The Finance Officer/Accountant is a key role within the Electrical Trades Union with high levels of responsibility. This role is important to ensure the financial & operational performance of the ETU is managed professionally and that financial objectives and reporting requirements of the union are met in an efficient manner.

The Finance Officer/Accountant will be required to use the ETU’s financial management systems and adhere to applicable accounting standards to ensure the sound maintenance of the ETU’s financial records and reporting. They are expected to build budgets as requested by the Secretary and prepare and present regular financial reports and updates for the ETU NSW & CEPU NSW State Council and State Council Executive.

The Finance Officer/Accountant is expected to work with other Officers of the union to ensure regulatory and reporting requirements are met in accordance with relevant legislation, regulation and reporting requirements as stipulated from time to time.

The Finance Officer / Accountant is expected to perform the following tasks (without limitation):

• manage the external payroll provider, ensuring accurate and timely payroll, staff superannuation payments, payroll tax returns’
• creditor payments, accounts receivable, account reconciliations, donations’
• preparation of annual financial reports
• maintain staff records and general ledger;
• preparation of BAS and other statutory reporting obligations
• regulatory reporting (including Australian Electoral Commissions, State Electoral Commission, Registered Organisations Commission and to our affiliated organisations);
• risk & insurance management, fleet management, procurement and general financial administrative duties.

More broadly, the purpose of the position is to assist the ETU to grow and flourish through better financial information as an input to decision-making.

The outcomes are fundamentally measured against:

• management of daily, monthly and annual processes, including budgets and annual audit processes;
• the completion of revised workflow systems and processes to achieve more efficient and accurate financial management and reporting;
• timely and reliable management, budget, statutory and reporting information; and,
• commitment to the ETU’s internal values, ethics, processes, policies, training and development

Qualifications and Experience

• An appropriate undergraduate accounting/business degree.
• Have achieved a professional accounting qualification from one of the main accounting bodies (CA/CPA).
• 10+ years’ experience managing and working in a small finance & operations team.

Position Detail

• Prepare creditor payments weekly and record all creditor payments in MYOB in the week of payment.
• Complete all MYOB reconciliations on a monthly basis to ensure the reliability of the union’s financial data.

• Record member fees received and reconciled to bank statements by member services staff in MYOB.
• Reconcile the bank account that is used for the depositing of member fee income.
• Regular monthly update of the Unions fixed asset schedule.
• Regular monthly update of the Unions fixed asset depreciation.
• Pay creditors directly from MYOB using an ABA file upload to ANZ Transactive.
• Regular maintenance and updating of MYOB.
• Visa credit card transactions to be reconciled monthly as soon as all the proper supporting receipts have been collated and before the lodgement of the monthly BAS return.
• Assist with preparing annual budgets.
• Ensure there is training provided to other officers of the Union, as advised from time to time, on payment of creditors and staff, BAS preparation, accounts payable, accounts receivable and MYOB account reconciliation.
• Any other task as directed by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary from time to time.

Finance policy and procedures:

• Review, identify and make recommendations for continuous improvement of systems and processes.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders for the provision of best practice service delivery, quality control and record keeping.

Chart of accounts and general ledger maintenance:

• Maintain the integrity and logic of the Chart of Accounts framework to the agreed Chart of Accounts (CofA) protocol
• Assist the Secretary with any known matters that arise to enhance the maintenance of the CofA to ensure that the accounting system provides effective financial control and an efficient management information system

Financial reporting to management:

• Provision of monthly reports to the Secretary including profit and loss statement and balance sheet and budget reporting.
• Prepare, using financial platforms and tools, analysis of financial reports and business status, providing input to the management of strategic outcomes

Cash flow and investment management:

• Manage funds that exceed current requirements to maximise investment opportunities to achieve best possible return on surplus cash requirements
• Liaise with Bankers as necessary
• Provide adequate modeling of cash flow requirements over extended periods of trading and with regards to strategic decisions and goals

Statutory lodgements, reports, and Audit:

• Manage compliance with the legislative and regulatory requirements of the organisations’ financial reporting obligations to all third parties.
• Calculate, prepare and lodge FBT, Superannuation and GST Returns through accounting platform and relevant portals as required
• Oversee and assist with the preparation of annual financial statutory statements in accordance with appropriate accounting standards, especially the AEC, NSW EC and ROC.
• Assist the Auditors in carrying out their responsibilities
• Ensure that ETU NSW receive a clear audit report from the Statutory and/or other audits and to be able to withstand any audit undertaken by any of the statutory or governing bodies

Other:

• Management of authorised signatories with banks, including appointments and cancellations as required
• Management of the issues and cancellations of credit cards and charge cards
• Report to the Secretary as and when required in relation to meeting general compliance and other issues
• Inform the Secretary of any departure from statutory requirements and any risk exposure that is raised including breaches of ETU NSW Financial Management policies

Personal Success Factors

Achievement orientation:

• Sets high performance targets; shows pride when standards are met
• Adheres to schedules and agreed timings; sets priorities through time management
• Possess initiative, drive, and optimism
• Has a high attention to detail; cross-checks own work for accuracy
• Takes responsibility for own actions; and can work under minimal supervision
• Ability to remain flexible and adaptable in a changing technological environment

Continuous improvement:

• Actively seeks and uses ideas, asks questions and challenges assumptions
• Celebrates new ideas implemented successfully
• Makes changes readily when implemented ideas do not work out
• Commitment to personal and professional development; welcomes constructive feedback
• Systematically monitors own performance

Teamwork:

• Supports ETU NSW’s organisational culture and respects individual attitudes, behaviours and skills
• Communicate effectively and respectfully, both verbally and written, internally and externally
• Has an optimistic and dynamic outlook motivating others to achieve goals; leads by example
• Volunteers ideas and exchanges information freely
• Supports others ideas, group decisions and works collaboratively
• Puts broader objective ahead of individuals/own needs and objectives

Interpretive:

• Quickly absorb diverse information and identify the critical aspects
• Exercise thoroughness, attention to detail in an objective approach
• Proactive approach in analysing existing practices and developing creative, practical and cost-effective solutions and systems
• Identifies opportunities for process, system and work area improvement

Ethics & accountability:

• Supports the ETU NSW vision and strategy
• Acts in a manner consistent with organisational values
• Possess high standards of ethical and professional conduct
• Declares conflicts of interest; is open and honest with information; maintains confidentiality

If you have any questions, please call Lisa Mott, Executive Assistant on 0458 911 414.