About the Law Council of Australia

The Law Council of Australia represents the legal profession at the national level, to speak on behalf of its Constituent Bodies on national issues, and to promote the administration of justice, access to justice and general improvement of the law.

The Law Council advises governments, courts and federal agencies on ways in which the law and the justice system can be improved for the benefit of the community. The Law Council also represents the Australian legal profession overseas, and maintains close relationships with legal professional bodies throughout the world.

The Law Council was established in 1933, and represents 16 Australian state and territory law societies and bar associations and the Law Firms Australia, which are known collectively as the Council’s Constituent Bodies.

The Secretariat serves the Law Council nationally and is based in Canberra.

About the Division

The Corporate Services Division is responsible for all operational aspects of the Law Council of Australia including financial management, IT systems, human resource management, workplace health and safety and building maintenance. The Division is responsible for providing the organisation with the means to enable it to complete tasks in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

About the Role

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Senior Accountant will lead a small team in assisting with specific accounting functions, financial information, tax compliance, payroll administration, end-of-year reporting and audit, as well as general financial administration.

The Senior Accountant will provide secretariat support for the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee and assist the management of the Risk Management Schedule.

Duties and Responsibilities

Management:

• Lead, manage, and mentor a small team, including overseeing the work of the Assistant Accountant and daily accounting operations.

Finance & Compliance:

• Implement and manage policies for accounts payable, receivable, payroll, and financial ledgers.
• Oversee end-of-month/year processes, budget reporting, and performance analysis.
• Ensure compliance with FBT, Income Tax, Payroll Tax, Workers Compensation, BAS, and other statutory returns.
• Oversee the reconciliation of membership subscriptions, and event registrations.
• Manage fixed asset accounting.

Reporting & Audits:

• Prepare monthly financial management reports including variance analysis and reporting.
• Develop new financial metrics to enhance the quality of the financial reporting.
• Assist in the preparation of the annual budget and forecasts.
• Liaise with the auditors to ensure all audit requests are met in a timely fashion to allow the annual audit to be completed with required timeframes.

Risk Management & General Administration:

• Develop and maintain the Financial Risk Management Plan.
• Assist with Finance, Risk, and Audit Committee meetings.
• Support additional tasks as directed by the Chief Operating Officer.

Selection Criteria

• Qualifications: Tertiary accounting qualifications and membership with a professional accounting body with 3-5 years’ experience.
• Skills & Experience: Strong financial systems, reporting, payroll, taxation, and financial management skills, with demonstrated experience in preparing monthly financial management reports.
• Competencies: Strong organisational, communication, and time management skills with the ability to work under pressure and with minimal supervision.
• Desirable: Exposure to Sage Intacct or similar accounting package is advantageous along with advanced Microsoft Excel skills.

For general enquiries regarding the role, please email [email protected] using the subject line: Senior Accountant enquiry via EthicalJobs.