Finance Operations Manager
Date: 24 Jul 2026
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, AU
Company: Australian Football League
Join the team shaping the future of Australia’s game.
This is your chance to do work that has real impact, in an organisation that moves fast, aims high and plays a meaningful role in the lives of millions across the country through football. Every role at the AFL helps progress the game, so more people can love it, connect with it and see what is possible through it.
The opportunity
The AFL is looking for a Finance Operations Manager to lead the core financial engine that supports the organisation’s performance, governance and future growth.
Based at AFL House, this senior role is accountable for the end-to-end delivery of finance operations, governance and financial integrity across the AFL Group. You will lead financial control, reporting, compliance, transaction processing, finance systems and continuous improvement, ensuring the function is efficient, well controlled, scalable and ready for the future.
Working closely with the GM Finance, Business Performance Manager and Finance Business Partners, you will help enable reliable financial data, strong controls and modern systems that support informed decision-making across the organisation.
What you’ll own
You’ll lead a broad Finance Operations and Shared Services function, bringing together strong financial discipline, service delivery and continuous improvement.
You’ll add value through:
- Leading the AFL Group’s financial control framework, ensuring financial reporting is accurate, timely and well governed
- Overseeing month-end close, consolidations, group reporting, statutory financial statements, management accounts and external disclosures
- Leading finance inputs into Commission, Audit and Risk, and Investment Committee reporting and planning
- Overseeing statutory, tax, regulatory and accounting compliance, including external audit, internal audit and advisor relationships
- Leading Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and finance administration processes, with a focus on accuracy, service delivery and strong controls
- Managing cash flow, liquidity, treasury activities, banking relationships, cash forecasting and investment fund oversight
- Driving the finance systems roadmap in partnership with Technology and external support partners, including ERP, reporting, planning, automation and workflow tools
- Identifying opportunities to reduce manual processing, improve reporting quality and strengthen insight generation through automation and AI-enabled finance capabilities
- Leading finance ownership of ESG-related financial and regulatory reporting, in partnership with sustainability, legal and external advisors
- Supporting the Business Performance Manager and Finance Business Partners with consistent financial data, reporting and insights for budgeting, forecasting, performance reviews and strategic business cases
- Leading, coaching and developing the Finance Operations and Shared Services team, building clarity, accountability and strong ways of working
- Contributing as a senior member of the Finance Leadership Team, supporting culture, capability uplift and continuous improvement
What you’ll bring
- CA or CPA qualification, with significant senior finance leadership experience
- Strong technical accounting capability, including interpretation and application of accounting standards
- Experience overseeing financial control, reporting and compliance in complex organisations
- Proven experience leading external audit, internal audit and advisor relationships
- Experience managing finance systems and driving process automation, transformation and improvement
- Strong capability leading multi-disciplinary finance teams, with a focus on clarity, accountability and service delivery
- Experience working with large finance teams and supporting finance transformation
- Sound judgement, integrity and attention to detail in a complex operating environment
- Confidence engaging with executives, auditors, advisors and cross-functional stakeholders
- A pragmatic, outcomes-focused approach to problem solving and continuous improvement
- The ability to lead change and support modern, scalable finance operating models
- Desirable experience in large, complex, multi-entity or regulated environments
- Desirable exposure to ESG or emerging reporting frameworks
- Desirable experience with Dynamics 365, Workday Adaptive or accounting system change
- Desirable experience or knowledge of stadium or sporting administration environments
Why you’ll love being on our team
At the AFL, you will be part of a values-led team that aims high, backs each other and brings energy, care and integrity to work that matters. This is a place where people play to win, play as one team and play with passion, while always staying grounded in fairness, inclusion and respect. We work hard, support each other and create the conditions for our people to grow, perform and thrive.
What you can look forward to:
- Play The Day Your Way, our flexible approach to working life, built to support you on game day and every day
- My Development, with coaching, mentoring, on-the-job learning and formal development to help you keep building your game
- Play Well, our health and wellbeing programme designed to support a healthy body, healthy mind and healthy workplace
- My Benefits, giving you access to a range of partner offers and discounts through our AFL Corporate Partners
- AFL Silver Memberships for permanent team members, so you can enjoy the action at Marvel Stadium and the MCG with family and friends
- 6 months paid primary parental leave with no qualification period for permanent team members
Everyone has a place here
Our game brings people together, and we want our workplace to do the same.
We are committed to building a culture of belonging and an environment where people feel respected, included and able to thrive, and where diversity of background, experience and perspective makes us stronger.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are encouraged to apply.
Whether you’re a footy fan or new to our game, we welcome everyone to apply. We know great candidates don’t always tick every box – if this role excites you, we encourage you to apply, even if your experience doesn’t perfectly match the job description.
The AFL is committed to promoting and protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in our care. Please note, we undertake several screening processes to ensure this commitment is upheld, this includes ensuring the successful candidate to this position holds a valid employee Working with Children/ Vulnerable People check and a satisfactory criminal history record check.
Ready to play your part?
Applications close Friday 21 August 2026.