Project Accountant

Ventia; City of Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Collaborative culture

Career development

Exposure to large-scale projects

Hybrid working arrangements

Impact on business performance

Job summary

Ventia is seeking a commercially minded Project Accountant to join the Finance division in Laverton North, VIC. You will monitor financial performance, deliver reporting, and support governance across a portfolio of projects.

Reporting to the Finance Portfolio Manager, you will work with Project Managers and operations to optimize profitability, lead month-end cycles, and drive process improvements in a dynamic project environment.

Qualifications

• Degree qualification in Accounting, Finance or related discipline.
• CA or CPA qualification (or working towards).
• Experience in project accounting, management accounting or commercial finance.
• Strong understanding of basic accounting principles, financial controls and reconciliations.

Responsibilities

• Monitor financial aspects of projects incl. variance analysis, operating expenses and billing accuracy.
• Prepare journal entries, accruals and reconciliations; ensure compliance with policies and standards.
• Support month-end and year-end close; assist with forecasting, budgeting inputs and approvals.
• Provide guidance to finance admins; drive process improvement and standardisation.
• Billings, cash collection, and reporting to stakeholders; engage with project teams.

Skills

Accounting knowledge

Commercial awareness

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving

Education

Degree in Accounting/Finance

CA or CPA (or progressing)

Tools

SAP S/4 HANA

Job description

Find your further at Ventia with this internal opportunity.

At Ventia, we're looking for a commercially mindedProject Accountant to join our high-performing Finance division in Laverton North, VIC.

In this role, you'll play a critical part in supporting project delivery teams by providing accurate financial reporting, insightful analysis, and strong financial governance across a portfolio of projects.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance administrator / accountant who enjoys working in a dynamic project environment, influencing stakeholders, and partnering with operational teams to drive better business outcomes.

About the Role

As a Project Accountant, you will be responsible for monitoring and managing the financial performance of projects throughout their lifecycle. Reporting to theFinance Portfolio Manager you will be closely working with Finance Partners, Project Managers, and operational stakeholders, you'll ensure accurate reporting, billing, forecasting, and compliance while identifying opportunities to improve project profitability and performance.

You will also provide guidance and support to finance administrators across your portfolio and contribute to process improvement initiatives that drive consistency and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

People Leadership & Work Allocation

• Manage work allocation and ensure completion of month-end checklists for projects Financial Monitoring
• Monitor financial aspects of project(s) incl. variance analysis, operating expenses, and billing accuracy.
• Investigate project variances and report profitability to stakeholders.

Accounting & Compliance

• Prepare and review journal entries, accruals, and reconciliations.
• Ensure compliance with accounting policies, standards (e.g. AASB), and audit requirements.
• Complete month-end and year-end close processes, including checklist setup and approval

Reporting & Analysis

• Support theFinance Portfolio Manager with month-end reporting, commentary preparation, and client reporting.
• Conduct financial analysis and deep dives to support decision-making and project reviews.

Project Setup & Cost Management

• Create and maintain project structures (e.g. WBS, project creation).
• Review and approve cost allocations, transfers, and corrections across cost objects.

Billing & Cash Management

• Ensure projects billings are completed, approved, and collected.
• Monitor actual cash received vs forecast; escalat e aged debtors and WIP issues.

Forecasting & Budgeting

• Prepare forecast and budget inputs and assumptions for Finance Partner and Finance Portfolio Manager approval.
• Collaborate with project stakeholders to gather relevant data and assumptions.

Process Improvement & Support

• Streamline project-related information flows and standardise processes.
• Support administrators with guidance on systems, processes, and best practices.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Respond to stakeholder requests including clients, auditors, and compliance bodies.

Payroll and HR Administration

• Supporting the contract with HR requirements such as new starts, resignations and exit forms.
• Input daily timesheet data in SAP (where sites are paper based), monitoring and reporting digital timesheet data and supporting users with the application, inclusive of equipment and temporary labour hours.
• Manage and coordinate timesheet data in order to meet weekly, fortnightly and monthly payroll deadlines.
• Clear timesheet errors in a timely manner for payroll/ non-payroll purposes.
• Accurate recording and filing of all paper based timesheets and relevant documentation when required.

About You

To be successful in this role, you'll bring strong technical accounting capability, excellent commercial awareness, and the confidence to partner with operational leaders.

You will ideally have:

• Degree qualification in Accounting, Finance or related discipline.
• CA or CPA qualification (or working towards).
• Previous experience in project accounting, management accounting or commercial finance.
• Strong understanding of basic accounting principles, financial controls and reconciliations.
• Experience supporting project-based or contracting environments.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication abilities.
• Experience using SAP S/4 HANAor similar ERP systems.
• Ability to work autonomously while contributing positively to a collaborative team environment.

Why Join Us?

At Ventia, you'll be part of a supportive and collaborative finance team that partners closely with the business to deliver meaningful outcomes. You'll have the opportunity to work on diverse projects, build strong stakeholder relationships, and contribute to initiatives that improve both financial performance and operational excellence.

We offer:

• A collaborative and supportive team culture.
• Career development and growth opportunities.
• Exposure to large-scale and complex projects.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• The opportunity to make a genuine impact on business performance.

About Ventia

As a leading services provider, we maintain, operate, and manage the essential infrastructure that makes modern life possible across Australia and New Zealand. With more than 35,000 employees and subcontractors across 400 sites, joining Ventia means becoming part of a team that values its people, supports career growth, and helps everyone go further towards their full potential.

Our commitment to Fairness, Inclusion and Respect shapes how we lead, collaborate, hire and support one another. We welcome applications from people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people of all genders, identities, sexual orientations, beliefs and caring responsibilities. We are dedicated to providing an accessible recruitment process and encourage you to request adjustments at any stage.