Senior Bookkeeper & Accounts Officer
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Our client is an Australian supplier of safety barrier and protection systems — guardrails, wire rope barriers, crash cushions, bollards, speed humps, pedestrian barriers and related infrastructure — to the construction, civil/road infrastructure and industrial sectors, with installations across Victoria. The business is based in Melbourne and led by its Director who this role reports to directly.
ABOUT THE ROLE
-
This is a senior, hands-on bookkeeping and accounts role sitting at the centre of the company's day-to-day finance function — real ownership of the numbers, not just data entry.
-
The company needs someone who can prepare BAS accurately, run the full accounts receivable cycle including picking up the phone to chase overdue invoices directly with clients, and build cash flow forecasts and budgets
-
This is not a role for someone who only wants to process transactions and send statements. The company specifically wants someone who doesn't feel above calling a client directly about an overdue payment, and who takes ownership of the finance function every day rather than needing to be chased themselves.
PRIMARY PURPOSE
To independently own the day-to-day bookkeeping and accounts function — accounts payable and receivable (including proactive, phone-based collections), BAS preparation, bank reconciliation, and cash flow forecasting and budgeting — with the accuracy and daily discipline to keep the business's finances current, accurate and reliable.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
▸ Accounts Receivable & Collections
-
Raise and issue customer invoices accurately and on time
-
Monitor debtors daily and proactively follow up overdue invoices — including by phone directly with clients, not just email reminders or statements
-
Confirm payment arrangements with clients where required, and escalate genuine disputes rather than letting them run
-
Allocate receipts and maintain accurate customer account records
-
Process supplier invoices, and schedule and process payments
-
Perform bank reconciliations across accounts within agreed timeframes
-
Investigate and resolve discrepancies before they compound
-
Maintain the general ledger and day-to-day bookkeeping records to a high standard of accuracy
-
Prepare Business Activity Statements (BAS) accurately and on time each period, liaising with the company's external accountant/tax agent as required for review and lodgement
-
Apply correct GST treatment to transactions
-
Maintain audit-ready, well-documented financial records
-
Prepare and maintain cash flow forecasts that reflect the real timing of receivables and payables, not just historical averages
-
Build and maintain budgets, and report actual performance against budget
-
Flag emerging cash flow or budget risks early, before they become a problem for Brad and Matt
-
Own the finance function's daily rhythm — reconciliations, collections calls and reporting cadence — without needing to be prompted or chased
-
Communicate clearly and proactively with Brad and Matt on the state of the numbers, including when the news isn't good
-
Query unclear instructions or figures rather than guessing
-
Part-time, 20 hours per week, 4 hours daily with some flexibility, aligned to Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST/AEDT) business hours, working the same calendar as the Australian-based leadership team
▸ Accounts Payable & Bookkeeping
▸ BAS & Compliance
▸ Forecasting & Budgeting
▸ Ownership & Daily Discipline
▸ Working Hours
MUST-HAVE (ESSENTIAL)
-
Minimum 5 years of hands-on, full-cycle bookkeeping/accounts experience — accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank reconciliation and BAS preparation
-
Demonstrated experience preparing BAS accurately and on time, period after period
-
Genuine, proven experience proactively phoning clients to collect overdue payments — comfortable with real, sometimes difficult collection calls, not just email reminders or statements
-
Demonstrated experience preparing cash flow forecasts and/or budgets, and reporting actual performance against them
-
Proficient in Xero (or an equivalent cloud accounting platform such as MYOB), with strong Excel skills
-
High level of accuracy and attention to detail, able to meet recurring compliance deadlines (BAS, reconciliations, reporting)
-
Genuine daily self-discipline — works the numbers every day as a matter of routine, without needing to be prompted or chased
-
Confident, professional communicator, comfortable having direct conversations with clients about money
-
Able to work independently in a remote environment with limited day-to-day supervision
-
Available part-time (20 hours per week) on hours aligned to Australian business hours (AEST/AEDT)
NICE-TO-HAVE (DESIRABLE)
-
Background in construction, building products, or a trade-services supplier — familiarity with progress claims, retentions or trade payment terms
-
Certificate in Bookkeeping and Accounting, and/or BAS Agent registration (or eligibility)
-
Experience presenting cash flow forecasts or budget performance directly to business owners or directors
-
Experience with credit control or collections as a distinct specialism, not just as one part of a broader AR role
Skills
As published by lever · 17 questions · 16 written answers
Basics
Resume/CV, Full name, Email, Phone, Current location, Current company, LinkedIn URL, GitHub (If applicable) URL, Portfolio (If applicable) URL
Written answers (16)
- What is the best communication channel to contact you? Please indicate your: WhatsApp: Viber: Mobile Number:
- Have you worked directly with Australian clients or businesses in your previous accounting/bookkeeping roles? If yes, please tell us how many years of experience you have, the type of Australian businesses you supported, and the accounting tasks you were responsible for.
- How many years of hands-on bookkeeping/accounts experience do you have, covering accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank reconciliation and BAS preparation? Describe your most relevant role, the size/type of business, and your specific responsibilities.
- How many years of experience do you have preparing for BAS? Walk through your process for preparing a BAS from your accounting records through to lodgement (or handover to a tax/BAS agent).
- Tell us about your experience proactively following up overdue invoices by phone, not just by email. How many years have you done this, and what does a typical collections call look like for you?
- Describe your experience preparing cash flow forecasts and/or budgets. What did you base the forecast on, how often did you update it, and how did you report actual performance against budget?
- How many years of experience do you have using Xero (or an equivalent cloud accounting platform)? Describe your Excel skills — for example, do you use formulas, pivot tables, or build your own reporting or forecasting templates?
- How many years of experience do you have completing bank reconciliations? Walk through your process and how you handle discrepancies or unmatched transactions.
- This role requires daily discipline and self-management, working remotely with limited oversight. Describe how you structure your day to make sure reconciliations, collections calls and reporting all happen consistently, without being prompted.
- Describe a time you had a difficult phone conversation with a client about an overdue payment. What did you say, and how did it resolve?
- Have you worked in construction, building products, trade services, or as a supplier to the construction industry before? Please describe any relevant experience.
- Send a link and use any free voice recorder or this link https://vocaroo.com/ create a Voice Recording to this scenario: “Imagine you're calling a client whose invoice is 45 days overdue. They've already had two email reminders and haven't responded. In under a minute, role-play how you'd open that phone call.”
- If successful, how much notice do you need to give your current employer?
- What is your current salary? (in peso)
- What is your expected monthly salary? (in peso)
- What made you interested in applying for this role?
Attachments (1)
- Do you have a reliable PC or laptop available for this role? If yes, please provide a screenshot showing your PC/laptop specifications and Windows version.