South Australian Public Service
JOB AND PERSON SPECIFICATIONS
1. POSITION IDENTIFICATION
Title of Position : SENIOR FINANCIAL ACCOUNTANT
Classification :
ASO7
Location :
Corporate Finance
Reports To : Manager Corporate Finance
Ongoing
Job Status:
X
PSM Act
Contract 1-5 Yrs
X
Financial Delegation:
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
Position No. : CS
Division : Finance & Asset Services
Temporary 1-12 Mths
Casual.
FTE: 1.0
Nil
JOB AND PERSON SPECIFICATION APPROVAL
……............................................……/….…/…….
Chief Executive or Delegate
JOB SPECIFICATION
2. KEY PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
The Senior Financial Accountant is accountable to the Manager, Corporate Finance for:

the preparation of annual financial statements, including the year end return for the
Department of Treasury and Finance, and

the provision of specialist financial advice and assistance to senior and other officers of the
agency, including advice on Departmental accounting policies and procedures, taxation
legislation and Australian Accounting Standards.
The Senior Financial Accountant is responsible for:

the preparation and integrity of the Department’s Financial Statements,

Goods and Services Tax and Fringe Benefits Tax returns, and

for the preparation of periodic financial statements.
The Senior Financial Accountant supervises and leads Financial Accounting staff including
ensuring development of contemporary financial accounting and taxation knowledge and skills.
3. KEY STAKEHOLDER INTERACTION

The Senior Financial Accountant reports to the Manager, Corporate Finance.

The Senior Financial Accountant co-ordinates the workload of the Financial Accounting team.

The Senior Financial Accountant consults regularly and extensively with senior staff and
business unit managers, and provides professional and technical advice concerning financial
accounting matters.

The Senior Financial Accountant maintains working relationships with Internal and External
Auditors.
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4. BRANCH PROFILE
The Corporate Finance Branch, located within Central Office, is responsible for providing a
professional financial management and accounting services in the Department for Correctional
Services through the provision of relevant, accurate and timely financial reports for budget monitoring
and the preparation of general purpose financial reports.
The Corporate Finance Branch is also responsible for providing management accounting expertise
and support for all business units (including prisons, community corrections regions and Prime SA)
and coordinating and managing the process of preparing their budgets.
5. SPECIAL CONDITIONS
A current driver’s licence is essential.
Some out of hours work will be required and a willingness to undertake intrastate travel, to visit the
State’s prisons and community correction centres.
Applicants are required to authorise the Department to undertake Police security checks.
6. HIGHLIGHTED EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS
A requirement to understand, observe, conform and adhere to:

DCS Human Resource policies and guidelines, the Public Sector Management Act general public
sector aims and standards, Treasurer’s Instructions, Accounting Policy Statements, personnel
management standards, and employee conduct standards as well as the Government and DCS
Codes of Conduct and the DCS values system

legislative requirements that apply to the role, including but not limited to the Public Sector
Management Act, FBT and GST legislation, relevant industrial awards and enterprise
agreements, Correctional Services Act, Occ. Health Safety & Welfare Act, Equal Opportunity Act,
and the Workers Rehabilitation & Compensation Act.
7. KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY
The Senior Financial Accountant contributes to the Department meeting its statutory reporting
requirements by:

leading the preparation of designated financial statements and reporting that meet all relevant
guidelines and best practice standards incorporating Treasurer’s Instructions, Accounting Policy
Statements and Australian Accounting Standards;

overseeing the development and implementation of the Department’s financial policies in liaison
with the Management Accounting team to ensure the production of financial reports which
comply with Australian Accounting Standards and the Treasurer’s Instructions;

coordinating or undertaking the preparation of other financial reports and statistical returns as
required;

ensuring that processes and systems within the Department produce reliable and timely data for
the preparation of annual financial statements;

liaising with Internal and External Auditors.
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The Senior Financial Accountant also contributes to the Department meeting its taxation obligations
by:

