Assistant Accountant in Sydney

Clifton Lifestyle is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Assistant Accountant on a 6-month fixed-term contract to join an award-winning brand shaping the future of Australia's over 55s lifestyle communities. There is a strong possibility for this role to continue past the 6-month mark for the right person.

About the role

As the Assistant Accountant, you'll play a key role in keeping our day-to-day finance operations accurate, timely and well organised across the business. Working across multiple entities and communities, you will own accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank and credit card reconciliations, while also preparing customer contracts and sales documentation. You will act as one of the primary points of contact for suppliers, purchasers and residents, ensuring every interaction reflects our culture of excellence. This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys accuracy and process, takes ownership of their work, and wants to help build efficient systems and workflows in a growing business, including using AI and automation to streamline manual processes.

Key Responsibilities

• General Bookkeeping & Reconciliations
  • Monitor and action items received via the accounts mailbox
  • Perform bank reconciliations across approximately 40 bank accounts
  • Perform credit card reconciliations
• Payables & Vendor Management
  • Receive, verify and process supplier invoices in line with company policy
  • Match invoices to purchase orders and delivery/approval documentation (3-way matching)
  • Code and allocate invoices to the correct accounts, cost centres and projects
  • Upload, process and submit bills in Xero, including routing for approval
  • Administer bi-weekly vendor payments
  • Prepare reimbursements and on-charge invoices
  • Load approved bills onto the bank platform for payment
  • Respond to and resolve supplier queries relating to invoices, payments and statements
• Supplier Account Management
  • Maintain accurate supplier master data and banking details
  • Reconcile supplier statements to the accounts payable ledger
  • Monitor and clear outstanding items, credits and disputed invoices
  • Set up new suppliers, including verification and compliance checks
  • Liaise with internal budget holders to confirm approvals and resolve discrepancies
• Customer Contracts & Sales Administration
  • Prepare Disclosure Statements, Sale Contracts and Site Agreements
  • Generate documentation using HubSpot (CRM) and PandaDoc (Document Management software)
  • Coordinate contract amendments and settlement documentation
  • Maintain contract registers, settlement schedules and customer records
  • Liaise with purchasers, solicitors, conveyancers and internal stakeholders
  • Support customer onboarding following settlement
• Accounts Receivable
  • Raise purchaser invoices and administer Site Fees, Water Charges and Storage Fees in RMS (current receivables system)
  • Process Direct Debits, allocate receipts and reconcile customer accounts
  • Monitor debtor ageing and proactively follow up overdue accounts
  • Negotiate payment arrangements within delegated authority
  • Prepare customer statements and account reconciliations
• Customer Relationship Management
  • Act as one of the primary points of contact for purchasers and residents
  • Respond professionally to customer enquiries via phone and email
  • Resolve customer issues with empathy, patience and professionalism
  • Build trusted relationships that reflect Clifton Lifestyle's customer-first culture
• Reporting, Systems, AI & Continuous Improvement
  • Maintain accurate records across all systems
  • Assist with the implementation of new systems and workflow improvements
  • Use AI and automation tools to streamline invoice processing, reconciliations, reporting and document preparation
  • Help design and document AI-assisted workflows, ensuring outputs are checked for accuracy and data is handled in line with company privacy and security policies
• Other ad-hoc duties as required

About you

• 1-2 years' experience in accounts payable, accounts receivable or general bookkeeping roles including bank and credit card reconciliations
• Working knowledge of Xero; experience with other software (Payables, CRM, Document Management, Database, etc.) highly regarded
• Confident using AI tools (e.g. Claude, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT) and keen to find smarter ways of working; experience applying AI or automation in a finance setting highly regarded
• Experience working within multi-entity groups
• Exposure to property development, over 55s lifestyle or land lease communities an advantage
• Excellent attention to detail and strong organisational skills
• Confident, professional and clear communicator with a genuine customer-service focus
• Able to work autonomously and manage competing deadlines

What we offer

• Participation in a growing property and development business
• Supportive and collaborative work environment
• Opportunity to help shape how we use AI and automation to improve systems, processes and workflows
• Genuine potential to transition to a permanent role

Location and timing

This is a 6-month fixed-term contract with strong potential to transition to a permanent role. It is based in our Bondi Junction office, with an immediate start date.

Clifton Lifestyle is an award-winning, privately-owned developer, owner and operator of land lease communities for active and independent over 55s. Our developments offer high-quality homes at affordable prices, in beautiful, gated communities with superb communal facilities. For more information visit www.cliftonlifestyle.com.au