Position Summary 

The Senior Manager – Practice Management & Performance is accountable for the day‑to‑day operational performance, capacity management, and leadership of advice operations teams, ensuring the practice operates efficiently, consistently, and at scale. This role leads Team Leaders across Paraplanning and Client Services and an Operations Manager. The role translates business strategy, standards, and regulatory obligations into effective practice‑level delivery, enabling advisers to focus on client outcomes and growth. The role balances people leadership, commercial insight, and operational discipline to ensure the business is achieving its goals.

This role is located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Primary Responsibilities

People Leadership & Team Performance

• Lead, coach and develop Operations Manager and Team Leads to drive accountability and consistent delivery of outcomes
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration and client-centricity
• Set clear expectations for workflow discipline, service quality, and capacity management
• Support Ops Mgr and Team Leads to:
  • Allocate work effectively
  • Build capability and role clarity within their teams
  • Address performance, quality, or capacity issues early
  • Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and commercial awareness

Practice Operations & BAU Excellence

• Ensure advice operations run smoothly and consistently across the business
• Monitor BAU execution, identifying inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and operational risk
• Act as the escalation point for complex operational or resourcing issues
• Stabilise operations during periods of growth, adviser change, or increased demand

Adviser Productivity & Capacity Management

• Partner with advisers and leaders to improve utilisation and sustainable workloads
• Remove operational friction that impacts advisor productivity or client experience
• Oversee capacity planning across Paraplanning and Client Services teams
• Balance adviser demand with team capability and capacity

Operational Reporting & Commercial Insights

• Own operational and performance reporting, including:
  • Workflow health and WIP
  • Capacity and utilisation metrics
  • Client, FUM, and revenue‑related operational indicators
• Translate reporting into clear insights and actionable recommendations for leaders

Operational Risk, Quality & Governance

• Ensure operational teams work within agreed compliance, AFSL, and governance frameworks

Technology & Systems Enablement

• Act as a senior operational owner of advice systems (e.g. Xplan and related platforms)
• Ensure tools are used consistently and effectively by operational teams
• Partner with Technology and Service Design to embed agreed changes into BAU
• Identify system or process issues impacting productivity or quality

Continuous Improvement & Change Execution

• Lead or support operational improvement initiatives impacting BAU performance
• Own implementation and adoption of agreed changes across teams
• Ensure improvements are practical, embedded, and sustained

Qualifications

• 8+ years leadership experience in financial advice operations, paraplanning, or client services
• Proven experience in implementing and embedding change initiatives
• Experience leading process alignment across the wider business in a way that supports teams and enhances the client experience
• Proven ability to lead others and indirectly manage larger operational teams
• Strong commercial and capacity‑planning mindset
• High confidence engaging with advisers and senior stakeholders
• Ability to balance people leadership with operational execution
• Strong people leadership capability, with the ability to coach, influence, and hold leaders accountable for outcomes
• Sound operational judgment, balancing efficiency, quality, and client experience in day‑to‑day decisions
• Commercial mindset, with a clear understanding of how operational performance supports adviser productivity and business results
• Confident capacity and workload management across competing priorities and adviser demand
• High level of data literacy, able to interpret information, identify trends or risks, and support sound decision‑making
• Disciplined and structured approach to BAU execution, with strong follow‑through
• Comfortable operating within governance and risk frameworks, reinforcing consistent and compliant ways of working
• Calm, resilient, and pragmatic leader, able to cut through complexity and drive practical outcomes

About Focus Partners Australia 

Focus Partners Australia is part of Focus Financial Partners, a leading financial services firm based in the United States, comprised of wealth management, family office, and business management services. Focus Partners Australia offers integrated capabilities in investment and portfolio management, accounting, lending, insurance and related services from its offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Guided by a client-first ethos, we leverage the global expertise, platforms and capital strength of Focus Financial Partners to deliver holistic, fiduciary guidance across strategic planning, portfolio management, insurance, credit and tax. By fusing local insight with world-class resources, Focus Partners Australia helps its clients protect, grow, and transition their wealth at every life stage. Discover more about Focus Partners Australia at focuspa.com.au/ or LinkedIn.  

