Accounts Lead & Accountant
Location: Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga
Employment type: Full-time
Work arrangement:On-site Day shift
Salary: Competitive, based on experience
About the Role
We're looking for a hands-on Accounts Lead & Accountant to oversee the day-to-day accounts function for an Australian business. You'll guide and review the work of an Accounts Officer while taking ownership of reconciliations, month-end reporting, debtor and cash-flow updates, and complex accounting issues.
You'll work closely with management and gradually take on accounting and reporting responsibilities currently handled by internal staff and external accountants. This transition will happen in stages, with training, review, and management approval.
Accounting and Financial Reporting
- Maintain accurate general ledger records and prepare or review journals, accruals, prepayments, and balance-sheet reconciliations.
- Coordinate month-end close and progressively prepare monthly management accounts, including profit and loss, balance sheet, cash-flow reporting, and commentary on significant movements.
- Investigate differences across bank, debtor, creditor, inventory, sales, and purchasing records, working with relevant teams to resolve issues.
- Prepare clear financial reports for management, highlighting risks, decisions required, and recommended actions.
- Prepare supporting schedules and working papers for year-end reporting and external advisers.
Debtors and Cash Flow
- Prepare weekly debtor updates covering overdue accounts, ageing, customer contact, disputes, promised payment dates, payment plans, and next actions.
- Follow up with customers, investigate payment issues, and elevate collection risks, broken promises, and credit exposure.
- Prepare and update a rolling 13-week cash-flow forecast, including expected receipts, supplier payments, payroll, tax, and other known commitments.
- Explain forecast assumptions, shortfalls, and significant changes.
- Prepare proposed supplier payment schedules based on cash availability for management review and approval.
Accounts Oversight and Coordination
- Allocate, guide, and review the Accounts Officer's work, including invoice processing, receipts, credits, reconciliations, and customer and supplier follow-up.
- Review accounts payable and receivable processing, bank and supplier reconciliations, credits, claims, and rebates for accuracy, supporting documents, and deadlines.
- Manage complex reconciliations and accounting exceptions, coordinating with other teams and escalating material issues promptly.
- Support customer and supplier account setup and maintenance, including workflow checks and CreditorWatch checks. Recommend credit limits and terms for management approval.
- Coordinate with Purchasing and management on supplier terms, disputed balances, and working-capital improvements. Obtain approval before agreeing to changes.
- Provide practical coverage for routine accounts work during absences.
Reporting and Process Improvement
- Prepare concise weekly management updates covering debtors, cash and commitments, supplier priorities, sales and margin exceptions, labour and operating-cost exceptions, and stock or purchasing risks.
- Prepare monthly management accounts covering performance against budget and prior year, reconciliations, cash flow, profitability, stock, supplier recoveries, restructure savings, and compliance matters.
- Clearly identify the issue, financial impact, recommended action, responsible person, and due date in reports.
- Document procedures, maintain shared timetables, and develop training materials.
- Help improve account setup, credit control, reporting, and workflows in Nexus, Oasis, and other systems.
- Maintain confidentiality and follow approved access, device, and communication procedures. Promptly report suspected fraud, data incidents, or control failures.
Australian Accounting Support
- Apply practical knowledge of accounting for Australian businesses, including GST coding and reconciliations and BAS supporting schedules.
- Identify accounting and tax matters, explain their potential impact, and recommend actions within your experience.
- Refer specialist or uncertain tax matters to appropriately qualified Australian advisers.
- Learn WFS systems and processes, then progressively take on agreed month-end, management reporting, and other accounting responsibilities following review.
Required Qualifications and Experience
- At least five years of experience in a Senior Accountant role, with demonstrated responsibility for accounting operations, reconciliations, month-end close, and financial reporting.
- A degree in Accounting or an equivalent professional accounting qualification, supported by substantial hands-on experience.
- Strong experience with general ledger maintenance, journals, accounts payable and receivable, reconciliations, and resolving complex exceptions.
- Experience preparing or supporting management accounts and explaining financial results to managers.
- Strong Excel skills and the ability to prepare cash-flow forecasts and clear financial commentary.
- Experience reviewing another person's work, setting priorities, and explaining accounting procedures.
- Strong attention to detail, sound judgment, dependable follow-up, and the ability to work independently to deadlines.
- Confident written and spoken English, including professional communication with customers, suppliers, and senior management.
Preferred Experience
- At least two years of BPO experience is preferred.
- Experience supporting Australian clients is highly preferred, with practical knowledge of Australian accounting practices, GST, and BAS supporting schedules.
- Experience leading or mentoring accounts staff while remaining willing to handle daily processing.
- Experience with Nexus, Oasis, CreditorWatch, Employment Hero, or similar systems.
- Experience in inventory, foodservice, FMCG, wholesale, or distribution.
- Australian payroll experience, if interested in the potential payroll scope below.
Potential Additional Payroll Responsibilities
Payroll is not automatically part of the role. It may be added later, subject to capacity, demonstrated capability, training, and management approval. Candidates with Australian payroll experience should identify it in their application; Employment Hero experience is strongly preferred.
If approved, payroll responsibilities may include preparing weekly payroll in Employment Hero, investigating exceptions, preparing payment information for review, preparing approved payroll general-ledger entries, and reconciling journals to payroll reports. Management will retain responsibility for employment and pay-setting decisions, approval of payroll, and release of bank payments. Statutory lodgements and payroll tax calculations are not automatically included.
What Success Looks Like
- Accounts and reconciliations are accurate, supported, and completed on time.
- Weekly debtor and cash-flow updates are reliable and clearly explain risks and next steps.
- Collection actions and urgent issues are followed up and escalated promptly.
- Month-end reporting is timely, understandable, and useful for management decisions.
- Approval processes and internal controls are followed.
- Agreed accounting responsibilities transfer smoothly, reducing internal workload and external support over time.