Financial Accounting Team Leader

About this role

HorizonOne are delighted to be partnering with Icon Water to recruit new team members into their Finance & Strategy Group.

About Icon Water

Wholly owned by the ACT Government, Icon Water has delivered essential services to Canberra for over 100 years. While primarily a water and sewerage provider, it also invests in electricity and gas through private partnerships, operating across both government and commercial sectors. Icon Water is focused on sustainability, playing a key role in addressing climate change, protecting the environment, and achieving net zero emissions by 2045.   Serving approximately 190,000 customers, the business manages over $3.2 billion in assets—including dams, treatment plants, reservoirs, and networks of mains and pumps—and generates around $490 million in annual revenue.   The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to lead the financial accounting function through a period of change. Under a forward-thinking CFO, the team continues to attract high-performing problem solvers, with a long-term strategy focused on building an enabling environment — streamlining manual processes and using data to drive smarter business decisions.   Leading a team of four, the Team Leader is central to the delivery of financial statements and provides a broad range of technical accounting advice to key stakeholders. Through this period of change, you will foster a high-performing culture, evolve finance processes and uplift capability across the team. It is also a chance to review and modernise the controls, policies and governance for the area, and to embed best practice.   The Role

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading, developing and managing a team of three Financial Accountants, including setting performance expectations, capability development, workload allocation and fostering high-performance

• Leading the preparation of annual financial statements for Icon Water Limited, Icon Distribution Investments Limited (IDIL) and Icon Retail Investments Limited (IRIL), and managing the external audit to achieve unqualified audit outcomes

• Leading the development and documentation of significant accounting estimates, judgements and technical accounting positions to support financial reporting and audit requirements, including revenue recognition, valuation of property, plant and equipment, segment reporting, investment valuations and gifted assets. Coordinating external specialists, valuers and advisers

• Managing the general ledger, construction in progress (CIP) balances and fixed asset register to ensure accuracy and completeness, including providing required approvals for journals, reconciliations and accounting transactions

• Monitoring and assessing changes to Australian Accounting Standards, taxation, regulatory and legislative requirements, ensuring their timely implementation within Icon Water

• Providing technical accounting advice to finance and business stakeholders, including guidance on CapEx/OpEx classifications for projects

• Leading the development, implementation and ongoing management of the Cost Allocation Methodology (CAM), including maintaining cost pools, cost drivers and allocation models

• Preparing and presenting papers to the Risk & Audit Committee and Board on financial reporting, accounting, governance and financial management matters. Ensuring allocations are applied consistently and transparently, supported by appropriate documentation, governance and Accounting Standards

• Coordinating the tracking, response and resolution of internal and external audit findings, recommendations and observations relating to financial reporting, financial controls and accounting matters, ensuring management actions are implemented and reported through appropriate governance processes

• Managing tax compliance and reporting obligations, including tax effect accounting, income tax equivalent calculations, payroll tax lodgements, pay as you go (PAYG) instalments, fringe benefits tax (FBT) returns and business activity statements (BAS). Coordinating tax payments and liaising with external tax advisers to ensure compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements

• Managing month-end and year-end financial close processes, including the preparation of monthly financial statements and submissions to the ACT Government, and oversight of balance sheet reconciliations

• Supporting the development, implementation and ongoing management of financial management frameworks, including accounting policies, procedures and work instructions

• Leading the Record to Report and Asset Accounting processes, ensuring effective financial controls, compliance with accounting standards and continuous improvement through process standardisation, automation and control enhancements

• Leading the preparation of climate-related financial disclosures in accordance with AASB S2, including coordinating sustainability data, maintaining supporting documentation and controls, and supporting external assurance activities

The Ideal Person

You are a professionally qualified CA/CPA accountant with a strong technical accounting background and demonstrated experience leading and developing high-performing teams.

You have experience working within a large commercial organisation, government-owned corporation or other regulated business environment.

You possess strong stakeholder engagement capabilities and well-developed analytical skills. Your expertise in financial statements is complemented by a strong technical understanding of accounting standards and their application within large, regulated organisations.

You are experienced in engaging with external auditors, executive stakeholders, Boards and Risk & Audit Committees, and can clearly communicate complex financial, governance and accounting matters to a range of audiences.

You are comfortable providing advice and making recommendations on complex and ambiguous accounting matters, exercising sound judgement and influencing outcomes across a broad stakeholder group.

Highly motivated, you approach new problems with a pragmatic and reliable common-sense mindset. You apply sound professional judgement, drive continuous improvement and maintain a strong focus on financial governance, controls and business outcomes.

Salary / Rate

The salary band starts at $185,043 + 15% Super   In addition to an attractive remuneration package, Icon Water offer great employee benefits including flexible working arrangements, career development opportunities, health and wellbeing contributions and salary sacrifice options to name a few.   Application Information

To apply online, please click on the appropriate link to submit your resume & cover letter addressing how you meet the requirements of the role.   Please note applications for this role close on Monday 17th August at 12pm (AEDT).   For a confidential discussion, please contact Alan Larby on 02 6108 4878 quoting ref no. 21693 .   Icon Water and HorizonOne are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and we encourage applications from people of all cultures, capabilities and backgrounds.