Senior Accountant

 

Description:

Senior Accountant – The Barossa Council

Position Description

Classification: General Officer Level 7

Department: Financial Services

Current Occupant: Vacant

This Position Reports To: Manager Financial Services

Reporting To This Position: Accountant

Location: Nuriootpa Main Office

Date Last Reviewed: September 2021

Approved by: Manager Financial Services

 

Corporate Objectives
All Employees of Council contribute to Council’s strategic goals and objectives. The Barossa Community Plan

2020 – 2040 lays the foundation for all strategic decisions made by Council and is supported by a Corporate

Plan. The Community Plan provides a clear strategic direction across a range of areas, as well as serving as

an overarching guide to measure our decision making and successful delivery of service. The Community

Plan shows commitment to the values of Land and Place, Community, Leadership and Achievement with

targets that reflect six key themes:

 

Natural Environment and Built

Environment

Health and Wellbeing

 

Community and Culture
 

Business and Employment

 

Infrastructure
 

How we Work, Good Governance

 

Customer Service
Council values its customers and strives to provide the right people, efficient processes and systems to deliver a

quality customer experience. Every role within Council serves an internal or external customer and we are

committed to ensuring that customers are at the centre of everything we do.

 

Constructive Culture
The Barossa Council is committed to developing a constructive culture that supports employees, Council and

the Community to achieve our goals. The behaviours of a constructive organisational culture consist of four

main constructive styles:
1 Achievement Pursue a standard of excellence, set challenging but realistic goals and work

towards them with enthusiasm.

2 Self-Actualising

 

Maintain personal integrity, enjoy work, self-develop and take an interest in growth

and improvement activities.

3 Humanistic-

Encouraging

Be supportive of others in and outside the workplace and constructive in their

dealings with one another.

4 Affiliative

 

Be friendly, sensitive, and cooperate with others.

Staff Values
Our values support our organisational culture and include Honesty and Integrity, Transparency,

Communication and Teamwork.

 

 

 

Position Overview
 

The Senior Accountant is responsible for ensuring The Barossa Council is compliant with applicable accounting

and taxation regulations, manages its financial risk appropriately and for the provision of financial information

that facilitates effective organisational decision making. This is achieved by effective administration, responsive

delivery of financial management functions, continuous improvement of financial systems and the development

of appropriate policies and processes that comply with all legislative and statutory requirements to meet agreed

accounting standards.

 

Key Responsibilities
Leadership and Supervision

• Demonstrate and provide leadership and support in the area of accounting, in accordance with Council’s

core organisational values.

• Lead a high-performance work area focused on streamlined and productive financial services delivery

aligned to strategic, departmental and organisational objectives.

• Enhance the employee experience through the provision of meaningful and tailored career development,

structured performance partnering, effective day-to-day management, coaching and mentoring.

• Foster a constructive culture by supporting the finance team and supervising the accountant to work

collaboratively across the organisation.

• Ensure the day-to-day activity pertaining to people management is undertaken efficiently and effectively

including the management of relevant documentation, time sheets, payroll matters, leave requests and

other processes.

• Contribute towards best practice and contemporary people management practice be ensuring

performance is managed and developed and that a culture of safe work practice and cohesion is

encouraged.

• Work with Directorate Managers, Team Leaders and Coordinators (where applicable) to prioritise the

Accountants tasks and project requests to achieve Directorate plans.

 

Accounting and Financial Services

• Provide high-level, specialist financial and accounting management, advice and support to the Financial

Services team and wider organisation in order to optimise budgets, business plan and associated financial

service functions in line with legislation and corporate goals.

• Prepare the draft Annual Budget & Business Plan, co-ordinating the annual budgets with the Budget

Managers, Council’s Advisory Groups, Committees and other business areas, as required in accordance

with legislation and organisational goals.

• Review, in partnership with relevant Finance staff, Council’s recurrent budget performance in accordance

with legislative and organisational timeframes, including coordinating budget variations for consideration

by Budget Managers/Council.

• Oversee, co-ordinate and prepare Council’s Annual Financial Statements, ensuring associated legislative

and organisational timelines are met.

• Oversee and co-ordinate with relevant departments and prepare Council’s annual Supplementary Grants

Commission Return and other grant acquittals with input and administration from relevant

department/project manager/finance staff in line with Council process and policy.

• Oversee and reconcile subsidiary ledgers, relative to areas of responsibility to the general ledger on a

monthly basis and report to auditors in line with current standards and requirements.

• Assist the Manager Financial Services with the annual audit ensuring associated legislative and

organisational requirements are met.

• Assist the Manager Financial Services in the annual review of Council’s Long-Term Financial Plan in order

to achieve corporate goals.

• Provide quality accounting services and support to Management, Committees of Council, Advisory groups

and other external bodies, as required including the co-ordination of annual operating plans and long-

term capital work plans to meet current and future business and employee needs.

• Oversee quality financial reports to Advisory Groups and/or Committees which facilitate the effective

management and analysis of their financial operations.

