Accounts Officer

Engagement: Independent contractor
Working hours: 8 hours per week
Number of openings: 3

A long-established Caribbean conglomerate, operating across shipping, insurance, and retail, is expanding its accounting department through remote staffing. They're looking for accounting professionals with a strong accounting foundation, good analytical skills, and the ability to work accurately and accountably. Alongside the technical side, they value work ethic, professionalism, integrity, attention to detail, and meeting deadlines. The team works well with proactive, dependable people who take initiative.

You set your own hours. The team is in the Caribbean (GMT-4), so you'll need to be available for the occasional live call, but the day-to-day work isn't tied to their business hours.

About the role

We're looking for someone to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the company's financial records through reconciliation work, general ledger maintenance, month-end close, fixed asset accounting, intercompany accounting, and financial reporting support. You'll reconcile, investigate, and resolve assigned accounts on time, and the wider reporting process depends on completing that work on schedule.

You'll report to the Assistant Accounts Manager and the Accounts Manager. We provide full training on the company's accounting system, so we don't expect prior experience with their specific software.

What you'll be responsible for

The list below covers everything you could potentially handle in this role. It doesn't mean you'll be working on every item every week, and the mix will depend on where the department is in its cycle.

Bank and cash reconciliations

• Preparing daily, weekly, and monthly bank reconciliations

• Investigating outstanding reconciling items and unreconciled differences through to timely resolution

• Monitoring deposits in transit and outstanding payments

General ledger management

• Preparing and processing journal entries

• Reviewing account coding and transaction classifications

• Maintaining the integrity of the chart of accounts and the accuracy of financial records

Balance sheet reconciliations

• Reconciling assigned balance sheet accounts monthly

• Investigating aged, unusual, or unsupported balances

• Preparing supporting schedules and explanations for account balances

Intercompany accounting

• Reconciling transactions between group companies and working with regional teams to resolve discrepancies

• Making sure intercompany balances agree before month-end close

• Preparing supporting schedules for intercompany transactions

Accounts receivable

• Reconciling customer and supplier statements

• Investigating posting errors, unapplied payments, and outstanding balances

• Assisting departments with account discrepancies as required

Month-end and year-end activities

• Preparing accruals and prepayments

• Processing depreciation and amortization entries

• Assisting with month-end and year-end closing activities

• Preparing supporting schedules for management and audit purposes

Fixed assets

• Maintaining the fixed asset register, including additions, disposals, and transfers

• Calculating and reconciling depreciation monthly

• Verifying physical assets as required

Internal controls and compliance

• Making sure transactions comply with company policies and accounting standards

• Identifying process weaknesses and recommending improvements

• Assisting with internal audits

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field

• An associate degree or accounting diploma may be considered where you have substantial relevant accounting experience

• Progress toward a recognized professional accounting qualification such as ACCA, CPA, CMA, or equivalent is an asset

Experience

• Minimum three years in general accounting, account reconciliations, general ledger maintenance, or financial reporting support

• Practical experience preparing bank, balance sheet, and intercompany reconciliations

• Experience preparing journals, accruals, prepayments, depreciation entries, and supporting schedules

• Experience assisting with month-end and year-end closing activities

• Experience maintaining fixed asset records, an asset

• Experience supporting internal or external audits

• Experience working within a multi-company or group accounting environment, an asset

• Experience using ERP or accounting systems and Microsoft Excel

Skills and competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, including investigating aged, unusual, or unsupported balances

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy

• Able to prepare clear accounting schedules and explanations

• Able to manage multiple assignments and meet month-end deadlines

• Effective written and verbal communication, including resolving discrepancies with regional and intercompany teams

• Professional working proficiency in English to collaborate with an English-speaking team

• Able to work independently on assigned tasks while escalating unresolved matters appropriately

• High level of integrity, accountability, and confidentiality

Originally posted on Himalayas