Director, Financial Operations (Contract)

page_title Back to jobs tags.new Director, Financial Operations (Contract) Melbourne Apply Join us on our mission to make a better world of work. Culture Amp is the world’s leading employee experience platform, revolutionizing how 25 million employees across more than 6,500 companies create a better world of work. Culture Amp empowers companies of all sizes and industries to transform employee engagement, drive performance management, and develop high-performing teams. Powered by people science and the most comprehensive employee dataset in the world, the most innovative companies including Canva, On, Asana, Dolby, McDonalds and Nasdaq depend on Culture Amp every day. Culture Amp is backed by leading venture capital funds and has offices in the US, UK, Germany and Australia. Culture Amp has been recognized as one of the world’s top private cloud companies by Forbes and most innovative companies by Fast Company. For more information visit cultureamp.com . We are seeking a highly experienced and strategic Director, Financial Operations (14 month Parental Leave Cover) to lead and manage the global Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Treasury and Payroll functions. A critical priority for this role will be owning and delivering a global payroll transformation, which will be the central focus and key challenge across the first 6 months. This includes driving the organisation’s transition to an outsourced global payroll model. The successful candidate will partner closely with the current Director of Financial Operations during the final stages of the RFP and vendor selection process to ensure continuity and context transfer. Following vendor signing, you will assume full accountability for implementation governance, vendor oversight, and the successful transition to steady-state operations. We are open to candidates who have led or played a key role in large-scale transformation initiatives (such as systems, process, or operating model transformations), even if these have not been payroll-specific. Beyond transformation, you will provide executive oversight for AR, AP, and Treasury, ensuring strong internal controls (removing single point sensitivity), scalable processes, and high performance. We are looking for a leader who is deeply curious about the intersection of AI and Finance; someone who will proactively identify opportunities to disrupt manual transactional noise with automated, AI-driven workflows and leverage technology to drive efficiencies as Culture Amp scales. As part of this team of amazing humans, You will Strategy and leadership Champion a rigorous assessment of current AR, AP, and Treasury workflows to identify AI-led optimisation opportunities. You will be expected to challenge the default "buy" approach, first exploring how AI and internal system enhancements can drive efficiency before proposing large-scale external vendor implementations. Provide high-level leadership across the four pillars of global financial operations: Payroll, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Treasury. Ensure these functions operate with strong "four-eyes" controls and zero single point sensitivity. Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, translating broader company strategy into relevant financial operations priorities and anticipating future operational requirements. Payroll Partner in the payroll outsourcing RFP and vendor selection process, contributing operational insight, risk assessment and implementation considerations to support informed decision-making. Post vendor selection, lead implementation governance and vendor management, establishing clear milestones, risk mitigation plans, SLAs and performance metrics to ensure successful transition and long-term service excellence. Ensure ongoing payroll accuracy, timeliness and compliance across jurisdictions, leveraging internal payroll specialist expertise for detailed technical configuration and regulatory interpretation. Accounts Payable, Receivable & Treasury Maintain executive-level oversight of global AR, AP, and Treasury functions, ensuring operational excellence through robust internal controls, clear accountability frameworks, and the intentional removal of single point sensitivity. Oversee the strategic direction for AR and AP, ensuring any market scans (e.g., for OCR or automation) are rigorously tested against "AI-native" alternatives and internal system capabilities to ensure long-term ROI. Oversee cash flow management related to AP, including forecasting and scheduling payments to optimise working capital. You have Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field. 12+ years of progressive experience in financial operations, including direct oversight of Global Payroll, AR, AP, and Treasury. An AI-forward leader with a 'smarter, not bigger' mindset. You have a proven track record of leveraging emerging technologies and process re-engineering to drive efficiencies and reduce manual 'noise' across transactional finance, consistently choosing automation and innovation over a default reliance on external vendor solutions or manual-heavy workflows. Possess a deep curiosity for AI and emerging technologies, coupled with a mindset geared toward innovation and continuous improvement to drive efficiencies and reduce manual 'noise' across transactional finance through automation. Experience leading or playing a key role in major system or operating model transformations. You are comfortable navigating ambiguity and "getting your hands dirty" during high-stakes implementations. A respected leader who can influence senior stakeholders and external partners, balancing immediate risk reduction with the long-term goal of scalability and operational excellence. Proactivity and initiative. You are capable of juggling multiple priorities in a dynamic, rapidly growing and fluid organisation. You are highly organised and skilled at creating structure in situations that are uncertain or ambiguous. Deep curiosity and complex problem-solving skills. You are innovative with the ability to create differentiated analysis based on the situation. You are able to clearly and simply present key takeaways and make recommendations. Results focus. Strong results orientation and accountability with the ability to solve problems and execute in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. Experience with financial software and ERP systems (NetSuite and Salesforce a plus). Please note that eligibility for benefits may vary based on employment status, and some benefits may not be applicable to contractor roles. We believe that our employees are the heartbeat of our success. We're committed to fostering a work environment that truly cares for and develops its people, and creates lasting positive impact. In addition to providing a competitive compensation package, some of the key benefits we offer are: Employee Share Options Program: We empower you to be an owner in Culture Amp and share in our success Programs, coaching, and budgets to help you thrive personally and professionally Access to external providers for mental wellbeing and coaching support to sustain the wellbeing, safety and development of our people Monthly Camper Life Allowance: An automatic allowance paid out each month with your pay - you can spend it however you like to help improve your experience and life outside work Team budgets dedicated to team building activities and connection Intentional quarterly wellbeing pauses: A quarterly company-wide shutdown day in each region to to collectively pause, reset and focus on restoration and rest, without having to tap into individual vacation time Extended year-end breaks: An extended refresh period at the end of year Excellent parental leave and in work support program available from day 1 of joining Culture Amp 5 Social Impact Days a year to make a positive impact on the community outside of work MacBooks for you to do your best & a work from home office budget to spend on setting up your home office Medical insurance coverage for you and your family (Available for US & UK only) Additionally, we don't just focus on our internal community; we believe in creating a better world of work for all. We're committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with Employee Resource Groups and ally communities in place. We have a strong commitment to Anti-Racism, and endeavor to lead by example. Every step we make as a business towards anti-racism is another step we can take to support our customers in making a better world (of work). You can see our current commitments to Anti-Racism here . Please keep reading... Research shows that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often don't apply for roles if they don't meet all the criteria – unlike majority candidates meeting significantly fewer requirements. We strongly encourage you to apply if you’re interested: we'd love to know how you can amplify our team with your unique experience! If you decide to apply, as part of your application, we will ask you to complete voluntary diversity questions (excluding roles in Germany). These questions are completely optional, but your participation truly helps. By sharing this anonymous information, you support our efforts to build a more inclusive and equitable hiring process—and help us hold ourselves accountable to that commitment. Your responses are entirely confidential and will not impact hiring decisions. If you require reasonable accommodations or adjustments due to a disability to complete the online application or to participate in the interview process, please contact accommodations@cultureamp. com and identify the type of accommodation or assistance you are requesting. Do not include any medical or health information in this email. The Reasonable Accommodations team will respond to your email promptly. Culture Amp will retain your CV & personal information for a period of two years (four years for the US) from the date of your application process completion. Culture Amp may contact you in relation to future job opportunities during this time period. For further information please see our privacy policy here or contact . 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