Organisation: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Job Title: Asset and Capital Budget Accountants (Specialists)
Word Limit: 300 words per point max
Location:Canberra
Supports strategic direction
Ability to analyse complex legislative requirements, obtaining accurate conclusions based on
evidence that contribute to achieve strategic outcomes. Ability to handle changing priorities and
circumstances
Within both my current and previous role, I have been required to analyse and apply a range of
legislative requirements, including legislation around Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) and taxation as well
as accounting standards and principles. My role as finance manager means I am responsible for
ensuring accurate and evidence-based decisions and conclusions are made.
During my role as assistant financial controller for Melrose Automobiles, there was a change in
legislation around the leasing of vehicles and novated leasing arrangements. This change, relating
to FBT requirements mean that a large amount of business people were no longer interested in
buying a car, as leasing arrangements were no longer available to them causing a significant
downturn in sales. A change in priority was discussed within the company, and I both analysed and
monitored how the change had already, and would affect the organisation going forward. This
information then formed the basis for future decisions and strategies to be decided upon in light
of the data.
Specifically, I provided an analysis report that determined a possible change in a target market
group, given the legislative modification and forecasting based on focusing on other areas,
including services. The priorities of the organisation altered as a direct result of this adjustment,
and gave us an alternative focus out of the downturn in sales and provided much needed
motivation for employees.
Eventually, because of a change of government at that time, the legislation reverted back to the
previous ruling, subsequently another strategy session was called, which reversed most of the
recent decisions, however this made sense given the situation.
In my current role, I have also applied and analysed legislative requirements for BAS, PAYG and
Payroll, as well as a broad range of other areas that are highly regulated and where companies
must remain compliant.
Achieves results
Under limited direction provide quality advice, process complex and large amounts of data and
work effectively in a diverse team. Ability to deliver results within tight deadlines and data
limitations
As a results-oriented person, I have demonstrated my ability to process large amounts of complex
data on numerous occasions. During my tenure at Raytheon Australia, I was required to use data
to perform financial and budget models and templates. I was tasked with creating a travel budget
template to help accurately track people’s expenses. To ensure this form would cater for all
scenarios, I reviewed and collated approximately two years of data from the entire organisation.
This gave me a broad understanding and strengthened my ability to create an extremely useful
document.
In my current role, I experience data limitations due to a financial system that is not appropriate
for the organisation’s needs. It is difficult to extract useful information from the application, hence
I have done a significant amount of work to gather information from each part of the application
to build a new system. Across all of our five entities, I have reviewed and analysed more than half
a million rows of data, for this project.
Within my new team, I monitor reports on an ongoing basis to track the team’s performance.
When I discover we are behind our expected timeframes, I ask my staff if they have any ideas
about how we might rectify this. This way, the team works collaboratively on the solutions and are
generally more productive as a result. Another initiative I have implemented in the team, is a
finance planner that depicts which tasks are allocated to which staff member. This planner
contains a deadline for each task and if a staff member feels they cannot meet that deadline, they
can ask me and I will allocate them some assistance to meet the deadline. Over the last three
months, this strategy has facilitated significant improvements in processing, reporting and the
meeting of deadlines.
Supports productive working relationships
Demonstrated ability to build and maintain professional relationships and networks with a
strong cross-cultural awareness
All of my financially focused roles have demonstrated my ability to both foster and maintain
professional relationships. Within my role at Melrose Automobiles, I created strong working
relationships, particularly with department managers and external accountants. For example, my
role included liaising with the accountant on numerous occasions to discuss certain issues and
controls that needed to be put in place. In addition, external accountants were engaged to do all
the work surrounding statutory reporting and to advise the business on taxation and compliance.
Therefore, I needed to have a relationship with them where they communicated these items to
me and I understood them.
When liaising with department managers, I gave them advice on any issues they were
experiencing. Continually, I would make them aware if they were running over budget for that
time of year, and to identify any variances with their help. I monitored and maintained records of
the sales of their vehicles and the profit margin they were attracting for the month or period. By
sharing this information with department managers, I could analyse this information and share my
knowledge to motivate and ensure that the departments stayed on track to achieving their
established KPIs.
Originating from Malaysia myself, I currently work with a broad diversity of colleagues and
customers, with different backgrounds and cultures. This diversity of people is indicative of our
society and I welcome it. Within my current role, I have dealings with a broad range of people
from Australian to African, Chinese and Indian. I interact well with people, including those from
different background, cultures, religions or socio-economic circumstances.
Displays personal drive and integrity
Ability to take initiative in completing work tasks with limited guidance from supervisor.
