Senior Xero Accounts Manager | Construction & Engineering (Remote)

Location: Remote, Philippines

Hours: 40 hours per week, full time

Salary: Starting at USD $10 per hour, negotiable based on experience

Job overview

We're looking for an exceptional Senior Xero Accounts Manager to take full ownership of the accounts, payroll, financial administration and management reporting for our Australian engineering and construction business.

This is not a basic bookkeeping or data entry position.

We need someone highly experienced, sharp, organised and proactive who understands the numbers, identifies problems early and helps management make better financial decisions.

Our business manages multiple construction and engineering projects simultaneously, with significant costs across labour, materials, subcontractors and suppliers.

You will be responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, managing cash flow, processing Australian payroll, tracking work in progress (WIP) and providing clear visibility over project profitability.

We're looking for someone who can take responsibility for the accounts without needing constant supervision.

Key responsibilities

1. Xero and general accounting

Take ownership of our Xero accounts and maintain accurate financial records.

Complete bank and credit card reconciliations.

Manage accounts payable and receivable.

Prepare customer invoices and manage progress and milestone billing.

Follow up overdue invoices and actively manage collections.

Check supplier invoices against purchase orders and agreed pricing.

Monitor supplier balances, payment terms and upcoming obligations.

Identify duplicate charges, incorrect invoices and unexplained transactions.

Manage month end reconciliations and reporting.

Prepare GST and BAS information for review and lodgement by our accountant or registered BAS agent.

2. Australian payroll

Manage weekly or fortnightly payroll through Xero.

Process timesheets, employee wages and salary payments.

Understand Australian PAYG withholding, superannuation and Single Touch Payroll (STP).

Manage employee leave balances, annual leave and personal leave.

Check overtime, allowances and applicable employee entitlements.

Reconcile payroll costs and ensure they are allocated correctly to projects.

Review Hubstaff timesheets and identify discrepancies.

Maintain accurate payroll records and employee information.

Work with our external accountant or payroll specialist where required.

Previous experience managing Australian payroll is essential.

3. Work in progress (WIP) and project costing

This is a particularly important part of the role.

We operate a project based business where jobs can run for several weeks or months, with customer payments linked to project milestones.

You must understand how to track work in progress and accurately report project financial performance.

Responsibilities include:

Prepare and maintain monthly WIP reports across all active projects.

Track actual project expenditure against approved budgets.

Monitor labour, materials, subcontractors and other project costs.

Review project completion percentages, costs incurred and estimated costs to complete.

Reconcile project costs, progress claims and customer invoicing.

Identify unbilled work, accrued costs and outstanding project commitments.

Help ensure revenue and costs are recognised in the correct reporting periods under the accounting policies set by our accountant.

Identify jobs running over budget and flag potential margin losses early.

Prepare final job costing reports showing actual gross profit against estimated profit.

Investigate discrepancies and explain why projects performed above or below budget.

You should be comfortable working with project managers and operations staff to obtain accurate financial information.

4. Cash flow and financial reporting

Prepare and maintain rolling cash flow forecasts.

Track expected customer payments and upcoming supplier obligations.

Identify potential cash shortages before they occur.

Prepare weekly debtor and creditor reports.

Provide management with clear visibility over cash available and payments due.

Prepare monthly profit and loss reports and assist with balance sheet reviews.

Report on actual project margins and overall business profitability.

Identify unusual expenses, financial risks and opportunities to reduce costs.

Help improve budgeting, forecasting and financial controls.

We want someone who can explain what the numbers mean, not simply produce reports.

5. Financial systems and process improvement

Help improve our accounting procedures and internal controls.

Identify opportunities to automate repetitive accounting tasks.

Improve the flow of financial information between Xero, spreadsheets and our project management systems.

Maintain accurate project cost allocation and reporting.

Help management develop more reliable financial dashboards.

Take initiative when you identify something that could be done better.

Who we're looking for

You must have:

At least 5 years of relevant accounting or senior bookkeeping experience.

Advanced Xero experience.

Demonstrated experience processing Australian payroll.

Strong understanding of Australian GST, PAYG, superannuation and payroll requirements.

Experience preparing and reconciling WIP reports.

Strong construction or project costing experience.

Excellent Excel or Google Sheets skills.

Experience managing cash flow forecasting and financial reporting.

Strong understanding of profit and loss statements and balance sheets.

Excellent written and spoken English.

Exceptional attention to detail.

Confidence to question incorrect information and investigate discrepancies.

The ability to work independently, prioritise tasks and take ownership of problems.

Experience working for an Australian construction, engineering or project based business will be highly regarded.

Formal accounting qualifications such as CPA, CA or equivalent will also be highly regarded.

What will make you successful

We want someone who takes ownership rather than waits for instructions.

If a supplier invoice looks wrong, you investigate it.

If a customer hasn't paid, you follow it up.

If a project is running over budget, you flag it.

If payroll doesn't reconcile, you work out why.

If the WIP report doesn't reflect what's happening on site, you investigate it.

If cash flow is going to be tight, you tell management early.

If you see a better way to manage something, you suggest it.

We need someone who can think independently, take responsibility and become a trusted part of our management team.

Working arrangements

This is a full time remote position, 40 hours per week.

You'll need to be available during agreed working hours with reasonable overlap with our Australian operations.

While working, you'll be expected to be logged into our online office so you can communicate directly with the team throughout your shift.

We use Hubstaff for time tracking, and payments are made fortnightly through Wise.

This is a long term opportunity for someone who wants to take ownership of an important part of our business.

How to apply

Please send us:

A short introduction explaining your accounting experience.

Details of your Xero experience, particularly with Australian businesses.

Examples of Australian payroll you have managed, including superannuation, PAYG and STP.

Details of your experience preparing WIP reports and tracking construction project profitability.

Your experience preparing cash flow forecasts and management reports.

Your expected hourly rate and availability.

A short video of approximately 1 to 2 minutes introducing yourself and explaining why you'd be a strong fit for this role.

Send your introduction and video directly to Matt on WhatsApp:

---------- Please include the words "Senior Xero Accounts Manager" in your message.

We will shortlist applicants based on relevant experience and may ask selected candidates to complete a short practical accounting assessment.

We're looking for someone exceptional who wants to take responsibility and grow with our business.

If you're confident you can take ownership of our accounts and genuinely improve our financial management, we'd like to hear from you.