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 people making the work everyone else watches. Strength behind the spotlight is the whole idea, 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 trips up plenty of firms and it is exactly the kind of work we built our entire practice around. We have been a Xero Platinum Champion Partner since 2016 and our work runs from Producer Offset claims and QAPE tracking through to business structuring, tax compliance and Virtual CFO advisory. We are a technology forward practice, and we use a broad set of tools to keep the work moving and the thinking clear, rather than buried in spreadsheets.

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 seat 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 the big 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 a real 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. We are a specialist team, which means your contribution is visible, your ideas land and you get to shape a service rather than slot into someone else’s version of it.

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.

How to apply

Send your CV and a short note on why creative industry advisory appeals to you. We review applications as they come in, so early interest is encouraged. Pop your favourite film or the last great thing you watched at the top of your note, we like knowing what moves you. Want a quiet chat before you apply? Call us on (02) 9043 1525.

Frequently asked questions

What experience do I need for the Virtual CFO Manager role at Count Out Loud?

You will need to be CA or CPA qualified with strong commercial and advisory experience, ideally including Virtual CFO, management accounting or finance business partnering. Confidence building forecasts, financial models and KPI frameworks is essential, along with the communication skills to make numbers clear to founders. Experience in the creative industries is an advantage, though we welcome strong commercial finance people from other industries who want to specialise.

Is this a client-facing role or an internal finance role?

It is client-facing. You will lead Virtual CFO engagements for our creative-industry clients, acting as the outsourced finance leader for production companies, creators and creative businesses, rather than managing Count Out Loud’s own internal finances.

Where is the role based and is it full time?

The role is based in North Sydney, with flexibility around how and where you work. It carries real ownership of the Virtual CFO service and room to shape how it grows. If you would like to confirm the working arrangements before applying, you are welcome to call us on (02) 9043 1525 for a confidential chat.