Management Accountant

Position Summary 

The Management Accountant is responsible for providing accurate financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, commercial analysis, and business partnering to support Edelman's Australian operations. This role works closely with client teams, operations, and senior leadership to deliver financial insights that improve profitability, operational efficiency, and strategic decision-making. The successful candidate will combine strong technical accounting skills with commercial acumen and the ability to build relationships across the business. 

Key Responsibilities 

Financial Reporting 

• Prepare monthly management accounts and financial reports. 
• Analyse financial performance against budgets and forecasts. 
• Prepare balance sheet reconciliations. 
• Support month-end and year-end close processes. 
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards and company policies.

Budgeting & Forecasting 

• Coordinate annual budgeting and monthly forecasting processes. 
• Monitor revenue, expenses, utilisation and profitability. 
• Produce variance analysis and recommend corrective actions. 
• Assist leadership with financial planning.

Business Partnering 

• Partner with client service teams to improve financial performance. 
• Provide commercial advice on client profitability and resource planning. 
• Support project budgeting and pricing decisions. 
• Monitor client revenue, work-in-progress (WIP), recoverability and utilisation.

Commercial Analysis 

• Analyse profitability by client, service line and business unit. 
• Develop dashboards and KPIs for management. 
• Identify trends, risks and opportunities. 
• Support strategic initiatives through financial modelling. 

Financial Controls 

• Maintain strong internal controls and governance. 
• Assist with audit requirements. 
• Ensure compliance with tax, statutory and reporting obligations. 
• Support process improvement initiatives. 

Systems & Process Improvement 

• Maintain and optimise the use of Workday Financial Management to support accurate financial reporting and business processes. 
• Develop and enhance financial reports and dashboards within Workday. 
• Identify opportunities to improve finance processes through automation and system enhancements. 
• Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure effective utilisation of Workday across finance operations. 

Skills & Experience 

Essential 

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or Commerce. 
• CA or CPA qualified. 
• 3–6 years' experience in management accounting or commercial finance. 
• Demonstrated experience using Workday Financial Management, including financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, journal processing, and management reporting. 
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. 
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills. 
• High attention to detail and accuracy. 

Desirable 

• Experience in a professional services, consulting, media, advertising or communications agency. 
• Experience using Power BI, Tableau or similar business intelligence tools. 
• Knowledge of project accounting, revenue recognition, utilisation and work-in-progress (WIP) management. 
• Experience with financial planning and reporting systems integrated with Workday. 

Key Competencies 

• Commercial acumen 
• Financial analysis 
• Business partnering 
• Communication and influencing 
• Strategic thinking 
• Planning and organisation 
• Continuous improvement 
• Collaboration 
• Integrity and accountability 
• Adaptability in a fast-paced environment 
• Strong proficiency in Workday Financial Management and the ability to leverage system capabilities to improve financial reporting, forecasting, and business decision-making. 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 

• Accuracy and timeliness of monthly reporting 
• Forecast accuracy 
• Budget delivery 
• Client profitability improvement 
• Utilisation and recovery reporting accuracy 
• Compliance with financial controls 
• Process improvement initiatives delivered 
• Stakeholder satisfaction 

What Success Looks Like 

• Deliver timely, accurate financial reporting. 
• Provide meaningful commercial insights that influence business decisions. 
• Build trusted relationships with client leaders and operational teams. 
• Improve financial performance through proactive analysis and recommendations. 
• Support Edelman's continued growth by maintaining strong financial governance while enabling commercial success.