overseeing the development, implementation and maintenance of policies and procedures that
support the appropriate administration of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Fringe Benefits
Tax (FBT) obligations of the Department;

providing expert advice and high level assistance to Departmental personnel at all levels in the
interpretation and management of their GST and FBT obligations;

ensuring that the (GST and FBT) tax consequences of all activities and transactions conducted
by the Department are identified and that effective business practices necessary to support
compliant GST and FBT processes are developed, monitored and maintained;

ensuring that any changes to GST and FBT legislation, or any rulings that affect the way they are
applied, are identified and communicated across the Department and for ensuring that changes
to legislation and public or private rulings are identified and actioned as appropriate;

leading the preparation of periodic (GST and FBT) taxation returns and ensuring they are
prepared and submitted by stringent deadlines;

contributing to the ongoing effectiveness of information systems (or in their absence, appropriate
contingency procedures) by identifying any necessary remedial work or opportunities for
efficiency improvements and assisting with the specification of any new requirements.
The Senior Financial Accountant will also contribute to the:

ongoing development and the proper and effective administration of the Department’s accounting
systems, operations, procedures and controls;
The Senior Financial Accountant will be responsible for the:

supervision of the Financial Accounting team as well as the development and mentoring of staff.
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8. QUALIFICATIONS
Essential:

A degree qualification in Commerce, Accounting, Finance or Economics, majoring in Accounting.
Desirable:

Membership of professional accounting group.
9. PERSON CRITERIA
9.1 Essential Criteria

Demonstrated experience in the preparation of general purpose reports involving consolidations
and preparation of taxation returns, particularly relating to the Goods and Services Tax and
Fringe Benefits Tax.

High level knowledge of Australian Accounting Standards, relevant Treasurer’s Instructions and
Accounting Policy Statements.

Experience in writing and reviewing accounting policies and procedures.

Proven ability to establish and maintain effective collaborative working relationships with senior
managers and staff across a range of agencies.

Proven ability to effectively lead a team and to also work as a team member, and to effectively
deal with high volumes of work and meet deadlines.

Proven high level written and oral communication, and presentation skills, which enable effective
and appropriate communication with a broad range of people.

Demonstrated experience in interpreting and applying accounting standards and in
implementing professional practices, policies and procedures.

Experience in the use of Masterpiece, in particular, the General Ledger module.
9.2 Desirable Criteria

Experience in the use of Business Objects.
JOB & PERSON SPECIFICATION
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JOB PROFILE – Senior Financial Accountant
This position leads the Financial Accounting team of the Corporate Finance Branch within the
Department for Correctional Services (DCS). The Corporate Finance Branch comprises the
following teams:



Financial Accounting
Management Accounting
Procurement
The Financial Accounting team comprises of six accounting qualified staff under the direct
supervision of the Senior Financial Accountant who reports to the Manager, Corporate Finance.
The Corporate Finance Branch is located in Central Office. There may be occasions when the
Senior Financial Accountant may be required to visit prisons and community corrections centres
located both in the metropolitan and country areas across the State.
DCS maintains the Masterpiece accounting system and the accounting modules include:
 General Ledger
 Accounts Payable
 Accounts Receivable
 Fixed Assets
 Purchase Order
 Inventory Control.
Other accounting interfaces to the Masterpiece system include Quickbooks, Chris Payroll and JIS
Prisoner Finance.
DCS uses Business Objects as its financial reporting system.
The key challenges for this position include:
 Keeping abreast with changes to accounting and financial reporting standards.
 Keeping abreast with tax legislation in relation to Fringe Benefits Tax and Goods and Services
Tax.
 As team leader for Financial Accounting, contribute to the training and development of other
members of the team.
 Contribution to the proper and effective administration of the Department’s accounting
systems, operations, procedures and controls.
Flexitime arrangements apply in Corporate Finance. Some hours outside normal time will be
required to be worked.
Manager Corporate Finance
16 September 2008