Senior Financial Accountant

Randstad Australia; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work options

Private health cover

Salary package

Job summary

Randstad Australia seeks a Senior Financial Accountant for a Global Specialty Insurer in Sydney CBD. You will lead daily financial operations, manage the general ledger, close processes, and deliver APRA and US GAAP reporting.

Reporting to the Regional AVP for BAU Reporting, you will partner with underwriting leaders and mentor future team leadership as the function scales.

Qualifications

• Unrestricted Australian working rights (citizen or permanent resident).
• Direct experience within Australian general insurance, reinsurance, or specialty underwriting operations.
• Practical knowledge of APRA regulatory returns and AASB 17/US GAAP.
• Willingness to perform journal entries, reconciliations and balance sheet reviews without delegation.
• Ability to clearly communicate with underwriters and actuaries regarding performance.

Responsibilities

• Manage monthly, quarterly, and annual balance sheet reconciliations and journal postings.
• Partner with underwriting heads to review portfolio performance, loss ratios, pricing trends, and risk profiles.
• Prepare annual financial statements under AASB 17 and US GAAP group packs.
• Prepare, reconcile, and submit APRA prudential returns.
• Lead external audit processes and respond to audit queries.
• Coordinate with external tax advisors on corporate tax, GST, stamp duty, ESL, and ARPC requirements.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Regulatory knowledge

Hands-on accounting

Communication with underwriters andact

Education

CA or CPA qualified or equivalent

Job description

Senior Financial Accountant | General Insurance

Global Specialty Insurer | Sydney CBD | Permanent

Our client is a global property, casualty, and specialty insurer. Over the past decade, their Australian portfolio has expanded tenfold. To support this growth, the business is establishing an on-the-ground finance function in Sydney and appointing a hands‑on Senior Financial Accountant.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Regional AVP for BAU Reporting and working closely with the Head of APAC Finance, you will run the daily financial operations for the Australian entity.

This is a direct execution role. On day one, there are no local direct reports. You will manage the general ledger, run the close process, post journals, complete balance sheet reconciliations, prepare APRA returns, and deliver AASB 17 and US GAAP reporting. Alongside the core accounting work, you will partner directly with underwriting leaders to review commercial performance, loss ratios, and risk profiles.

As operations scale, the business will actively develop and mentor you into a future team leadership position.

Key Responsibilities.

• General Ledger & Close: Manage monthly, quarterly, and annual balance sheet reconciliations, transactional entries, and journal postings solo.
• Commercial Underwriting Partnering: Work directly with underwriting heads to review portfolio performance, loss ratios, pricing trends, and risk profiles.
• Statutory & US GAAP Reporting: Prepare annual financial statements under AASB 17 and group management packs under US GAAP.
• APRA Regulatory Filings: Prepare, reconcile, and submit all quarterly and annual APRA prudential returns.
• Audit Management: Lead the external audit process, prepare working papers, and resolve technical audit queries through to completion.
• Tax & Compliance: Liaise with external tax advisors on corporate income tax, GST, stamp duty, ESL, and ARPC requirements.

Requirements

• Working Rights: Unrestricted Australian working rights (Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident only; no visa sponsorship provided).
• Insurance Industry Experience: Direct experience within Australian general insurance, reinsurance, or specialty underwriting operations. Strong understanding of insurance accounting principles (loss reserves, unearned premium reserves, reinsurance assets).
• Regulatory & Technical Knowledge: Practical experience preparing APRA regulatory returns, combined with working knowledge of AASB 17 and US GAAP.
• Hands-on Work Ethic: Willingness to complete journal entries, bank reconciliations, and trial balance reviews directly without delegating to a team.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Ability to communicate clearly with underwriters and actuaries regarding commercial performance.
• Qualifications: CA or CPA qualified (or equivalent overseas accounting qualification).

What's on Offer

• Ground-floor opportunity to own the financial accounting function for an expanding insurer.
• Direct interaction with local underwriting heads and APAC executive leadership.
• Competitive salary package plus corporate benefits and private health cover.
• Sydney CBD office location with hybrid working options.

At Randstad, we are passionate about providing equal employment opportunities and embracing diversity to the benefit of all. We actively encourage applications from any background.

Experience

4 years