About Stonewood Group

Stonewood Group is a diversified New Zealand property and investment group with approximately $1 billion in assets under management.

With around 400 employees across multiple divisions, the Group's interests span commercial property, hospitality (including the Radisson Red Hotel Auckland) and construction franchising (Stonewood Homes — 20 franchises across New Zealand and 3 in Australia).

Headquartered at Princes Wharf in Auckland's Viaduct, Stonewood Group is a dynamic, founder-led organisation that values commercial pragmatism, operational excellence, and a bias toward action.

About the Role

This is a genuine Financial Controller opportunity at the heart of a significant New Zealand group.

The role has been created as part of a deliberate restructure of the finance function, separating financial control and compliance from strategic finance and investment reporting.

You will own the full financial control remit — tax compliance, banking operations, accounts payable/receivable, internal processes, and team management — while working closely alongside the Senior Investment Manager, who leads the strategic finance, financial reporting, covenants, and audit workstream.

This is a hands-on role. You will be in the ledgers, not just reviewing other people's work. You will manage a team through a period of transition, lead the migration of BAU finance processes from an outsourced bookkeeping arrangement to an internal and offshore team, and drive the uplift to full IFRS RDR reporting across the Group.

If you are energised by transformation — building systems, lifting capability, implementing technology, and bringing order to complexity — this role will suit you.

Key Responsibilities

Tax Compliance & Regulatory

Manage NZ tax compliance across the full group structure (~40+ entities), including income tax, GST, FBT, PAYE, and withholding taxes.
Coordinate with PwC (external tax advisor) on tax planning, compliance reviews, and IRD correspondence.
Lead the transition to IFRS RDR accounts for all Everstone Group companies meeting the revenue or asset thresholds, including consolidated accounts for Chow Group, 280 Queen Street, and other applicable entities.
Ensure ongoing compliance with IRD requirements and evolving reporting standards.

Banking & Treasury Operations

Manage day-to-day banking operations across the Group's bank facilities.
Oversee bank covenant reporting and ensure timely, accurate compliance with facility terms.
Maintain banking relationships and support the Managing Director and Senior Investment Manager on treasury matters.

Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable & Financial Controls

Own the end-to-end AP/AR function across the Group, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and appropriate controls.
Maintain and strengthen internal financial controls, approval workflows (ApprovalMax), and reconciliation processes.
Oversee the Xero environment across multiple organisations, including intercompany transactions and consolidations.
Manage document workflows through Hubdoc and ensure robust record-keeping.

Team Leadership & Transition Management

Directly manage the finance team, including:

Property Accountant
Accountant
Finance Admin
Two offshore Finance Administrators
Finance Manager
Lead the team through the current transition period, including the departure of the outgoing Head of Finance and Finance Manager.
Build team capability, set clear expectations, and create a high-functioning finance operations unit.

Process Improvement, AI & Automation

Identify and implement practical AI and automation tools to improve the finance function's day-to-day processes.
This is not theoretical — you will be expected to deliver specific, measurable improvements within your first 90 days.
Drive structural process improvements beyond technology — rethinking workflows, eliminating duplication, and lifting the overall quality of financial operations.
Champion continuous improvement as a core operating principle within the team.

Required Experience & Qualifications

CA (Chartered Accountant) qualified — CAANZ or equivalent.
Minimum 7–10 years of post-qualification experience, with a strong grounding in financial control, tax compliance, and multi-entity accounting.
Demonstrated experience managing a finance team of 5+ people, including through periods of change or transition.
Strong working knowledge of NZ tax legislation across complex group structures.
Experience with IFRS reporting, ideally IFRS RDR or full IFRS, within a multi-entity environment.
Proficiency in Xero across multiple organisations, including intercompany transactions and consolidations.
Hands-on capability — you are comfortable working in the ledgers alongside your team, not just reviewing from a distance.
Experience managing or transitioning outsourced finance functions (e.g., bookkeeping, offshore teams).
Strong understanding of internal financial controls and approval workflows.

Desired / Nice-to-Have

Experience in property, hospitality, construction, or diversified group environments.
Familiarity with ApprovalMax and Hubdoc.
Practical experience implementing AI or automation tools in a finance function (e.g., automated reconciliation, AI-assisted coding, workflow automation).
Experience with bank covenant reporting and treasury operations.
Experience working in founder-led or family-owned business groups where commercial pragmatism and pace are valued.
Prior involvement in finance function transformation, system migrations, or team rebuilds.

What We Offer

A salary of $180,000 – $200,000 gross, reflecting the seniority and scope of this role.
A genuine transformation mandate — this is not a maintenance role. You will shape the finance function for the next chapter of Stonewood Group's growth.
Direct access to the Managing Director and a seat at the table on financial control matters across a billion-dollar group.
The opportunity to build and lead a team, including hiring your own Finance Manager.
A modern Auckland CBD workplace at Princes Wharf, in the heart of the Viaduct.
KiwiSaver employer contributions.
A commercially driven, fast-paced environment where your contribution is visible and valued.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and a brief cover letter outlining your relevant experience and what attracts you to this opportunity.

Applications will be treated in strict confidence.