Position Summary 

The Practice Manager | Accounting is responsible for the effective leadership, coordination, and continuous improvement of practice management for the accounting division across all locations. The role provides strategic and operational oversight of onshore and offshore teams and ensures consistent, efficient, and high‑quality service delivery aligned with the organisation’s objectives and regulatory requirements.

Working closely with the Head of Accounting, this position plays a key role in driving operational excellence, supporting sustainable growth, and fostering strong working relationships across offices, service lines, and global teams.

This role can be located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Accounting Operations Management:

• Lead and optimise operations across all locations, ensuring alignment with broader company goals and strategic initiatives.
• Develop and execute scalable processes and systems to drive operational efficiency and productivity across the division.
• Work with the Head of Accounting and the Compliance Team to ensure all regulatory and organisational standards are met, ensuring a high level of quality control across the division.

Global Team Leadership & Management:

• Lead and manage both onshore Client Services Team and offshore teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence in line with company values.
• Design and implement best practices for managing offshore teams
• Drive the performance of global teams, ensuring high-quality outcomes, productivity, and alignment with business objectives.
• Drive change management initiatives to support global team integration and performance.

Relationship Management:

• Cultivate and maintain strong, long-term working relationships across multiple locations, serving as the trusted point of contact.
• Understand client needs and work proactively to exceed expectations by delivering high-quality services.
• Identify improvements in service delivery, and ways to drive client satisfaction and retention.

Financial Leadership & Budgeting:

• Work closely with senior leadership and finance teams to monitor and optimise office expenses and resource allocation.
• Ensure accurate billing, timely invoicing, and financial reporting in alignment with the company’s standards and client agreements.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimisation and revenue growth.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement:

• Lead the development of a culture of continuous improvement, proactively identifying and implementing strategies to enhance division and team performance.
• Utilise data and insights to measure key performance indicators (KPIs) and drive operational decisions.
• Collaborate with the Leadership Team to define and implement long-term growth strategies, including resource planning and technology integration.

Risk Management & Problem Solving:

• Identify and mitigate risks related to the division’s operations, employee performance, client relations and global team dynamics.
• Maintain divisions risk matrix.
• Liaise with the Head of Accounting to provide solutions to complex operational issues, working across teams to implement corrective actions and improve processes.
• Act as a key decision-maker for resolving conflicts, operational bottlenecks, and client service concerns, working closely with the Head of Accounting.

Qualifications 

• Extensive experience (7+ years) in managing multi-office operations, ideally within a practice-based environment.
• Proven success in managing offshore teams, with a deep understanding of the challenges and nuances of offshore operations.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including team management, development, and performance optimisation.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal, skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong financial acumen with the ability to manage budgets, expenses and cost optimisation.
• Advanced problem-solving abilities and strategic thinking, with a focus on long-term growth and efficiency.
• Proven ability to drive operational excellence and continuous improvement in dynamic environments.
• Strong understanding of accounting/financial principles and operational best practices.

About Focus Partners Australia 

Focus Partners Australia is part of Focus Financial Partners, a leading financial services firm based in the United States, comprised of wealth management, family office, and business management services. Focus Partners Australia offers integrated capabilities in investment and portfolio management, accounting, lending, insurance and related services from its offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Guided by a client-first ethos, we leverage the global expertise, platforms and capital strength of Focus Financial Partners to deliver holistic, fiduciary guidance across strategic planning, portfolio management, insurance, credit and tax. By fusing local insight with world-class resources, Focus Partners Australia helps its clients protect, grow, and transition their wealth at every life stage. Discover more about Focus Partners Australia at focuspa.com.au/ or LinkedIn.  

Position Summary

This role provides end-to-end financial leadership across Focus Partners Australia & Escala Partners, with responsibility for shaping financial strategy, strengthening governance, and driving operational and commercial performance. As a key partner to the Leadership Team, the Group Head of Finance plays a critical role in enabling sustainable, profitable growth while ensuring strong financial discipline and regulatory compliance. The role aligns Australian business requirements with global standards, including US GAAP, and leads the continued development of a high-performing, scalable finance function that supports the organization’s long-term strategic objectives.

