"Assistant Accountant – Financial Reporting"

Job Description:

Financial Accounting

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• 4 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• Generous superannuation provisions (up to 6.75% employer contribution)
• $95,784 - $105,000 p.a based on skills and experience
• Fixed-Term position till 26 February 2027

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
He hiahia, he pūkenga nōu ki te mahi a te Assistant Accountant? Nāia te pōwhiri nā Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha kia tono mai i te tūranga nei.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do

We are seeking an experienced accounting professional to lead the end‑to‑end financial administration of research grants within our Oracle ERP environment. In this pivotal role, you will manage the full lifecycle of research projects—from initial setup and monthly reporting through to project close—ensuring accuracy, compliance, and strong financial governance.

You will prepare the external research income return, support annual audits, and maintain robust internal controls and audit trails. You will oversee month‑end activities including general ledger journals, key reconciliations, and financial analysis. You will also contribute to system testing, process improvements, and the development of efficient financial workflows across the organisation.

A key part of this role includes providing advice, training, and guidance to colleagues on research accounting practices and financial processes. You will join a collaborative team dedicated to excellence, service quality, and continuous improvement.

Mōu | Who You Are

To be successful in this role you will be a technically skilled and detail‑oriented accounting professional who thrives in a large and complex environment. You take pride in accuracy, compliance, and driving ongoing improvement in financial processes.

You will bring:

• A bachelor’s degree in accounting or related discipline
• At least 7 years accounting experience, across both financial and management accounting in large organisations
• Proven experience preparing statutory financial reports aligned with IFRS or comparable reporting standards
• Strong hands-on experience using large ERP financial systems (e.g., Oracle Financials, Workday or similar)
• Experience managing month-end processes, reconciliations, and journal processing to tight deadlines
• CA Membership of NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants or equivalent is desirable
• Experience managing external audit queries and maintaining robust internal controls and audit trails
• An alignment with our organisation's values and culture, promoting a positive and inclusive work environment

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

You will work closely with the Head of Reporting and Compliance and the Financial Services team to deliver accurate financial reporting. You will partner with the Research and Innovation team and academic staff to support research grants, liaise with administrators across the University on journal and compliance matters, and engage with external auditors and the Tertiary Education Commission for reporting requirements.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC

At UC, being part of our team means more than just a job. We are committed to supporting our kaimahi | staff’s career and wellbeing with benefits designed to help our kaimahi grow and feel connected, supported and valued.

UC’s Benefits approach is shaped by Ngā Uara | Our Values Whanaungatanga, Tiakitanga, and Manaakitanga. They are designed to be relevant, support and inspire our people, they include:

• 4 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)
• supportive working environment
• a wide range of retail discounts across shopping, entertainment and travel
• on-campus staff discounts
• living in revitalised Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand
• a unique working environment in a beautiful campus with access to UC facilities such as UC RecCentre and Staff Club at discounted rates plus onsite cafés and eateries, and more.

For more information, please visit us: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/work-at-uc/benefits-working-uc.

For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/

The closing date for this position is: March 15 2026 (midnight, NZ time)*Please note, applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place before the close date.*

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted via our careers website and should include a cover letter and resume.

Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to WorkatUC@canterbury.ac.nz

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency or hold a valid NZ work visa to be considered for this role.