Scentre Group (Owner of Westfield destinations in Aus and NZ) logo

Finance Manager - Sustainability Reporting

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This role leads the measurement, analysis, and execution of sustainability disclosures, bridging the gap between environmental data and financial performance. You will oversee a dedicated team of analysts to ensure all corporate ESG metrics are strong, audited, and ready for senior executives and public disclosure.

As the regulatory environment strengthens in Australia, this position gives you direct ownership over ASRS and NGER compliance for a massive real estate portfolio. Your work in climate resilience modelling will directly influence capital allocation, driving real-world decarbonisation across dozens of retail destinations.

This suits someone who holds a CA or CPA qualification and has a strong foundation in corporate accounting or audit. You should be highly analytical and comfortable translating complex carbon accounting rules into clear, strategic financial metrics for board-level decision-making.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The successful candidate will be responsible for translating sustainability performance and climate data into clear financial outcomes, ensuring all disclosures are strong, reliable, and decision-ready. You will lead the preparation of data for mandatory compliance regimes such as ASRS and NGER, while also coordinating the sustainability sections of the enterprise Annual Report. Beyond basic compliance, this position involves drafting highly strategic board papers for the Risk & Sustainability and Audit & Finance Committees. You will guide a team of Senior Analysts and oversee the development of comprehensive climate resilience modelling to evaluate scenario impacts on corporate cash flows, asset impairments, and broader capital allocation.

Key learning opportunities for this job

This position offers an exceptional opportunity to develop deep expertise in the fast-evolving space of Australian climate regulations, specifically the practical implementation of ASRS and NGER frame-works. Working in a vertically integrated business means you will learn how sustainability data flows from physical engineering assets up to executive boardrooms. Additionally, you will hone your skills in climate risk quantification and financial resilience modelling. You will gain exposure to sophisticated ESG reporting software systems, helping drive technological improvements that streamline corporate assurance workflows across a multi-billion-dollar portfolio.

How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?

The ideal profile requires a commercially minded financial professional holding a CA, CPA, or equivalent accounting qualification. You should possess solid experience in corporate financial reporting, audit, or dedicated ESG accounting, showing a clear ability to build rigorous governance frameworks that withstand external assurance scrutiny. Strong technical capability in carbon accounting methodologies, particularly around Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, is highly desired. You must be an excellent communicator who can distill complex regulatory requirements into practical steps for operational leaders, exhibiting resilience and a solutions-oriented approach.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, your application should clearly demonstrate your experience with formal assurance and audit processes. Rather than just listing general sustainability interests, highlight specific examples where you have managed complex datasets or built internal data controls that successfully passed independent third-party verification. Tailor your resume to highlight your collaboration with cross-functional corporate teams like Risk, Internal Audit, or Operations. Demonstrating a clear understanding of how climate-related disclosures impact institutional investors and corporate credit ratings will immediately differentiate you from non-finance applicants.

What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?

The primary focus of this position centers around standardising corporate carbon accounting and ensuring absolute compliance with external environmental benchmarks. You will spend significant time managing high-profile submissions for international rating bodies such as GRESB, CDP, MSCI, and ISS. Furthermore, the role connects deeply with the environmental and economic pillars of the company's framework. You will ensure that physical risk assessments, energy consumption data, and decarbonisation initiatives are accurately quantified, giving stakeholders an honest, transparent view of the firm's long-term commercial viability.

What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?

One of the chief hurdles will be handling data fragmentation across a large, vertically integrated real estate network. Gathering and validating disparate data streams from multiple design, construction, and property management teams requires exceptional diplomatic and structural skills to maintain data integrity. Another significant challenge involves staying ahead of rapidly changing international and domestic ESG reporting standards. You must remain adaptable, proactively evolving the firm's internal controls and systems so that compliance frameworks never lag behind new legislative mandates.

How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?

A typical day might begin with reviewing data models for Scope 3 emissions alongside your team of Senior Analysts, followed by a meeting with Risk and Internal Audit to refine the current Basis of Preparation text. You might then collaborate with the Energy team to understand utility data trends. Afternoons could be spent drafting strategic memos for the Risk & Sustainability Committee or addressing specific analytical enquiries from institutional investors. You will frequently close your day by testing system configurations in the ESG software platform to ensure seamless reporting automation.

What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?

Operating at the critical intersection of corporate finance and corporate responsibility provides immense internal visibility. Success in this position could naturally pave the way for promotion to a Senior Manager or Director capacity within the broader Finance or Corporate Governance departments. Given the massive global demand for finance professionals who understand climate risk valuation, this role provides real long-term marketability. It positions you perfectly for future executive paths, such as managing enterprise-wide ESG strategy or leading sustainable capital markets teams.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

Internally, you will interact continuously with the Senior Manager of Sustainability Reporting, alongside key leaders across Legal, Corporate Affairs, Investor Relations, and Property Operations. You will also serve as a vital financial advisor to the Design & Construction and energy procurement teams. Externally, your primary relationships will revolve around assurance providers, third-party sustainability consultants, and statutory compliance auditors. You will also periodically support the Investor Relations team by providing clear, audited data points to institutional investors and global ESG rating agencies.

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