• Assist the Manager Financial Services with the development, review and implementation of appropriate

policies and processes.

• Assist with the training of business managers and staff in the use of financial systems and to develop their

understanding of finance system functions in a Council setting.

• As needed, act in Manager Financial Services and Coordinator Financial Services roles.

 

 

 

Systems Accounting

• Oversee and assist with the review, development design and implementation of financial and related

software.

• Maintain system parameters and controls for accounting, budgeting and other finance software, including

ledgers, corporate structures and reporting.

• Provide quality assurance over financial data in line with legislative requirements, organisational needs,

audit and reporting requirements.

• Maintain up to date knowledge of developments and investigate best practice and productivity

enhancements in relation to the use of Information systems relevant to the Financial section.

 

Position competency profiles are assessed on an annual basis via a Training Needs Analysis and during

Performance Partnering.

 

Knowledge and Skills
 

Leadership and People Management

• Demonstrated experience in leadership of day-to-day activities,

including giving technical guidance and direction to staff within a team.

• Demonstrated strong leadership capability with the ability to manage

with empathy, professionalism and innovation.

 

Specialist Skills and Knowledge

• Sound knowledge and ability to interpret documents such as acts and

regulations, accounting standards and procedure manuals.

• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of Accounting Standards

relating to Local Government and general accounting / internal control

principles, procedures and practices.

• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the Local Government

Financial Regulations and the finance related aspects of the Local

Government Act 1999.

 

Personal Attributes • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to

adjust communication style according to various audiences who have

differing degrees of financial knowledge.

• Highly organised with the capability to plan and prioritise own work at

that of others.

Authority, Responsibility and Accountability
The Senior Accountant is authorised to:
- Make decisions within the scope of relevant legislative requirements and processes.

• Make decisions which are consistent and meet with Council’s processes.

• Exercise initiative and make decisions based on data, knowledge and research.

• Provide expert advice to other areas of council on behalf of the work area.

• Make decisions on matters under the Officer’s control which do not require a direct decision of the Council,

Chief Executive Officer, or Manager Financial Services.

The Senior Accountant is responsible to:

• Ensure all work is undertaken in accordance with relevant legislation and within delegated authority.

• Maintain compliance with and awareness of all Council/Administrative Policies.

• Maintain compliance with and awareness of all Risk Management systems including Work Health Safety

(WHS), Injury Management and Return to Work to ensure safety and welfare of self and others in the

workplace.

• Undertake duties as a Worker in accordance with obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012.

• Deliver a quality customer experience in accordance with Council’s Customer Service Charter.

The Senior Accountant is accountable to the Manager Financial Services for performance primarily determined

upon:

• Achievement of key responsibilities as outlined in this position description to contribute to and support

Council’s Corporate Plan, Annual Budget and Business Plan and Department Plans.

• Achievement of actions as detailed in Performance Partnering (PP).

• Relationship with internal and external customers.

Position Competency Profile

 

 

• Demonstrated ability to apply attention to detail and accuracy of work

with a high level of analytical and numeracy skills applied to accounting

outcomes.

• Sound interpersonal skills with the ability to relate effectively to internal

and external stakeholders.

• Sound problem solving and negotiations skills with the ability to problem

solve with reference to sound judgement, legislation and the

organisation’s policies and processes.

• Effective time management skills, including but not limited to, working

under general direction, setting priorities, meeting deadlines and

organising own workload.

• Ability to apply high level customer service principles and to resolve

matters in a courteous and respectful manner.

• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently, under general

direction and to collaborate within a team environment.

• Sound computer software skills, knowledge and understanding,

particularly with Excel spreadsheets, financial systems and reporting.

• Ability to learn, adapt to and implement change in relation to the systems

aspects of the role.

• High level of confidentiality, judgement, initiative and sensitivity in the

performance of duties and dealings with members of the public and

staff.

Corporate Applications: Essential

• Microsoft Office Word, Excel - advanced level, Outlook

• Financials (preferably Technology One)

 

Desirable

• Magiq Financials

• Pathway

• HPE Content Manager – Records software

 

Qualifications:

 

Essential

• Associate Diploma or Degree in Accounting

• Membership of a recognised accounting body (CPA, CA or IPA)

 

Experience:

 

Essential

• Extensive relevant experience (minimum 3 years) with proven financial

and management accounting experience in an accrual-based

environment, ideally within Local Government.

• Demonstrated experience knowledge and understanding of Accounting

Standards relating to general accounting/internal control principles,

procedures and practices, particularly in relation to systems accounting.

• Demonstrated ability to provide specialist advice to, and work

confidently with leaders, in effectively challenging and contributing to

the strategic direction of the organisation as it related to financial

services.

• Proven financial systems experience utilising Enterprise Resource Planning

(ERP) systems and using appropriate reporting tools within a multi

divisional organisation.

• Demonstrated success in managing projects on time, on cost and to meet

specified needs.

Desirable

• Experience with using Technology One Financials