About the Position
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Executive Team, the Chief Financial Officer will lead finance, strategic projects, risk management and business continuity across the Perkins. This executive role comes at an important period of growth and transformation, with responsibility for strengthening financial sustainability, building strong business partnerships and helping drive key strategic initiatives across the Institute and broader group.
The CFO will provide strategic financial leadership to support organisational performance, sound governance and informed decision making at Executive, Board and Board Sub-Committee level.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Leading the strategic direction and execution of contemporary finance, risk management and business continuity practices.
- Partnering with the CEO, Executive Team and Board to support strategic decision making, financial transparency and sustainable growth.
- Leading the annual budgeting process and ensuring financial planning aligns with the Perkins Strategic Plan.
- Strengthening financial management, reporting, internal controls, systems and processes to support effective decision making.
- Overseeing risk management, external audit, insurance, governance of commercial contracts and business continuity management.
- Performing the role of Company Secretary and supporting strong corporate governance practices.
- Providing commercial and financial leadership across strategic partnerships, major projects, investment decisions and growth initiatives, including the Perkins WA Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
- Leading, developing and supporting the Finance and Risk team to foster a high performing, inclusive and collaborative culture.
About You
You are a qualified Chartered Accountant or Certified Practising Accountant with executive level finance leadership experience and a track record of leading finance functions in complex organisations. Strategic, commercially astute and values led, you bring the judgement, integrity and analytical capability required to provide trusted advice at Executive and Board level.
You will also possess:
- Tertiary qualifications in Finance, Accounting or a related discipline, with CA or CPA membership.
- Experience in a senior management or executive finance role with strong corporate governance capability.
- Excellent financial knowledge, commercial acumen and analytical capability, including modelling options for complex business decisions.
- Demonstrated ability to translate organisational strategy into operational plans, budgets and performance measures.
- Experience developing and improving financial systems, policies, controls and corporate infrastructure.
- Contemporary risk management and business continuity management experience.
- Outstanding communication, influencing and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Values based leadership, high standards of integrity and a commitment to the Perkins purpose and values.
- Experience in medical research, medical sciences, academia or health will be highly regarded.
For more information about this opportunity, a detailed Candidate Prospectus is available by emailing [email protected]. After reviewing the Prospectus, you can make further confidential telephone enquiries to Lester Blades’ Partner, Jemma Buckner, at tel:(08) 9221 0744. Applications may be made in Word format to [email protected] quoting Reference LB303430. Please include a one-page cover letter with your application outlining why you believe you have the skills, experience and achievements for this key position.
Applications close 5.00pm WST, Thursday, 30 July 2026.
Candidates’ rights under the Privacy Act will be observed at all times. Only candidates with valid work rights in Australia can be considered.
About Lester Blades
Lester Blades is a Western Australian owned executive search and board advisory firm with local specialisation and international reach. We focus on uncompromising excellence in service to clients in the identification of Non-Executive Directors, CEOs and a range of other senior executive and functional leadership roles.