Maintain exemplary standards of conduct, integrity and professionalism. Ability to identify and
appropriately manage short-term tasks and contribute to planning of longer-term initiatives
During my tenure with Raytheon Australia, I showcased my ability to take initiative and complete
tasks autonomously whilst ensuring ethical behaviour and conduct. I was required to adhere to
both the Australian Accounting Standards and the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
(GAAP). Additionally, I used my skills to facilitate financial analyses, forecasting and budgeting. I
not only performed my role with limited supervision, I also managed a team of staff and
encouraged them to be autonomous within their roles. Part of this role was forecasting for assets.
On one occasion, I needed to refer to the policy to see how we facilitated budgeting and to
determine the percentage of capital we reserved each year.
Possessing transferable skills, I brought all this knowledge into my current role. As it stands, I have
an extensive asset list, including approximately 40 on-road vehicles. My short-term tasks include
reporting on a range of financial aspects and capital asset management as well as expenditure and
revenue. One of my initiatives is my superior ability to focus on the long-term. This initiative was
to implement a new financial management system. Once this has been achieved, then the finance
department will be able to work more effectively. This change in system and amalgamation of a
number of current systems will give the company a long-term sustainable solution for problems in
this area.
Within my role at the Housing Industry Association (HIA), I demonstrated my initiative and
contribution through facilitating the automation of month-end preparations and monthly
reconciliation processes. Through the execution of this automated approach, the processing time
was significantly reduced, as well as resulting in the accuracy of the reconciliation process being
enhanced considerably.
Communicates with influence
Well-developed communication skills, providing stakeholders with technical information in a
non-technical way
During my role with Melrose Automobiles, I have demonstrated my influential communication
skills. Daily, the department managers I communicated with were non-accounting people and I
ensured I translated any technical accounting terms in ways they could easily understand. For
example, when I was explaining the process of depreciation, I needed to clearly explain the
process as well as ensure they understood the advantages of depreciation of vehicles.
Additionally, I liaised with these managers about accrual accounting and why it needs to be
meticulously performed, explaining its purpose to account for upcoming payments and
accountabilities. Both of these highly technical account concepts are hard to understand for those
who are not accounting minded. However, I successfully managed to explain the terms without
unnecessary technical jargon, as well as gain compliance from the managers by conveying this
information.
In my current role, I use my communication skills to manage and supervise the assistant
accountant, the accounts payable officer and five other administrative staff. I ensure I talk to staff
members in a professional and friendly way and make myself approachable. Furthermore, I
endeavour to build rapport with the team, as a whole and with individuals. Recently joining this
organisation, I communicate with my team to ensure that productivity increases in processing
financial paperwork. I have seen some positive results within a short timeframe. Part of this
successful communication is motivating the team to produce quality work and to take pride in its
success.
Currently, I see my role as not only ensuring the accounts are accurate and correctly managed, but
also to inform others around their responsibilities. In providing direction, I make sure that all in my
team understand basic concepts and are committed to adhering to budgets, and equipped with
the required information to ensure smooth processes and functions.
Financial Statement Preparation Experience
My experience in accounting roles and therefore in financial statement preparation is extensive
and I have performed a comprehensive array of tasks with the finance sector. My current role
requires me to prepare monthly and end-of-year reporting, adjustments and accruals, payroll tax
for all five entities of the organisation, as well as cash flow forecasting and monitoring. In addition,
I am responsible for the preparation of the monthly board meeting financial reports including a
profit and loss statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement and a range of other ad hoc reports
and financial summaries. In addition to running these reports, I have successfully improved the
reporting process and automated the accounting handling process.
Within my previous role at Melrose Automobiles, I was responsible for the preparation of financial
analysis and reporting for management regarding franchisees, BAS, PAYG and the company’s
financial performance as well as managing general balance sheet account reconciliations. I also
facilitated the end-of-month journals, adjustment and accruals, subsidiary ledgers and vehicle
control accounts. Financial statement preparation included preparing of the annual and monthly
financial statements including the preparation of ledgers management, payroll management and
financial reconciliations for clients, suppliers, creditor accounts and banking.
Previous to these two roles, I worked at Raytheon Australia as a contract financial analyst and the
Housing Industry Association. Within the HIA, I was exposed to government structure in terms of
their financial system, with strict charge coding, recurrent funding models as well as monthly
reconciliations, including balance sheet accounts, banks and accruals.
This experience and more can be seen on my resume. Through all my roles I have gained an
excellent understanding of a large range of financial statement preparation, which clearly meets
the requirements of this role.
