Senior Accountant

Hodges Accounting & Advisory; Perth; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Hodges Accounting & Advisory in West Perth seeks a Senior Accountant with about 4–5 years’ Australian public practice experience. You will manage a portfolio of privately owned businesses, delivering high-quality financial and tax reporting and advising directors.

The role combines compliance and advisory work, collaborating directly with partners and our offshore accounting team. Strong Xero ability, cloud accounting experience, and a client-focused mindset are essential.

Qualifications

• 4–5 years’ experience in Australian public practice accounting.
• Strong technical experience across business services, financial reporting and tax compliance.
• Experience working with privately owned businesses and SME clients.
• Sound knowledge of Australian income tax, GST/BAS and relevant accounting requirements.
• Strong Xero capability and confidence with cloud accounting.

Responsibilities

• Ensuring all business clients are compliant with their lodgement obligations.
• Preparing and reviewing financial statements, income tax returns, BAS and other compliance work for companies, trusts, partnerships and individuals.
• Assisting with tax planning, business structuring and ownership changes.
• Supporting cash flow forecasting, budgeting, financial modelling and management reporting.
• Reviewing work and guiding junior and offshore team members.
• Maintaining strong day-to-day client relationships and working with directors on complex matters.

Skills

Public practice accounting

Client management

Tax compliance

Financial reporting

Tax planning

Education

CA or CPA qualification in progress

Tools

Xero

Excel

Job description

We are a dynamic accounting firm, using the latest technologies to stay at the cutting edge of the accounting and financial industries.

Hodges Accounting & Advisory is a West Perth-based accounting and advisory firm working predominantly with privately owned and family businesses.

Our clients typically have enough scale or complexity to need more than annual compliance. Some have an internal Finance Manager, accountant or bookkeeping function; others rely more heavily on us. In either case, our role is to ensure the numbers are reliable, help clients understand what they mean, and support better decisions around cash flow, tax, structure, growth, ownership, and long-term planning.

We are heavily invested in cloud-based accounting and finance systems, with a growing focus on how AI can improve the quality, speed and usefulness of financial information. We use technology to streamline workflows, integrate systems and give clients a clearer, more complete view of their business — while keeping judgement, interpretation and advice firmly human-led.

We are paper-free as much as possible to utilise our cloud-based systems.

We work closely with business owners and their broader adviser networks, including lawyers, financial advisers and finance brokers. As the firm grows, we are building greater depth in the team so our directors can remain focused on senior client advice, oversight and business development.

The role

We are looking for a Senior Accountant with approximately four to five years’ experience in public practice to join the team full-time in West Perth.

This is a hands-on client-facing role across both compliance and advisory work. Working directly with the partners, you will manage a portfolio of privately owned businesses, take responsibility for high-quality financial and tax reporting, and support directors in delivering ongoing client advice.

The role suits someone who is technically strong, commercially minded, and ready to take more ownership of client work by working directly with business owners and our offshore accounting team. You'll also benefit from networking with our clients and friends of the firm across a range of industry sectors.

Key responsibilities include:

• Ensuring all business clients are compliant with their lodgement obligations, including:
• Preparing and reviewing financial statements, income tax returns, BAS and other compliance work for companies, trusts, partnerships and individuals;
• Where applicable, ensuring all banking covenants are complied with;
• Assisting with tax planning, business structuring, ownership changes and other advisory matters.
• Supporting cash flow forecasting, budgeting, financial modelling and management reporting.
• Working with client finance teams, bookkeepers and Finance Managers to resolve issues and improve the quality and usefulness of financial information.
• Supporting improvements to accounting systems and processes, including Xero and related software integrations.
• Reviewing work prepared by junior and offshore team members and providing clear feedback and guidance.
• Managing client queries and maintaining strong day-to-day client relationships.
• Working closely with the directors on larger or more complex client matters.
• Ensuring that clients love their experience of working with Hodges Accounting & Advisory

About you

• First and foremost, you love working with multiple clients and love what you do.
• Around four to five years’ experience in Australian public practice accounting.
• Strong technical experience across business services, financial reporting and tax compliance.
• Experience working with privately owned businesses and SME clients.
• Sound knowledge of Australian income tax, GST/BAS and relevant accounting requirements.
• Strong Xero capability and confidence working across cloud accounting and related financial systems.
• Good Excel skills and the ability to work with financial data beyond basic compliance preparation.
• Experience reviewing work and supporting more junior team members.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work with the offshore team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to deal directly with clients.
• The ability to understand the commercial context behind the numbers and identify when something requires further analysis or advice.
• Strong organisation and attention to detail, with the ability to manage competing deadlines.
• CA or CPA qualification, or substantial progress toward completion.

What we are looking for

Technical competence matters, but so does judgement. We are looking for someone who wants to understand the client’s business, not simply complete the file. You should be comfortable asking questions, identifying inconsistencies or opportunities in the numbers, and working with senior team members to turn financial information into useful advice.4

You will be introduced to clients from day one, not promised client contact that never eventuates.

The opportunity is to become a trusted senior member of the delivery team, take increasing responsibility for client work and develop further exposure to advisory engagements as the firm continues to grow. A drive to build your network and take an active role in business development is desirable. We're also looking for someone who cares deeply about their clients and takes what they do seriously - but likes to have fun along the way.

Why us

• Exposure to established, successful privately owned and family businesses
• A mix of compliance and genuine advisory work, and the learning of software that come with that
• Direct access to experienced directors and senior client matters
• Opportunity to develop deeper commercial and advisory capability, not just within our industry but within the wider financial landscape
• A growing firm with scope to take on greater responsibility as the team expands
• Opportunities to attend client events, lunches and build relationships within and outside of the team
• West Perth location and a collaborative, practical working environment