Bookkeeping Officer

**The organisation**:
The Uniting Church in Australia is a passionate and diverse Christian church, a community of people who are shaped by Jesus' teaching and example. The church in Queensland includes congregations, faith communities, presbyteries, schools and colleges, early learning centres, hospitals, aged care centres and many expressions of mission and community service. We are a multicultural church, committed to reconciliation with First Peoples and social justice for all, seeking to steward our resources wisely in the furtherance of God's mission in the world.

The Queensland Synod is the state council of the Uniting Church who come together every 18 months for Synod in Session - a meeting to discern together and make decisions for the management of the Synod.

The Office of the Synod's purpose is to act upon the discernment of the Synod, to enable, equip and encourage a renewing and growing Church across Queensland. We are mission-driven, service-orientated and relationally focussed.

**Position purpose**:
The purpose of this role is to provide full bookkeeping services to the agreed congregations and presbyteries in a timely manner and to provide services and financial system support to Mission Support areas across the Queensland Synod ensuring overall performance is cost effective, efficient and aligned to the Church's strategic plans and objectives.

**Key responsibilities**:

- Provide high-quality bookkeeping services to congregations and presbyteries within the Synod Office with regard to related finance and system administration queries. Following conversion to Xero software, provide the first point of contact for all bookkeeping and Xero queries for mission support areas.
- Coach and liaise with congregation Treasurers and key users to support resolution of various accounting issues that are encountered by treasurers.
- Work closely with the Mission Relations Accountant in supporting our mission support areas after conversion to Xero software to support a smooth transition and uptake of the software, as well as for day-to-day support for bookkeeping activities on request to the Manager - Senior Accountant.
- Complete regular or periodic reconciliation of congregation and presbytery accounts and contributions ensuring that their transactions are accurately reflected and reported into the financial system and that appropriate action is taken if an issue or discrepancy is noted or delay occurs in receiving payment of contributions.
- Manage, control and monitor access and use of the financial accounting and reporting system according to existing financial reporting structure ensuring that all access have been updated according to legitimate business requirements and authorisation provided by the Senior Accountant and Finance Manager.
- Liaise with congregation and presbytery auditors to answer queries, and provide any additional information, documents or refer to other relevant parties.
- Assist users, where needed, to meet their reporting requirement to committees and councils of the church.
- Day to day activities such as: assist users to log on or add users, connect bank feeds, create journal or unusual transactions, reconcile accounts.
- Assist with adapting chart of accounts when required.
- Model the values of the Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod in day-to-day work including interactions with managers, lay staff, ministry agents, clients and stakeholders.
- Compliance with Queensland Synod policies, procedures and relevant legislation.
- Comply with Health and Safety directions and Public Health directions.
- Undertake other duties as and when directed within the scope of the role and the capabilities of the incumbent.

**Key performance indicators**:

- Complete the bookkeeping services within 5 working days after the end of month.
- Produce management reports to each congregation/presbytery within 6 working days of each month.
- Comply with delegations of the Office of Synod where delegations have been permanently or temporarily assigned to the position.
- Maintain alignment with the Office of Synod purpose, culture and values (values referenced under additional requirements).

**Selection criteria**:
Qualifications:

- Relevant tertiary financial qualifications.

Experience and skills:

- Demonstrated proficiency in using Xero software, ideally for a small to medium size organisation.
- Excellent reporting skills with the ability to present and speak about qualitative/quantitative data to non-finance stakeholders, to listen, analyse and identify key issues, and to communicate complex information clearly.
- Strong numeracy skills and understanding of accounting principles.
- Extremely focussed on client service within the Synod office and its stakeholders.
- Ability to acquire and utilise of the Uniting Church congregational and presbyteries financial and organisational structures.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to develop and