Position Description

Employment Type: Full-time
Work Arrangement: Remote, Philippines-based
Working Hours: Aligned with Australian business hours

Role Purpose

The Accountant / Bookkeeper will support the day-to-day financial operations of an Australian retail company. The role is responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, managing transactional accounting activities, supporting month-end reporting, and ensuring compliance with Australian accounting and taxation requirements.

The successful candidate will have strong bookkeeping and accounting experience, preferably within an Australian retail, e-commerce, wholesale, or consumer goods environment. This position requires a high level of accuracy, ownership, and the ability to manage competing deadlines in a transaction-heavy business.

Key Responsibilities

Bookkeeping and Transactional Accounting

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records in the accounting system.
• Record and categorise daily sales, expenses, receipts, payments, and other financial transactions.
• Perform bank, credit card, merchant, payment gateway, and clearing account reconciliations.
• Reconcile daily or weekly sales from retail stores, e-commerce platforms, and point-of-sale systems.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies between sales reports, bank deposits, payment platforms, and the general ledger.
• Maintain the chart of accounts and ensure transactions are correctly coded.
• Manage financial documentation and maintain organised electronic records.

Accounts Payable

• Process supplier invoices, credit notes, and expense claims.
• Match invoices against purchase orders and goods received records.
• Prepare supplier payment schedules for review and approval.
• Reconcile supplier statements and follow up on discrepancies.
• Monitor payment due dates and ensure approved payments are processed on time.
• Maintain accurate supplier information and supporting documentation.

Accounts Receivable

• Raise and issue customer or wholesale invoices, where required.
• Allocate customer payments and reconcile outstanding balances.
• Monitor aged receivables and follow up on overdue accounts.
• Process refunds, returns, discounts, and credit notes accurately.
• Assist in resolving customer billing and payment concerns.

Retail and Inventory Accounting

• Reconcile sales across physical stores, e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, and wholesale channels.
• Reconcile payment gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, Afterpay, Shopify Payments, or other platforms used by the business.
• Assist with inventory reconciliations, stock adjustments, write-offs, returns, and cost-of-goods-sold calculations.
• Review variances between inventory systems, point-of-sale reports, and accounting records.
• Support stocktake activities and investigate material inventory discrepancies.
• Assist with landed cost calculations, including freight, duties, and other inventory-related expenses.

Payroll Support

• Prepare or assist with payroll processing in accordance with Australian payroll requirements.
• Maintain employee payroll information, timesheets, leave records, deductions, and reimbursements.
• Assist with payroll reconciliations, superannuation, and Single Touch Payroll reporting.
• Coordinate with management or the external payroll provider to resolve payroll discrepancies.

Month-End and Financial Reporting

• Complete month-end reconciliations and maintain supporting schedules.
• Prepare and post journals for accruals, prepayments, depreciation, payroll, inventory, and other adjustments.
• Assist in preparing monthly profit and loss, balance sheet, and cash flow reports.
• Provide sales, expense, margin, inventory, and cash flow reports to management.
• Analyse material variances and highlight financial issues requiring attention.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow monitoring.
• Assist the Finance Manager or external accountant with year-end reporting and audit requirements.

Australian Tax and Compliance Support

• Assist with the preparation of Business Activity Statements, including GST, PAYG withholding, and other relevant obligations.
• Maintain accurate GST coding and supporting documentation.
• Support superannuation, payroll tax, and other statutory reporting requirements, where applicable.
• Coordinate with the company’s external accountant, tax adviser, or auditor.
• Ensure financial records are maintained in accordance with company policies and Australian regulatory requirements.

Key Deliverables

• Accurate and timely recording of financial transactions.
• Completion of bank, sales, merchant, and balance sheet reconciliations within agreed deadlines.
• Timely processing of supplier invoices and payment schedules.
• Accurate month-end accounts and supporting schedules.
• Reliable financial and management reports.
• Prompt identification and resolution of reconciliation discrepancies.
• Complete and organised documentation for BAS, payroll, audit, and year-end requirements.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy, Accounting Technology, Finance, Commerce, or a related discipline.
• At least three years of relevant bookkeeping or accounting experience.
• Previous experience supporting an Australian business is strongly preferred.
• Experience in retail, e-commerce, wholesale, distribution, or consumer goods is highly desirable.
• Working knowledge of Australian GST, BAS, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and month-end accounting.
• Experience reconciling high-volume sales transactions and multiple payment channels.
• Exposure to inventory accounting and cost of goods sold is advantageous.
• Experience working remotely with Australian stakeholders is preferred.
• CPA, CA, or equivalent professional qualification is advantageous but not essential.

Systems and Technical Skills

The successful candidate should have experience with some of the following:

• Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks Online, or a similar accounting platform
• NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, Cin7, or another ERP or inventory management system
• Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, or other e-commerce platforms
• Retail point-of-sale systems
• PayPal, Stripe, Afterpay, Shopify Payments, or similar payment gateways
• Australian payroll platforms such as Employment Hero, KeyPay, Deputy, or Xero Payroll
• Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, including pivot tables, lookups, reconciliations, and financial reporting
• Microsoft Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, or similar collaboration platforms

Core Competencies

• Strong numerical accuracy and attention to detail
• Sound understanding of accounting principles
• Excellent reconciliation and problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage high transaction volumes and recurring deadlines
• Strong organisational and time-management skills
• Ability to identify discrepancies and investigate their root causes
• Clear written and verbal communication skills
• Proactive approach to following up outstanding information
• Ability to work independently while collaborating with remote stakeholders
• High level of integrity and confidentiality when handling financial information
• Process-oriented mindset with the ability to recommend improvements

Performance Indicators

Success in the role may be measured through:

• Accuracy and timeliness of bookkeeping and financial records
• Completion of reconciliations within agreed timeframes
• Accuracy of sales, inventory, payroll, and payment gateway reconciliations
• Timely processing of supplier invoices and payments
• Reduction in aged or unresolved reconciling items
• Quality and reliability of month-end reports
• Compliance with internal controls and Australian reporting deadlines
• Responsiveness to management, suppliers, customers, and external accounting partners
• Contribution to finance process improvements and automation

Preferred Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a dependable and commercially aware Accountant / Bookkeeper who understands the fast-paced and transaction-heavy nature of a retail environment. They can confidently manage routine bookkeeping while also supporting month-end accounting, reporting, inventory reconciliations, and Australian compliance activities.

They are comfortable working independently, communicating with Australian stakeholders, and taking ownership of financial records from daily transaction processing through to month-end reporting.