Accountant Job Description

Key skills

Responsibilities

• • Maintain the general ledger and ensure all transactions are correctly coded and recorded
• • Execute the month-end close process including journals, accruals, and prepayments
• • Perform bank reconciliations and substantiate all balance sheet accounts monthly
• • Manage accounts payable and receivable processes, ensuring timely payment and collection
• • Prepare and submit VAT, GST, or equivalent tax returns accurately and on time
• • Produce monthly management accounts in line with agreed timelines
• • Support the annual audit by preparing reconciliations and responding to auditor queries
• • Identify and flag transactional anomalies or control weaknesses to the Finance Manager

Requirements

• • 2+ years of hands-on accounting experience in a similar role
• • Working knowledge of applicable accounting standards (IFRS, GAAP, or local equivalent)
• • Proficiency with at least one accounting software platform
• • Strong attention to detail — errors in financial records have downstream compliance consequences
• • Understanding of tax obligations relevant to the jurisdiction
• • Ability to work to strict month-end and statutory filing deadlines without compromise

Nice to have

• • Part-qualified or fully qualified accounting credential (ACA, ACCA, CPA, or equivalent)
• • Experience with multi-currency accounting or intercompany transactions
• • Familiarity with ERP systems such as NetSuite, SAP, or Dynamics

What to look for in a great Accountant

Accuracy and reliability matter more in accounting than in almost any other function — an error in the books has downstream effects on tax filings, investor reporting, and management decisions. Look for candidates who can describe their reconciliation process in detail and who have a clear view of what 'done properly' looks like. Ask how they have handled a situation where they discovered a historical error. Great accountants also understand the 'why' behind the numbers they post — not just how to process a journal, but what it represents in the business.

Where to source Accountant candidates

Accounting practices and audit firms produce well-trained candidates with rigorous process discipline who often seek in-house roles for variety and work-life balance. Bookkeepers who have grown their technical knowledge and are studying for a professional qualification can be excellent hires with practical skills that textbooks do not teach. Specialist finance recruitment agencies have pre-screened talent pools and can move quickly for time-critical roles. Part-qualified candidates (ACA or ACCA students) offer strong potential at cost-effective salary levels.

Interview questions to ask an Accountant

Ask 'Walk me through your month-end close process — what are the key steps and how do you ensure nothing is missed?' This reveals process discipline immediately. Follow with 'Tell me about a reconciling difference you found that turned out to be significant — what caused it and how did you resolve it?' Then test depth: 'How do you ensure all accruals are complete and accurate at period end?' Finish with a systems question: 'Which accounting platforms have you used and what are the strengths and limitations of each?' Strong candidates will have clear, structured answers to all of these.