Assistant Accountant

Qjumpers; Hawke's Bay; On-site; NZD 68,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

EIT is seeking a full-time Assistant Accountant based in Hawke's Bay, commencing January 2027, to join the Finance Team. The role focuses on ensuring accurate, timely and compliant financial services and collaborating with stakeholders to support decision-making and process improvement.

Key duties include month-end journals, reconciliations, asset registers, year-end reporting and budgeting support, with a strong emphasis on accuracy, confidentiality and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum 2 years' experience in accounting or finance.
• Experience preparing reconciliations, journals and financial reports.
• Knowledge of accounting principles and financial controls.
• Strong Excel skills and experience with financial systems.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• High accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills and meeting deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively and maintain confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Preparing and processing month-end journals, accruals and prepayments.
• Completing balance sheet reconciliations and investigating variances.
• Maintaining the fixed asset register and processing asset transactions.
• Assisting with year-end financial reporting and audit requirements.
• Supporting preparation of management reports and financial analysis.
• Assisting with annual budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Providing support across Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable.
• Ensuring financial records are accurate and compliant with policies.
• Identifying and implementing process improvements within Finance.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Commerce

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Financial systems

Job description

• Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk

We are seeking a full-time permanent Assistant Accountant based in Hawke's Bay, commencing employment in January 2027.

Join EIT's Finance team and play a key role in supporting the delivery of accurate, timely and compliant financial services across the organisation. This position works closely with stakeholders across the business to ensure sound financial management, support decision-making and contribute to the continuous improvement of financial processes and systems.

The appointing salary for this role will be between $68,000 and $76,500, dependent on skills and experience.

The Assistant Accountant is based in our Finance Team and reports to the Finance Manager and will be responsible for:

• Preparing and processing month-end journals, accruals and prepayments.
• Completing balance sheet reconciliations and investigating variances.
• Maintaining the fixed asset register and processing asset transactions.
• Assisting with year-end financial reporting and audit requirements.
• Supporting the preparation of management reports and financial analysis.
• Assisting with annual budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Providing support across Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable functions.
• Ensuring financial records are accurate and comply with organisational policies.
• Identifying and implementing process improvement opportunities within the Finance team.
• Building effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and providing high-quality customer service.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• A Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce or a related discipline.
• A minimum of 2 years' experience in an accounting or finance environment.
• Experience preparing reconciliations, journals and financial reports.
• Knowledge of accounting principles and financial controls.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and experience working with financial systems.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills with the ability to meet deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to work collaboratively, build positive relationships and maintain confidentiality.

EIT is a vibrant and progressive tertiary institute with campuses in Tairāwhiti (Gisborne), Hawke’s Bay, and Auckland, and learning centres throughout the region. We are committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to delivering services that meet the needs of Māori learners and their whānau, as well as iwi aspirations.

Applicants should have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa and will undergo pre-employment checks, including a New Zealand Police vet as this role is identified as a children’s worker.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and this may close early if a suitable candidate is identified.