Accounting Expert - Cpa Preferred

Mercor; Canberra; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

PSA is seeking an Accounts Officer, Financial Accounting, to support month-end and year-end closes. You will prepare balance sheet reconciliations traced to supporting evidence, maintain asset registers, and assist with payroll processing and audit evidence packs.

The role provides capacity beneath the Financial Accounting and Payroll Lead to ensure close activities are not tied to a single individual, promoting continuity and accuracy across the accounting function.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in accounting or finance, or substantial progress toward it.
• Experience preparing balance sheet reconciliations and month end close.
• Understanding double-entry accounting and journal preparation with supporting evidence.
• Strong spreadsheet capability with source-traceable schedules.
• High attention to detail and a methodical approach to differences.
• Discretion handling confidential payroll and personal information.
• Clear written communication and willingness to ask questions.
• Progress toward CA ANZ or CPA Australia membership.
• Exposure to Australian payroll processing.
• Not-for-profit, member-based association, college or education environment experience.
• Experience with QuickBooks Online or Xero and supporting external audits.

Responsibilities

• Prepare balance sheet reconciliations traced to supporting evidence.
• Prepare accrual, prepayment and depreciation schedules and related journals.
• Maintain fixed asset and intangible asset registers (additions, disposals, depreciation).
• Prepare unearned and deferred revenue schedules for memberships and course fees.
• Assist with payroll processing, data entry and reconciliations.
• Prepare leave provisions and payroll reconciliations.
• Assist with superannuation, PAYG withholding and payroll tax reconciliations.
• Assemble audit evidence packs and respond to external audit requests.
• Prepare reconciliations for BAS and other periodic lodgements; maintain traceable working papers.
• Follow close procedures and contribute to updating process documentation.

Skills

Spreadsheet proficiency

Double-entry accounting

Attention to detail

Confidentiality

Written communication

CA/CPA progression

Australian payroll exposure

Not-for-profit experience

QuickBooks Online / Xero

Education

Tertiary qualification in accounting or finance

Tools

QuickBooks Online

Xero

Job description

The Accounts Officer, Financial Accounting, supports the month end and year end close across PSA. The role prepares balance sheet reconciliations, maintains supporting schedules, assists with payroll processing and assembles audit evidence.

This is a new position created to provide preparation and support capacity beneath the Financial Accounting and Payroll Lead, so that preparation and review are performed by different people and the close is not dependent on a single individual.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare balance sheet reconciliations to the standard set in the reconciliation sign off matrix, with every balance traced to supporting evidence.
• Prepare accrual, prepayment and depreciation schedules and the associated journals for review.
• Maintain the fixed asset and intangible asset registers, including additions, disposals and depreciation runs.
• Prepare unearned and deferred revenue schedules for membership, course fees and training revenue for review.

Payroll support

• Assist with payroll processing across the Group, including data entry, checking and preparation of supporting reconciliations.
• Prepare leave provision calculations, including annual leave and long service leave, for review.
• Assist with superannuation, pay as you go withholding and payroll tax reconciliations, maintaining strict confidentiality at all times.

Audit and compliance support

• Assemble audit evidence packs and respond to external audit sample requests within the timeframe requested.
• Prepare supporting reconciliations for business activity statements and other periodic lodgements.
• Maintain orderly working papers so that any figure can be traced from the ledger to its source document.

Standards and development

• Apply a consistent workpaper standard so that every schedule traces to source through live links, with no hardcoded calculated values.
• Follow documented close procedures and contribute to keeping them current.
• Build technical accounting capability through structured review feedback from the Financial Accounting and Payroll Lead.

About you

• Tertiary qualification in accounting or finance, or substantial progress toward it.
• Demonstrated experience preparing balance sheet reconciliations and supporting schedules in a month end close environment.
• Sound understanding of double entry accounting and the ability to prepare a journal with correct supporting evidence.
• Strong spreadsheet capability, including the discipline to build a schedule that traces to source.
• High attention to detail and a methodical approach to investigating differences.
• Discretion and reliability when handling confidential payroll and personal information.
• Clear written communication and the willingness to ask questions rather than assume a treatment.
• Progress toward CA ANZ or CPA Australia membership.
• Exposure to Australian payroll processing.
• Experience in a not for profit, member based, association, college or education environment.
• Experience with QuickBooks Online or Xero and experience supporting an external audit.

Why PSA?

We’re the national peak body for pharmacists and we exist to advance healthcare in Australia by empowering our pharmacy workforce. Our people are at the centre of what we do, and we’re proud to support meaningful careers, professional development, and ongoing learning.

Technology underpins how we deliver services to members and stakeholders. We operate a modern SaaS-based environment including Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Moodle and other enterprise platforms.

Working at PSA means being part of something bigger. We believe in:

• Making a real difference: You’ll contribute to an organisation with a strong social purpose.
• Growth and development: We want you to thrive and will support your professional journey.
• Diversity and inclusion: We celebrate what makes you, you, and are committed to creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive workplace.

We’re also committed to the health and safety of our people, which includes requiring all staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend PSA offices.

Accessibility & Support

We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including people with disability. If you need support during the recruitment process, please reach out at to for a confidential chat.