What VP Finance means in an Australian business
You see the title almost exclusively in VC-backed startups, because it came in with US investors and US-influenced org design. In practice a VP Finance in an Australian scale-up is doing the Head of Finance job: owning the model, the reporting frameworks and the systems that let the business fundraise and scale, sitting under a CFO or directly under the founder.
Story Recruitment partners with experienced leaders across CFO, VP and SVP Finance, Head of Finance, Finance Director and Financial Controller roles.[1] Across that set, the titles move around far more than the work does. When I benchmark a VP Finance role, the first thing I do is throw the title out and look at the mandate.
The 2026 Australian range
These are base ranges that land real offers in Australian tech, fintech and deep tech. Superannuation is on top, equity is on top and gets heavier the later the stage.
| Which level the role actually is | 2026 base range and mandate | |
|---|---|---|
| VP Finance as Head of Finance | $180k to $240k + equity | The common case in Australian scale-ups. Owns the model, the reporting frameworks and the systems that let you fundraise and scale. |
| VP Finance weighted to control | $160k to $200k + super | If the seat is really close, compliance and clean numbers, it is a Financial Controller with a bigger title. Price it accordingly. |
| VP or SVP Finance as the top finance seat | $250k to $350k + equity | Carries the board and investor relationship and leads the function. This is CFO work under a different name and it prices as CFO work. |
At the senior end, the CFO and SVP Finance band in 2026 sits at $250k to $350k plus equity.[2] If a VP Finance role is genuinely the top finance seat with board and investor responsibility, that is the band it belongs in, whatever the title says.
The three questions that set the number
Does the role own the model, or only the close. Does it carry the board and investor relationship, or feed someone who does. Does it lead a team, or is it a single senior contributor. Those three answers land the role in a band far more reliably than any title comparison.
Where a business is running a genuinely lean model, be careful. A lean finance structure can work brilliantly, but only if the person in that single seat has resilience, commercial judgement and the trust of both the local CEO or MD and the offshore team, with clear processes and the right systems in place.[3] Missing any of those and you have bought a title, not a function.
If you are deciding what sits under the VP Finance seat, the finance team structure by stage is set out here.
What a VP Finance pays back
A capable Head of Finance or VP Finance pays for themselves within six months.[4] That is not a sales line, it is what the role does when it is scoped properly. The visible change is that reporting gets clearer, forecasts become more believable, board prep gets less chaotic, cash conversations get more accurate, and hiring plans get properly tested before they become commitments.[5]
For Series A startups with $5 million to $15 million raised, a Head of Finance or VP Finance is the typical hire, and hiring too late is one of the most common mistakes founders make at that stage.[6]The cost of waiting is rarely a line item. It shows up as a bad forecast in a board meeting.
If you are weighing a VP Finance against a full CFO hire, I set out the signals that say the CFO role has enough real work in it here.
Where I work in this market
I place the first finance hire at Australian VC-backed startups, usually a Head of Finance or Financial Controller at 10 to 20 heads and $5 to $10 million ARR or less, and the first CFO at 50 plus heads and $10 million plus ARR.[7] A VP Finance search generally sits in the first of those, and the honest advice is usually to name it Head of Finance in the Australian market. It attracts a better field, because local candidates read the seniority correctly.
Common questions
What does a VP Finance earn in Australia?
In Australian high-growth businesses in 2026, a VP Finance doing the Head of Finance job sits at $180k to $240k base plus equity, with superannuation on top. Where the seat is weighted to control rather than commercial leadership it sits closer to $160k to $200k. Where VP or SVP Finance is genuinely the top finance seat carrying the board, the band is $250k to $350k plus equity. The mandate sets the number, not the acronym.
Is VP Finance the same as Head of Finance in Australia?
Most of the time, yes. VP Finance arrived in Australia with US venture capital and US-influenced org design, and in practice an Australian VP Finance is doing the Head of Finance job: owning the model, the reporting frameworks and the systems that support fundraising and scale. In the Australian market it is often worth naming the role Head of Finance, because local candidates read that seniority correctly and you get a better field.
When should a Series A startup hire a VP Finance?
For Series A startups with $5 million to $15 million raised, a Head of Finance or VP Finance is the typical hire, and hiring too late is one of the most common mistakes founders make at that stage. A capable person in that seat pays for themselves within six months. What you notice is clearer reporting, more believable forecasts, less chaotic board prep, more accurate cash conversations and hiring plans that get tested before they become commitments.
How do I work out which band a VP Finance role sits in?
Three questions. Does the role own the model, or only the close. Does it carry the board and investor relationship, or feed someone who does. Does it lead a team, or is it a single senior contributor. If you are running a lean single-seat model, be careful: it works only if that person has resilience, commercial judgement and the trust of both the local CEO or MD and any offshore team, with clear processes and the right systems already in place.
References
- Story Recruitment partners with experienced leaders for senior finance roles including CFO, VP/SVP Finance, Head of Finance, Finance Director and Financial Controller.
- Story Recruitment 2026 salary band: CFO / SVP Finance at $250-350k plus equity.
- Tom Hunter on the lean finance model: it can work brilliantly, but only if the person in that single contributor seat has resilience, commercial judgement and the trust of both the local CEO or MD and the offshore team, with clear processes and the right systems in place.
- Tom Hunter on return on the hire: a capable Head of Finance or VP Finance pays for themselves within six months.
- Tom Hunter on what changes when someone properly owns finance in a startup: clearer reporting, more believable forecasts, less chaotic board prep, more accurate cash conversations, and hiring plans properly tested before they become commitments.
- Tom Hunter on Series A timing: for startups with $5M to $15M raised, a Head of Finance is the typical hire, and hiring too late at this stage is one of the most common mistakes founders make.
- Story Recruitment focus: the first finance hire in a startup (Head of Finance or Financial Controller, 10 to 20 headcount, $5 to $10 million ARR or less) and the first CFO hire (50 plus heads, $10 million plus ARR).