Accountant

The Local Project; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Local Project is seeking an experienced Accountant to manage AP, AR, payroll, bank reconciliations and month-end close from our Alexandria office, with 1 day per week work from home. You will work across AU and US entities, coordinate with our external accountant, and ensure accurate financial processing in Xero.

You’ll engage with leadership on cashflow, invoicing, and BAS reporting, while maintaining precise records and timely payments.

Qualifications

• CPA/CA qualified or working towards completion
• 5+ years of relevant accounting experience
• Experience handling AP/AR, payroll and month-end close
• Experience with multi-currency accounting (AU/US)
• Strong attention to detail and organisational skills

Responsibilities

• Process supplier invoices and schedule payments in Xero (AP).
• Issue client invoices and reconcile payments across AU and US entities (AR).
• Perform daily bank reconciliations and coordinate with external provider for card accounts.
• Coordinate fortnightly payroll processing and ensure correct superannuation and PAYG.
• Complete month-end reconciliations and support BAS preparation.
• Review commissions for accuracy prior to payment.

Skills

Accounts payable

Accounts receivable

Bank reconciliations

Payroll processing

Month-end close

Cashflow management

Education

CPA/CA qualification

Tools

Xero

Job description

This role is based in Alexandria and is onsite 4 days per week, with 1 day per week wfh.

The Local Project is Australia, New Zealand, and North America's fastest growing design publication, celebrating extraordinary local design to our global community. With a focus on uncovering and understanding the impact that design makes on everyday experiences, The Local Project celebrates honest and human-centred design through premium print, digital, editorial, video and social content, with over 100,000,000+ impressions per month across our owned, operated and third-party platforms. In 2024 we launched The Local Production, a full-service specialist agency focused on creating content to truly elevate brands.

Reporting to the Founder/CEO with a dotted line to our external Financial Advisors, the Accountant is responsible for the day-to-day management of Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, bank reconciliations, payroll processing and month-end close, ensuring accurate and timely financial processing across the business, in Xero and in coordination with the external accounting provider.

Some of the things you’ll be working on...

Accounts Payable

• Process supplier invoices approved by management and schedule payments in Xero.
• Maintain and update the AP cashflow forecast, ensuring it reflects all amounts actually due.
• Prepare and circulate weekly payment summaries for approval.
• Process payment runs (international and domestic), batching payments and monitoring account balances.
• Process supplier remittances following payment.

Accounts Receivable

• Process and issue client invoices in a timely manner.
• Monitor and reconcile incoming client payments across AU and US entities.
• Follow up on overdue invoices and maintain accurate records of collection activity.
• Liaise with the Sales team on invoice status, changes, and client queries.
• Maintain the void tracker and ensure any voided invoices are properly recorded.

Bank Reconciliations

• Perform daily reconciliation of business transaction accounts.
• Coordinate with the external accounting provider on reconciliation of card accounts (Stripe, PayPal, Amex).
• Follow up on missing receipts or unapproved transactions.

Payroll

• Coordinate fortnightly payroll processing, including leave data collection and validation against Xero.
• Prepare payroll for review and approval, ensuring superannuation and PAYG are processed correctly and on time.
• Issue payslips to employees following each pay run.

Month End

• Complete month-end reconciliations across bank and card accounts.
• Provide estimates and reporting to support BAS preparation.
• Manage the international GST journal.

Commissions

• Review sales commissions for accuracy prior to payment.

Working Pattern

This role follows a recurring weekly cycle (daily reconciliation and invoicing tasks, AP/AR processing, mid-week payment approvals, end of week payment processing and remittances/payslips), plus a fortnightly payroll cycle and monthly close process.

Experience you’ll need…

• CPA/CA qualified or working towards completion, with 5+ years' relevant experience.
• Working knowledge of Xero (or willingness to learn) and general accounting software proficiency.
• Proven experience managing complex cashflow and partnering with executive stakeholders.
• High attention to detail and strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage recurring weekly and fortnightly deadlines.
• Clear written communication skills for liaising with management, external accountants, and internal teams.
• Comfortable working with multiple currencies/entities (AU and US).