Management Accountant

An international client is seeking a Management Accountant to lead a finance team and oversee an AI-assisted accounting function. This role is ideal for an accountant experienced with Claude and MCP connectors who wants to develop a finance function where AI manages routine tasks, allowing the team to focus on analysis, control, and decision-making. The position involves collaboration with the development team to automate finance workflows within the Ecosystem portal. The working hours require availability online from 8am to 2pm NZ time, with the remaining hours flexible within the applicant’s own timezone.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership:
Lead, coach, and set objectives for a team of three finance staff, including workload planning and conducting performance reviews. Train team members to use Claude and MCP connectors safely and effectively in their daily activities.

Management Accounting and Reporting:
Own the month-end close process and produce monthly management accounts, including profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports. Prepare and present financial reports, dashboards, and commentary to the Senior Management Team. Lead the annual budgeting process, rolling forecasts, and variance analysis. Monitor recurring revenue and customer metrics such as MRR, churn, revenue per site, and customer profitability.

AI-Assisted Finance Operations:
Design and manage accounting workflows utilizing Claude with the Xero MCP connector and Microsoft 365 tools (Outlook, Teams, SharePoint). Automate routine tasks including invoice review, aged receivables follow-up, reconciliations, and report drafting. Collaborate with the development team on the Ecosystem automation project by identifying manual, error-prone workflows, defining requirements, and testing automated processes. Establish controls for AI use, including human review of outputs, access permissions, audit trails, and data privacy measures.

Credit Management:
Set and enforce credit policies, credit limits, and conduct customer credit assessments. Analyze aged receivables and manage overdue accounts by coordinating with an external debt management company. Maintain the relationship with the debt management provider, track referred debts and recoveries, and report outcomes. Provide senior management with reports on debtor days, bad debt risk, and cash collections.

Contract Management:
Maintain a register of customer and supplier contracts, including renewal dates, pricing, and billing terms. Ensure billing in Xero aligns with contracted terms and service packages. Address and resolve customer billing queries promptly, correct errors, and identify root causes. Review contract terms for financial risk and support negotiation processes.

Compliance and Control:
Manage GST and other tax obligations across multiple countries. Maintain internal controls and prepare documentation for the annual audit. Liaise with external accountants and auditors as required.

Required Qualifications

- Current Xero Advisor Certification.
- Degree in accounting or finance, plus a recognised professional qualification (CA ANZ, CPA, CIMA, or equivalent), or near completion.
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience in management accounting, including at least 2 years in a leadership role.
- Advanced, hands-on experience with MCP connectors, integrating AI tools with accounting and business systems.
- Demonstrated expertise using Claude for accounting tasks.
- Experience in contract management, including tracking terms, renewals, and billing alignment.
- Proven credit management skills covering credit assessment, collections, and debtor reporting.
- Strong track record of reporting to and presenting financial information to senior management.
- Proficient in Excel and comfortable working with complex financial data.
- Fluent in written and spoken English.
- Exceptional attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications and Attributes

- Experience working in the Asia Pacific region in English-speaking roles.
- Knowledge of multi-entity and multi-currency accounting (NZD and AUD).
- Background in SaaS, telecommunications, or technology sectors with subscription billing models.
- Familiarity with New Zealand and Australian tax and GST regulations.
- Experience with Microsoft 365 and Claude connectors for Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
- Proven ability to introduce new systems or automation within finance teams.

Personal Attributes
High attention to detail with a critical approach to AI outputs. Clear communicator capable of explaining financial information to non-finance stakeholders. Curious and proactive about adopting new tools and improving processes. Maintains integrity when handling confidential financial and customer data.