controls, business efficiency and decision effectiveness over the long term, simplifying workflows and promoting best practices. Furthermore, you will collaborate closely with corporate finance teams to ensure effective communication and alignment on financial objectives, which will be crucial for meeting key deadlines and requirements in line with the organization’s strategic goals.

Your Day-to-Day Adventures:

• Budgeting, Forecasting and monthly outlook: Support local teams in development of the monthly and periodic forecast and annual budgets. Ensure business has proper details behind the numbers and help document and communicate the details to the central finance team.
• Conduct periodic reviews and adjustments to forecasts based on changing business conditions and performance trends.
• Prepare detailed monthly outlook reports to provide insights into expected financial performance and identify potential risks.
• Analyze variances between actual performance and budgeted figures, offering recommendations for corrective actions.
• Coordinate with central finance team to help in having a uniform and timely forecasting and budgeting process, and work as a point of contact to facilitate the overall process.

Review Business Cases and Project Plans:

• Provide firsthand support to the business teams in preparing business cases for major and/or other ad hoc strategic business initiatives. From funding requirement perspective review the spends and track progress against key business cases.
• Help in updating the business plan and provide all/any necessary information which can have an impact the financial outlook of the project/business.

Management Reporting:

• Support in the preparation of comprehensive financial reports that provide critical insights into business performance. Requirement to be hands-on with extracting information and preparing operational and monthly reports.
• Prepare or aid in preparation of management reports, explaining the business performance vs budget and reasons for key variances. This includes presenting details to the local team leaders as well as the central finance team and CFO on regular basis.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs) that highlight trends, variances, and other significant financial metrics to track performance against goals.
• Conduct in-depth analysis of financial reports to identify areas of concern or opportunity, and prepare summaries for management discussion to guide strategic initiatives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather data and insights for reporting, ensuring that reports reflect an accurate view of the business’s/Project’s health.

Support in day-to-day Operations (Finance Related Matters):

• Act as a resource for local teams seeking guidance on financial best practices, helping to foster a culture of financial discipline and awareness across the organization.
• Being the firsthand helping the local teams in reviewing and processing of transactions, which might include PO, vendor payments, and other requests.
• Monitor daily financial transactions and provide timely support to address any discrepancies or issues that arise, ensuring accurate recording and reporting.
• Assist in the development and implementation of operational procedures that enhance efficiency and financial accuracy, including procurement processes and expense tracking.

Policies and Procedures:

• Introduce policies, processes and procedures to improve the internal governance process for Australia Business Unit. In addition, the candidate should be proactive in taking steps in improving business efficiency by putting forward improvements and changes to the existing processes as required.
• Collaborate with operational teams (In both Australia and Canada) to ensure that financial processes are efficient, facilitating smooth workflow and compliance with accounting standards.

Continuous Improvement:

• Evaluate and refine the existing General Ledger hierarchies by function, ensuring alignment with functional preferences and evolving business needs. Collaborate with stakeholders to streamline FP&A and budget approval processes and enhance financial reporting efficiencies.
• Implement best practices to ensure the department operates at the highest level of effectiveness.

Candidate/Employee Overview:

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in finance business partnering / manager roles ideally with previous experience in large scale project development / construction environments across energy, Infrastructure or similar industries.

To be successful in this role candidates will need to be self-starters with the ability and confidence to manage both internal and external stakeholders.

What You Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field. Advanced qualification or working towards a qualification is a plus (ACMA, CMA, CPA or MBA).
• Experience of (10+ years) in a finance business partnering role or similar position, preferably within a corporate or multinational environment.
• Strong knowledge of financial principles, accounting standards, financial reporting, project accounting, and full-cycle accounting.
• Proficiency in financial software and systems, with advanced skills in Excel and other financial analysis tools.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience in Financial Planning, Finance Operations and Business Partnering roles.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment.

To Apply:

To apply for this position, submit your resume by clicking “Easy Apply.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected to move forward in the interview process will be contacted.

For more information on Hydrostor and the exciting journey we are on visit our website at www.hydrostor.ca

Equal Opportunity Employer

At Hydrostor, we know that fostering an inclusive workplace, which values diversity, inclusion, and belonging is paramount to our success.

To fulfill our mission, our goal is to attract people who come from all backgrounds and walks of life, who bring diverse perspectives with wide-ranging experiences, and who share in our common passion to drive innovation and change the global energy landscape.

Hydrostor proudly embraces the principles of equal opportunity and inclusion. We are committed to providing opportunities for all employees and candidates. We ensure that all qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, creed, colour, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, parental, pregnancy, citizenship status, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status protected by applicable law.

Hydrostor is committed to making our application and interview process accessible to everyone, and we encourage applications from people with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation at any stage, please contact us at careers@hydrostor.ca. In your application, we welcome you to specify your preferred pronouns (e.g., she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc.).