What Does A Group Accountant Do?

 

A Group Accountant is an experienced and qualified accountant who works for a company that has a corporate group structure. Such an accountant will normally have a number of important responsibilities, including the following:

• Preparing monthly management reports.
• Supervising the month-end group accounting procedures.
• Preparing and reconciling consolidated financial statements for the group.
• Preparing a consolidated group budget forecast.
• Preparing management and board reporting packs.
• Supervising the monthly variance analysis.
• Preparing a commentary on the group financial performance every month
• Preparing and lodging monthly group corporate tax submissions, including fringe benefits tax and income tax.
• Preparing quarterly business activity statements for the Australian Taxation Office.
• Working in concert with external auditors when necessary.
• Supervising and mentoring junior members of the group accounting team.

 

Group Accountant Jobs are sought after in all areas of the country, due to the competitive salaries and opportunities they offer.

 

What are the Qualifications/Key Attributes/Skills of a Group Accountant?

 

Although Group Accountancy vacancies attract candidates from a wide variety of different backgrounds with diverse skill sets, Group Accountant recruitment specialists generally believe that successful candidates will possess the following key attributes, skills, experience and qualifications:

 

Experience:

• 8-10 years or more of solid accounting experience that can easily be verified by taking up references from previous employers.
• A comprehensive background in technical accounting, which should include experience in statutory and consolidated reporting for large commercial organisations.
• Experience as a Chartered Internal Auditor, preferably while working for organisations with a group structure.

 

Skills and Attributes:

• The capacity to complete detailed tasks with a high degree of accuracy and consistency. Given the nature of the work that group accountants are required to complete every month, all successful candidates for such positions must be able to tackle detailed tasks quickly, easily and efficiently, and without making any mistakes.
• The ability to accept responsibility for the actions they take and the decisions they make. While these are important attributes for candidates who apply for all types of accounting positions, almost every Group Accountant recruiter agrees that they are especially crucial for those who wish to take up a position as a senior Group Accountant.
• A highly organised nature and a structured approach to work.
• The ability to work alone as well as in a team environment.
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal.
• The ability to deal with difficult issues and tackle complex problems in a highly efficient manner.
• Excellent time management skills.
• The ability to prioritise tasks.
• Familiarity and facility with accounting software and spreadsheet applications.

 

Qualifications:

In order to obtain a position as a Group Accountant, candidates must hold a relevant professional qualification. In other words, they should either be a Chartered Accountant or a Certified Public Accountant.

 

If you have the relevant experience, skills, attributes and qualifications, and you are currently seeking a position in NSW, please do not hesitate to call our Group Accountant Recruitment Sydney team right now.

 

Career Progression for a Group Accountant: What the Future Might Hold

 

The typical Group Accountant salary is already attractive but there are more senior positions into which committed candidates may progress in the future. The most common career progressions for Group Accountants in Australia include the positions of Finance Manager and Financial Controller.

 

Finance Manager

 

A Finance Manager is typically in charge of the financial and management reporting functions of a commercial organisation. They will normally work quite closely with either the Chief Financial Officer, Financial Controller or owner of the company that employs them. Finance Managers have wide-ranging responsibilities that may include the supervision of the entire corporate finance department, the preparation of cash flow forecasts, the management of all corporate financial systems and the provision of financial advice to senior corporate managers and board members.

 

Financial Controller

 

A Financial Controller is normally responsible for the management of all corporate finance and accounting operations. The actual duties that a Financial Controller is expected to perform will vary from one business to another but they will often include the management of annual budgets and forecasts as well as the supervision of Treasury and Taxation functions and the management of external banking relationships.

 

If you are interested in Group Accountant jobs in Sydney and  would like a confidential  accounting and finance career conversation, please feel free to reach out our specialist accounting and finance  team at [axr].