Senior Accountant

Position purpose

The Senior Accounting & Tax Supervisor is a hybrid role that sits between Senior Accountant and Team Leader. They carry their own client portfolio and remain billable, while also taking first-line responsibility for reviewing and supervising a small group of accountants. The Supervisor keeps day-to-day work moving and technically sound, freeing the Team Leader to focus on broader people leadership and team performance.

Key responsibilities

Review & supervision

• Act as the primary reviewer for work prepared by seniors, intermediates, and graduates before it goes to the Team Leader or Director.
• Provide clear, timely, constructive feedback and on-the-job technical coaching.
• Allocate and monitor day-to-day jobs within the pod, ensuring deadlines and quality standards are met.
• Be the first point of contact for the team's technical queries, escalating complex matters as needed.

Own client portfolio (billable)

• Manage a portfolio of SME, company, trust, and individual clients.
• Prepare and finalise financial statements, income tax returns, BAS/IAS, and FBT returns, including complex matters (Div 7A, CGT, trust distributions, tax planning).
• Maintain strong client relationships and identify advisory and planning opportunities.

Workflow & quality

• Monitor WIP, turnaround, and capacity within the pod and report progress and risks to the Team Leader.
• Ensure consistent use of firm systems, templates, and procedures.
• Support the team's lodgement and compliance deadlines and contribute to process improvements.

Team development

• Support the growth of junior staff through mentoring and feedback.
• Assist with onboarding and induction of new team members.
• Contribute to a positive, accountable team culture.

Qualifications

Essential

• CA/CPA qualified with strong public-practice experience.
• Advanced technical knowledge across Australian tax, compliance, and financial reporting for SME clients.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing others' work and coaching junior staff.
• Ability to manage own portfolio while supervising a small group.
• Strong communication, organisation, and time-management skills.
• Proficiency with cloud accounting and practice management software (e.g. Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks).

Desirable

• Experience acting up in a supervisory or 2IC capacity.
• Exposure to business advisory or specialist tax areas.
• Progressing toward a Team Leader or Manager role.

Key performance indicators

• Personal productivity, chargeable hours, and realisation targets met.
• Quality of reviewed work (low error/rework rates reaching the Team Leader).
• Pod deadlines and lodgements achieved.
• Effective development and support of junior staff.

Personal attributes

Technically authoritative and detail-focused; balanced between doing and reviewing; approachable coach; organised and dependable; calm under deadline pressure; ready to grow into full people leadership.