Primary Responsibilities

Group Financial Leadership

• Develop the multi-entity finance vision, operating model and roadmap; across FPA.
• Lead, coach and develop the finance team to enhance capability, and a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Provide financial insights and recommendations to support strategic decision-making.
• Provide clear, insight-led advice to the Executive Committee and Board; translate strategy into financial plans and measurable outcomes.
• Accountable for developing and maintaining Focus Partners Australia financial and accounting policies, financial reporting systems and consistent processes across FPA, and overseeing the adherence to these, with support from Focus Corporate finance and accounting team.

FP&A, Budgeting, & Performance

• Own the annual budgeting process and rolling forecasts and partner with business units and Focus Corporate (NY) to ensure accurate financial planning. Implement driver-based models and scenario analysis.
• Monitor financial performance against budget and deliver variance analysis to Executive leadership and Focus Corporate
• Run monthly performance cadence: consolidated management packs, variance analysis, KPIs, and actionable recommendations.
• Monitor financial performance against budget and provide variance analysis for Executive leadership.

Financial Reporting & Consolidation

• Deliver timely and accurate consolidated financial statements and management reports for local leadership and global stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with Australian Accounting Standards and alignment to US GAAP (with support from Focus Corporate team).
• Oversee month-end and year-end processes ensuring quality and timeliness.
• Produce management reports and executive dashboards with actionable insights.
• Prepare and deliver timely, accurate financial reports for local management and internationally.

Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, & Payroll

• Oversee accounts payable and receivable functions, ensuring efficient processing and strong controls
• Monitor ageing, cash flow impact, and working capital metrics, implementing strategies to improve payment cycles and collections.
• Undertake payroll processing and ensure compliance with Fair Work and superannuation requirements.
• Ensure accurate reporting and timely payments for employee entitlements including Escala grid payments
• Drive automation and process improvement across AP, AR, and payroll workflows.

Treasury, Cash, & Capital

• Optimise cash flow, liquidity and working capital; oversee banking relationships and covenant compliance.
• Support capital allocation decisions (investments, technology, talent) and return-on-investment tracking.

Tax, Compliance, & Governance 

• Oversee direct and indirect tax planning, lodgments (BAS, IAS, payroll tax, WorkCover) and reporting across entities; liaise with external tax advisers.
• Ensure compliance with ASIC, ATO, AUSTRAC and group reporting requirements.
• Maintain strong internal controls and risk management frameworks.
• Oversee the audit process, ensuring the timely outcome for all audit requirements.

Systems, Data, & Process Excellence

• Work with the Head of Technology & Data and counterparts in Focus Financial Partners to drive the finance technology roadmap (ERP, reporting, automation) in Australia to improve data integrity and cycle-time.
• Champion process simplification and digitisation across accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and reporting.
• Establish a single source of truth for key financial data and metrics, enabling real-time analytics and dashboards for the Leadership Team
• Champion the Focus Workday implementation, including assessment of local platforms and integration with Workday

Commercial Partnering & Growth

• Partner with business leaders to evaluate pricing, product mix, client profitability and growth initiatives.
• Lead financial due diligence and integration planning for strategic projects/M&A as required.
• Provide financial modelling and investment cases for new services, partnerships and scaling opportunities.

Qualifications

• CA or CPA qualified is required.
• Extensive experience in financial leadership across controls, tax, risk management, treasury, FP&A, and commercial finance—ideally within global financial services organisations.
• Strong understanding of Australian tax and compliance requirements.
• Advanced proficiency in financial systems and Excel.
• Demonstrated experience in data-driven decision-making.
• Expertise in FP&A and business partnering to support executive-level planning and decision-making.
• Strong financial and management reporting skills.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical skills.
• Ability to drive change, innovate, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven leadership and people development skills.
• High attention to detail and commitment to compliance.
• Skilled in engaging and influencing diverse stakeholders, including executives, business units, vendors, and auditors.

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