Bookkeeper Senior & Executive Assistant

Brook Recruitment; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 60,000 - 90,000; Part time

Job summary

Brook Recruitment is assisting a boutique architecture and interior design studio in Melbourne’s inner southern suburbs to find a senior bookkeeper/accountant. You will own the studio’s finances end-to-end, from day‑to‑day books through month‑end close and reporting, with light executive support to the Director.

It is a senior, part-time role (3–4 days per week) offering autonomy, influence and balance in a design-led studio environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in end-to-end bookkeeping and financial reporting.
• Strong Xero proficiency and Australian BAS, superannuation and leave entitlements knowledge.
• Experience with month-end close, reconciliations and forecasting.
• Ability to prepare project-based reporting and budgets.

Responsibilities

• Managing the books end to end in Xero, including payables, receivables, payroll, reconciliations and BAS.
• Leading the month-end close, including adjusting journals, accruals and prepayments.
• Completing monthly profit and loss and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Preparing rolling monthly management reports for the Director.
• Reporting on project profitability, budget versus actual hours and staff utilisation.
• Calculating and reviewing charge-out rates; building budgets and projections.
• Providing light executive support to the Director and studio administration.

Skills

Xero

Payroll

Forecasting

Month-end close

Reconciliations

Project reporting

Education

Accounting qualification (CA/CPA) or working towards

Job description

Our client is a boutique architecture and interior design studio Melbourne’s inner southern suburbs whose refined, highly detailed residential work regularly features in Australia’s leading design publications. The studio has deliberately stayed small, taking on only a handful of projects at a time so that every client receives the Director’s full attention. Growth has never been the goal here. Getting the work right has.

About the role

Every exceptional studio needs one person who truly understands the numbers behind the work. This is that role, with the chance to step beyond it.

Working directly alongside the Director and in partnership with the external accountant, you will take full ownership of the studio’s finances, from the day-to-day books through to month-end close and the reporting that guides key decisions. You will also provide light executive support to the Director, making this an ideal next step for a bookkeeper or accountant who wants to broaden their role and become a trusted right hand. It is a senior, part-time position of 3 or 4 days per week, offering a rare combination of autonomy, influence and balance.

What you will be doing

Managing the books end to end in Xero, including payables, receivables, payroll, reconciliations and BAS

Leading the month-end close, including adjusting journals, accruals and prepayments

Completing monthly profit and loss and balance sheet reconciliations

Preparing rolling monthly management reports for the Director

Reporting on project profitability, budget versus actual hours and staff utilisation

Calculating and reviewing charge-out rates

Preparing cash flow forecasts and monthly cash reports

Calculating annual leave and long service leave liabilities

Building budgets and projections, and tracking project feasibility

Working closely with the external accountant on year end and compliance

Providing light executive support to the Director, including diary management and general studio administration

Acting as a friendly point of contact for clients, consultants and the team

Providing a small amount of bookkeeping support to an external medical practice (around 2.5 hours per week)

About you

An experienced bookkeeper or accountant who is confident producing management reporting, not just processing transactions

Hands-on experience across month-end close, reconciliations, forecasting and project-based reporting

Strong working knowledge of Xero, payroll and Australian compliance across BAS, superannuation and leave entitlements

An accounting qualification (CA, CPA or working towards) is highly regarded

Keen to step into a broader role that includes supporting the Director day-to-day

Experience in a professional services or project-based business would be a real advantage

Organised, composed and discreet, with a natural eye for detail and presentation

Someone who will feel at home in a design-led studio where quality matters

Why you will want this role

Work closely with an aspirational, highly regarded Director on exceptional residential projects

The opportunity to grow beyond the numbers into a trusted, all-round support role

Part-time hours with genuine flexibility around days, start and finish times

Easy access to public transport

Real ownership of the studio’s finances and the reporting that shapes its decisions

A small, considered team that values doing things well over doing things fast