Blackbird is Hiring: Financial Accountant

Blackbird is looking for a high-performing, detail-oriented accountant with an eye for process improvement. Step out of the humdrum of every day and come work on a portfolio of 60 new tech startups.

This role has now closed.

About Blackbird

Blackbird is a venture capital firm whose mission is to supercharge Australia and New Zealand’s most ambitious founders. We do this by raising venture capital funds, investing into the best startup companies and helping them succeed. We have half a billion dollars under management and a portfolio of over 60 companies including some of the most successful Australian startups such as Canva, Zoox, Safety Culture and CultureAmp.

We are inspired by investment firms such as Berkshire Hathaway and Bridgewater Associates. Like the companies we back, we want to build a business that lasts for decades and produces excellent returns for our investors. Most of all, we want to support our region’s most talented founders build category-defining technology companies.

We’ve written a lot about what we love at Blackbird, so check out our Medium if you want some more information about us.

About the Role

The financial accountant will be assisting the Financial Controller in the day-to-day financial operations, such as cash reconciliations, financial reporting and tax compliance.

You will also be responsible for bringing in-house payroll, weekly pay run, preparation of Business Activity Statements, payroll tax and ASIC management.

This role is based in our Sydney office and open to candidates who wish to work full time or part-time. If you would like to work part-time, you may be job-sharing the role, so clear communication and ownership is key. Blackbird also offers flexible working, whether it’s working from home or leaving early to pick up the kids from daycare or school.  

Role Responsibilities

• Financial reporting: Preparing the quarterly Net Asset Value Statements for the Funds, and monthly reports for the corporate entities. Assisting with the audit and preparing the draft financial statements.
• Tax compliance: Assisting the compilation of information for the external tax advisers and managing the process of disseminating tax statements to investors.
• Transition tasks from the external accountant: Liaising with the external accountant for handover of tasks, ensuring that Blackbird has all information and prior year records to do all these tasks moving forward. Work to be transitioned in-house include: bookkeeping for the corporate entities, weekly pay run, payroll, Fringe Benefits Tax return preparation and lodgment, Business Activity Statement preparation and lodgment, monthly payroll tax and annual reconciliation, and annual financial statement preparation.
• Process improvement: With a growing number of staff in a relatively young company, there are plenty of opportunities for streamlining and automation of processes, like staff expense reimbursement.
• Assisting Operations: Where required, assisting the Operations team with ad hoc tasks.

Position Requirements

Ideally, you would have about two to three years experience as an accountant, especially in running day-to-day finance operations such as payroll, reconciliations, bookkeeping and the expense pay run. Experience with Xero helps, though not essential.  

You needn’t be a fully qualified Chartered Accountant nor CPA yet, but should at least be working towards those accreditations. If you are still studying, Blackbird will support your pursuit of professional qualifications by giving time off work for study leave and exams and reimbursing course fees upon passing the exams.

Background is less important than the key skills, which include:

• Knowledge on and experience with payroll, BAS and FBT obligations
• Able to reconcile differences between the books and sources of truth, and taking action to resolve those differences in a timely manner
• Taking ownership of tasks, including self review of work
• Great at communicating both internally and externally
• Attention to detail