At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead Virtual CFO services for creative businesses, turning complex numbers into clear decisions.
- Company: Count Out Loud, the go-to accountant for Australia's vibrant creative industries.
- Benefits: Flexible work arrangements, ongoing professional development, and a chance to make an impact.
- Other info: Dynamic role with real ownership and opportunities to shape the future of our services.
- Why this job: Be the financial backbone for creators, helping them thrive in their projects.
- Qualifications: CA or CPA qualified with strong advisory experience; creative industry knowledge is a plus.
The predicted salary is between 90000 - 110000 $ per year.
About Count Out Loud
Count Out Loud is the accountant for Australia's creative industries. We work with a wide range of creative industry clients, from film and television production companies, documentary producers, post-production and VFX studios, content creators and creative freelancers across the country. The strength behind the spotlight is the financial backing that lets creative businesses do their best work. Creative businesses earn differently to everyone else, with project-based revenue, seasonal cash flow, government offsets and income built on IP, which can be challenging for many firms. We have been a Xero Platinum Champion Partner since 2016 and our work includes Producer Offset claims, QAPE tracking, business structuring, tax compliance and Virtual CFO advisory.
The role
We are looking for a Virtual CFO Manager to lead our advisory service for creative businesses that need a finance leader without the full-time cost of one. You will be the senior financial mind behind a portfolio of production companies, creators and creative businesses, turning messy, project-based numbers into clear decisions founders can act on. This is a senior, client-facing position with real ownership of the Virtual CFO offering. You will run engagements end to end, shape how the service grows, and become the trusted advisor founders call before they make significant decisions.
What you will be doing
- Leading Virtual CFO engagements for a portfolio of creative industry clients
- Building cash flow forecasts, budgets and financial models that suit project-based revenue
- Setting and tracking the KPIs that tell creative founders how their business is really doing
- Advising on funding, profitability, pricing and the financial side of growth decisions
- Translating government offsets, IP income and seasonal cash flow into clear forward plans
- Running regular advisory sessions and presenting numbers founders actually understand
- Working alongside our senior accountants on structuring and Producer Offset strategy
- Helping shape and scale the Virtual CFO service as a growing part of the practice
What we are looking for
- CA or CPA qualified, with strong commercial and advisory experience
- A track record in Virtual CFO, management accounting or finance business partnering
- Confident building forecasts, models and KPI frameworks from the ground up
- Comfortable in Xero and the wider cloud accounting and reporting ecosystem
- A clear communicator who can sit across the table from a founder and make the numbers make sense, without the jargon
- Genuinely curious about the creative industries, the work, the money behind it and the people making it
- Experience in screen, media, or entertainment is an advantage, though we are open to strong commercial finance people from other industries who want to specialise
- Familiarity with the Producer Offset, QAPE and the financial rhythms of production will put you ahead
Why join Count Out Loud?
Your clients will be building films, television series, documentaries and creative businesses, so the work stays varied and rarely feels routine. You get flexibility around how and where you work, ongoing professional development and the chance to become a recognised name in one of the most distinctive corners of Australian accounting.
Virtual CFO Manager, Creative Industries in Sydney employer: Count Out Loud
Count Out Loud is an exceptional employer for those passionate about the creative industries, offering a dynamic work environment in North Sydney where your contributions are valued and visible. With a strong focus on professional development, flexible working arrangements, and the opportunity to engage with a diverse portfolio of clients, you will find meaningful work that fuels your curiosity and growth. Join a specialist team that not only understands the unique financial needs of creative businesses but also fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation.
