Organisation: Hobart City Council
Job Title: Manager – Finance
Location: Hobart
Holding the relevant tertiary qualifications to be considered for the position of Manager Finance, with Hobart City Council, including a Masters in Professional Accounting, and a provisional membership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia (ICAA), I am also currently completing the requirements for full ICAA (taxation) membership.
Throughout my career, I have held a number of roles similar in nature to that of the Manager Finance position. My diverse skills and contributions developed over the past 12 years in my previous roles, including: Financial Controller, Assistant Accountant, Senior Analyst and Audit Assistant, enable me to be a valuable contributor to my employer, stakeholders and clients.
In my current employment as a Financial Controller, I am responsible for
- Delivery of timely and accurate financial reporting and advice to the General Manager directly, and the Chairman and Board of Directors
- Conducting efficiency/effectiveness reviews and provision of advice on appropriate accountability strategies and structures
- Development and implementation of accounting and financial management standards, policies and guidelines
- Leading and mentoring the accounts team and productively contributing to the senior management team
- Overseeing the maintenance and administration of long term financial forecasting model
- Overseeing all financial administration, analysis, budget and cost control procedures
I have developed a significant mix of specialist financial and accounting knowledge and skills from my employment both in Australia and abroad. This knowledge, combined with my strong capabilities in resource and time management, has enabled me to achieve high quality outcomes at the optimum levels of cost.
My dedication to my work and focus on achieving results is illustrated in a project that I am currently working on. Acknowledging that the manual financial processes in place were not efficient for the financial management of the business, my employer has made me responsible for the automation of the point of sale (POS) system integration into MYOB. In this capacity, I rely heavily on my specialist knowledge to ensure that reports generated by the new system are accurate. When troubleshooting the integration process, it is critical that my attention to detail is unfaltering to circumvent any future issues with the system. My keen ability to plan, manage time effectively, knowledge of continuous improvement, and project management methodologies, enables the automation project to progress as quickly, efficiently and accurately as possible.
Whilst I do not have previous experience in the use of Finance1 and Proclaim, I am very technically and electronically-minded and comfortable in using a variety of software packages and computing systems. In previous roles, where new technology has been adopted or introduced, I have quickly developed capability in the software, allowing me to mentor and coach others in its use. Examples of this include
- Teaching myself to use Greentree proficiently and quickly, when my employer transitioned to this financial management and accounting software
- Accurately and swiftly learning to use MYOB, so that I could develop a series of financial and account management procedures for a new employer
Throughout my experience in the financial sector, I have developed proficiencies in a vast array of technology products, and completed various certification courses in accounting systems. Furthermore, I am highly proficient in software and systems, including: JDE, Oracle, SAP, MYOB, Greentree, Montran, QuickBooks, Adobe Acrobat and the Microsoft Office suite. I have utilised these technologies to effectively deliver financial and accounting services, maintain and analyse financial data, and extract appropriate data for meaningful and beneficial reporting.
In my current role, I work with MYOB software. My thorough knowledge of its use is demonstrated in my working with the IT team to advise them of the mapping processes related to the automation of the POS system integration into MYOB. My ability to produce meaningful reports with charting, graphs, and relevant data extraction, enables me to clearly articulate financial reporting and advice to the General Manager directly, and the Chairman and Board of Directors.
Whilst I have not had the opportunity to act in a project management role, I have, throughout my career, developed very strong relevant skills and been a productive contributor to project teams. The manner in which I approach my work is similar to project management methodologies, in that I carefully plan and document processes and procedures, prudently manage risks, and maintain my focus on budget management and control.
In the automation of the POS system integration into MYOB project that I am currently involved in, I am responsible for costing, as well as ensuring the transition maintains our high standards of financial reporting and management. Liaising with the technical and IT teams, I am solely accountable for the accuracy and implementation of this system within our business.
As a leader and manager, I make it a priority to ensure that my team members are confident and competent in their abilities to complete the tasks required of them in their role. To achieve this, I maintain a high level of open communication, provide ongoing coaching, mentoring and training, provide the appropriate level of supervision dependent on staff needs and support staff in their completion of delegated tasks designed to challenge and enhance their professional competence.
I currently manage a team of five people, coordinating and prioritising workloads, and overseeing the delivery of the team’s multiple tasks. My strong interpersonal skills, excellent work ethic and genuine interest in the successful financial management of my employer have contributed to my developing highly proficient and effective team.
