Senior Accountant – Financial Compliance and Analytics

Job Description:

Te Ratonga Ahumoni | Financial Services

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• 5 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• Professional development opportunities
• Permanent position, 37.5 hours per week
• Generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)
• Salary: $110,000 - $130,000 p.a., based on skills and experience

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
He hiahia, he pūkenga nōu ki te mahi a te Senior Accountant? Nāia te pōwhiri nā Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha kia tono mai i te tūranga nei.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do

As Senior Accountant – Financial Compliance and Analytics, you will help strengthen the University’s financial governance by using financial data and analytics to proactively identify unusual transactions, emerging fraud and integrity risks, control weaknesses and potential non-compliance.

You will analyse large and complex financial datasets to identify trends, anomalies, exceptions and areas of financial risk. You will develop reporting, dashboards and exception-monitoring tools that provide management with clear insights and support the continuous monitoring of financial controls, policies, procedures and delegated authorities.

A key focus of the role will be supporting the University’s approach to fraud risk management and financial control assurance. You will use data analytics to identify fraud indicators and financial irregularities, investigate exceptions, support reviews and investigations, and translate findings into practical recommendations for management and control improvement.

You will also contribute to the design, implementation, monitoring and continuous improvement of financial controls and assurance activities, including automated and manual controls within Workday and other financial systems. Working across Financial Services and the wider University, you will support audit and compliance activity, data quality, policy and procedure development, and improvements to financial systems and processes.

Mōu | Who You Are

You are an analytically minded accounting, risk and compliance professional who brings strong professional judgement, curiosity and integrity. You are comfortable interrogating complex financial information, identifying unusual activity and control weaknesses, and translating your findings into clear, practical recommendations.

You will bring:

• Advanced financial and transactional data analysis capability, with the ability to identify trends, anomalies, exceptions and unusual activity across complex datasets.
• Experience developing exception reporting, dashboards and analytical monitoring tools that support effective financial oversight and data-driven assurance.
• Strong knowledge of internal control, risk management, governance and financial compliance frameworks, with experience assessing control effectiveness and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Experience supporting assurance, audit, compliance reviews or investigations, with strong focus on evidence, documentation and data integrity.
• Strong professional judgement, scepticism and analytical curiosity, with the confidence to constructively challenge unusual transactions or explanations and appropriately escalate material concerns.
• Advanced capability in ERP and financial reporting environments, preferably Workday, together with analytical and visualisation tools such as Power BI.
• Strong written, verbal and stakeholder communication skills, with the ability to interpret financial policies, delegated authorities and compliance requirements and translate complex findings into clear, practical recommendations.
• A relevant tertiary qualification in accounting, finance, data analytics or a related discipline, and/or an appropriate professional accounting qualification or substantial equivalent professional experience.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With
You will work closely with the Director of Finance and Head of Reporting and Compliance, alongside colleagues across Financial Services and stakeholders throughout the University. This role provides an important analytical and assurance capability within Financial Services, helping strengthen financial governance, proactively identify financial and compliance risks, improve controls, and support confident, evidence-based decision-making.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC
At UC, being part of our team means more than just a job. We are committed to supporting our kaimahi | staff’s career and wellbeing with benefits designed to help our kaimahi grow and feel connected, supported and valued.

• 5 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• UC Parental Leave (up to 9 weeks paid for eligible staff) + 26 weeks Government paid parental leave and onsite childcare facility
• generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)
• flexible working arrangements
• professional development opportunities
• supportive working environment
• a wide range of retail discounts across shopping, entertainment and travel
• on-campus staff discounts
• living in revitalised Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand
• a unique working environment in a beautiful campus with access to UC facilities such as UC RecCentre and Staff Club at discounted rates plus onsite cafés and eateries, and more.

For more information, please visit us: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/work-at-uc/benefits-working-uc

For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/

The closing date for this position is: 23 November 2026 (midnight, NZ time)
Please note, applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place before the close date.

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted via our careers website and should include a cover letter and CV.

Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to [email protected]

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency to be considered for this role.

Please note, this is an onsite position.