Business Accountant

Newnham Scaffolding; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Newnham Scaffolding is seeking an experienced Business Accountant to own end-to-end numbers—from transaction processing to management reporting and basic commercial analysis. This hands-on role includes payroll, reconciliations and project cost allocation within a growing, project-based business in Brisbane.

You will work with management to understand performance, investigate variances, develop dashboards and KPIs, and explain financial information to non-financial managers.

Qualifications

• Five+ years in accounting with commercial exposure.
• Strong Xero and Australian payroll experience.
• Solid AP, reconciliation, and month-end skills.
• Experience preparing monthly management reports.
• Excellent Excel and data analysis skills.
• Experience across multiple projects/cost centres.
• Ability to explain financials to non-financial managers.
• Construction or project-based experience valued.
• CA/CPA qualification or progress advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Oversee weekly payroll processing and payroll maintenance.
• Manage accounts payable and supplier reconciliations.
• Perform bank/credit card reconciliations and cost allocations.
• Prepare month-end close and management reports.
• Provide basic commercial analysis and dashboards.
• Analyse project profitability and margins.
• Monitor labour costs, hours, and overtime by project.
• Maintain workflow across systems (Xero, Deputy, Dashpivot, Quantum).

Skills

Payroll

Xero

Accounts payable

Month-end

Excel

Data analysis

Multi-project experience

CA/CPA advantageous

Education

CA/CPA qualification

Tools

Xero

Deputy

Dashpivot

Quantum

Job description

Accounts | Payroll | Management Reporting | Business Analysis

We are seeking an experienced Business Accountant to join an established and growing project-based business. This is a broad, hands-on position for someone who enjoys owning the numbers from transaction processing through to management reporting and basic commercial analysis.

You will take responsibility for the day-to-day accounting and payroll function while helping management better understand business performance. This is not a pure bookkeeping role. We want someone who can process payroll and complete reconciliations, but can also investigate project performance, identify cost overruns and explain what the numbers are telling us.

What you will be responsible for

Accounts and payroll

• Weekly payroll processing and employee payroll maintenance
• Accounts payable, including supplier payment runs, supplier credit and account management, and supplier statement reconciliations
• Bank, credit card and payroll reconciliations
• Superannuation and payroll tax administration
• Accurate project, yard and department cost allocation
• Customer account reconciliations
• General finance, WorkCover and other insurance administration

Management reporting and analysis

• Assist with month-end close and preparation of monthly management reports
• Review P&L and balance sheet accounts and investigate unusual movements
• Prepare basic cash flow and budget-versus-actual reporting
• Develop simple management dashboards and KPIs
• Analyse project profitability and estimated-versus-actual margins
• Monitor labour costs, hours and overtime by project
• Assist with customer, yard and departmental performance analysis
• Review fleet, transport and other cost trends for potential margin leakage

Systems

The business uses Xero, Deputy, Dashpivot and Quantum. We are particularly interested in someone who can improve the quality and usefulness of the information already available within these systems.

About you

• At least five years of accounting experience, including meaningful commercial or business accounting exposure
• Strong Xero experience and hands-on Australian payroll capability
• Strong accounts payable, reconciliation and month-end skills
• Experience preparing monthly management reports
• Good Excel and data analysis capability
• Experience across multiple projects, cost centres or business divisions
• Confidence investigating unusual results rather than simply processing transactions
• Ability to explain financial information clearly to non-financial managers
• Construction, scaffolding, civil, contracting, labour hire, manufacturing or other project-based experience is highly regarded
• CA/CPA qualification or progress toward qualification is advantageous, but practical commercial experience is more important

The person we are looking for

You will be hands-on, accurate, dependable and commercially curious. You should be equally comfortable processing payroll and reconciling the bank as you are investigating why labour costs or project margins have moved unexpectedly.

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a broad accounting function and progressively develop the management reporting and analytical side of the position. You will work closely with management and have the opportunity to influence how financial information is used across the business.

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