Throughout my career, I have always adhered to strict deadlines whilst maintaining a high degree of accuracy. My strong skills in prioritisation, managing competing tasks, and flexibility for dealing with urgent and unforeseen tasks has ensured that I have maintained a high level of performance within required timeframes. When managing my time, I begin the process with effective planning, enabling me to keep ahead of deadlines and give tasks my full attention when completing them.
My ability to effectively manage my time is of significant benefit to the automation of the POS system integration into MYOB project. Whilst updating mapping and reporting processes, I am keenly aware that data entered into the system needs to be removed for further reporting and testing to be conducted. By doing this in a timely fashion, I am expediting the overall completion of the project.
With broad experience in all aspects of accounting and financial reporting, in fast paced and high pressure environments, I pride myself on my strong work ethic, commitment to results and deadlines, and the ability to manage and complete multiple tasks. My professional ethos is centred on my belief that tasks should be completed accurately the first time they are attempted, to avoid rework, and that my work day is not complete until I have finalised all of the tasks required of me.
Throughout my career, I have demonstrated these skills, particularly on the occasions where I have been commencing a new role; learning the internal processes and procedures, adapting to financial and accounting software, and committing myself to continuous improvement of the status quo, all whilst completing my Masters in Professional Accounting and professional development outside of work hours. My commitment to quality outcomes has always been a key focus, with each of my employers impressed by my relentless dedication to the delivery of results.
I have had multiple opportunities throughout my career to contribute to the development of organisational strategies, with a particular focus on the financial aspects. My specialist knowledge has been relied upon by a number of businesses when developing and drafting new internal financial controls. My contributions to strategic direction have ensured the ongoing financial success of my employers.
As the financial controller of a hotel, I was significantly involved in strategy development. With the introduction of a new financial management system that reports vertically and horizontally, I designed and guided the development of strategy on how to use, and analyse the data. A regular reporting process of two weekly reports and four monthly reports, was adopted based on my financial strategy recommendations. However, I have not been limited to only influencing strategy in the financial arena. In my current role, I have also assisted with the strategy formation of events management and related recruitment requirements, and forecasting of patron attendance and resourcing requirements.
My high attention to detail and accuracy, makes me a valuable asset to an organisation in the preparation, implementation and review of strategic and business plans. Bringing with me a wealth of experience and knowledge from domestic and international organisations, I am able to consider planning documentation from multiple perspectives and offer fruitful and shrewd advice.
When commencing my current employment, I was presented with the newly formulated budget and business model, and the request for assistance in improving it where necessary. Utilising my significant analysis and reporting experience, I was able to provide a different perspective to that held by the senior management team. The hotel was planning to spend a significant amount of money on improving its accommodation from two and a half stars to four. Through my analysis, I determined this would not be the appropriate use of financial resources as they would be competing in a growing market with higher quality providers. After determining the target patrons and strengths of the venue: events and provision of live outdoor music, I recommended that they increase spending on such events, with minimal focus on enhancements to accommodation. This strategic approach ensured the hotel focused on areas where it could excel and have little competition. The senior management team considered my perspective and changed their business model accordingly, resulting in the ongoing success of the hotel.
In many positions, I have been responsible for the introduction, development and implementation of many accounting and financial management standards, policies and guidelines, and the resulting training and education of relevant staff. I have confidently moved on from previous roles knowing that I have made their financial management and accounting practices significantly more advanced and robust than when I commenced my employment.
Among the many policies and procedures that I have been responsible for developing, is in my current role, I created a number of spending policies in relation to events. Specifically, I have focused on improving the accounting standards and processes relating to the engagement of bands, such as: raising invoices, purchase orders, and cash flow procedures. Working in collaboration with the senior management team, and providing expertise from an accounting perspective, I have ensured the clear, precise and effective accounting standards are now in place and adhered to.
As a successful accounting and finance professional, I have proven my strong problem solving and analytical skills, flexibility in my thinking and behavior, and ability to address issues with innovative solutions on numerous occasions. It is via these very skills, that I gain the most challenge, enjoyment and fulfillment in my work.
My current involvement in the the automation of the POS system integration into MYOB project, exemplifies my expertise in the skills relevant to this criterion. My analytical and problem solving skills are utilised daily, as I consider if new reporting processes are accurate, and then determining the reasons why, when they are not. Working in collaboration with the external IT and technical teams, I have had to develop novel and innovative solutions for mapping processes and correct data extraction.
Having never been someone who is content with doing things the way they have always been done for historical purposes, I have enjoyed contributing to the development and enhancement of standards, processes and procedures. My willingness to view a task from a new perspective and challenge the status quo has resulted in the development of many advantageous alternative approaches to business processes.
A recent example was my questioning of manual journal recording processes in my current role. This labour intensive, and high risk of error approach, made completing tasks such as the bank reconciliation very difficult. By discussing the merits of an automated process and the ability to view and measure financial data quickly, and easily on a daily basis, resulted in the commencement of the POS system integration into MYOB project. This new way of working is already achieving significant financial and accounting management benefits for the hotel.
As a leader and manager in financial matters, I have often had to hold conversations exhibiting a high degree of tact and diplomacy. These conversations have been held both in one-on-one circumstances, and group discussions. A recent example of this relates to the use of the new POS system at my current place of employment.
Variances in end of day reporting were discovered, resulting from staff not processing purchases correctly. Following the provision of specialist and focused training, a further variance of $1200 was determined. Leading this delicate and sensitive discussion, I addressed the issue with the Duty Manager who was responsible for the variance. Whilst not directing blame, or accusing this person of stealing, I talked them through the issue, their responsibility, and set about determining the reason for the variance in collaboration with them.
The nature of the roles that I have undertaken, have required me to adeptly liaise and negotiate with members of the public, other employees, peers, senior management, governing boards and Government agencies. By focusing on achieving mutually beneficial results, and fostering productive working relationships where possible, I have represented myself, my profession and my employers with integrity and professionalism.
An example where these skills were brought to the forefront, was through my identification of human error resulting in a significant amount of GST on purchases not being claimed from the Australian Taxation Officer (ATO). In this situation, I liaised and negotiated with the business’ external accountants and the ATO for a refund of the unclaimed money. My effective and influential communication and negotiation skills resulted in a refund of $98 045 from the ATO – the maximum allowable under the legislative environment and situational particulars.
My superior oral and written communication skills have been integral to my successes throughout my career. They are fundamental to my ability to provide a professional and competent service to my employer and clients. I believe that effective communication at all levels is the basis of efficient and effective work, and on this basis – I commit to delivering meaningful and timely communications in a language and format that my intended audience can understand.
When communicating important information, I will often deliver it via a number of mediums to ensure optimum comprehension of key points. For example, when recently performing a final audit and reporting conclusions to management, I took a multi-faceted approach. When presenting conclusions, I orally highlighted key point during the meeting from a written report that I had previously prepared and provided. The purpose of this was to summarise information relevant to the interests of management, emphasising key issues without confusing the matter with too much detail. Via this approach, I was able to reach a shared and accurate understanding of the pertinent issues, enabling us to collaboratively determine the best means to proceed.
Throughout my career, I have always enjoyed working within and a team and contributing to team outcomes, and as such have focused on developing strong working relationships with my colleagues and relevant stakeholders. My genuine interest in supporting the people I work with and demonstrated ability in proactively liaising with relevant team members, has ensured that I have been able to deliver excellent outcomes for my employers and clients.
In my current role, I am required to maintain and foster productive working relationships with the General Manager, the Chairman, and Board of Directors, external accountants, the accounts team and other members of staff to ensure the proficient financial management of the business. My natural abilities in relating to all members of my immediate and extended team, and clearly articulating complex financial and accounting concepts in a manner that each team member can understand, has ensured my ongoing success in my current position.
My commitment to providing the best possible service and outcomes for my employer or clients, stems from my belief that it is my role to accurately complete their accounting and financial management whilst educating them in the process. I thrive on the challenge of delivering excellent outcomes, exceeding expectations and sharing knowledge. Ensuring that I developed a deep understanding of my employers’ and clients’ businesses and the markets that they resided in, I have been able to deliver high quality service throughout my career.
In previous roles, where I have been primarily employed in an accounting function, I would add value to my clients by also creating short reports in a spreadsheet format, showing reconciliation data with relevant analytical instructions. The aim of this process was to provide them with an understanding of where the figures were coming from, and develop their ability for analysing the numbers themselves. This improved my clients’ awareness of what was happening in their business and what I was achieving for them.
In my current role, I rely on my significant leadership ability and specialist financial and accounting knowledge for the delivery and realisation of my responsibilities. My keen ability to maintain a balance between the optimisation of resources and achievement of organisational strategy and goals has made me an influential leader within my organisation.
My proven capabilities in leading and influencing others, rests on my strong interpersonal and communication skills. Through the maintenance of open and honest communication with my staff, colleagues and other stakeholders, I am able to influence others towards a shared understanding of the importance of the precise application and implementation of financial and accounting practices. The manner in which I conduct myself professionally, is another technique I use to lead by example – by modelling the expected behaviours, work ethic and correct use of procedures, I encourage and motivate others around me to do the same.
