A great opportunity has arisen at Graham Brown & Co for an intermediate or senior accountant to join the team.

Graham Brown & Co is a well-established Accounting firm with two offices located in South Waikato.

The South Waikato district as a whole provides extremely affordable housing opportunities – to buy or to build and is a great location for an outdoor lifestyle. Getting to work will be a breeze, as there are no traffic jams or parking issues to worry about. Being central also means there are plenty of opportunities for spending weekends at the beach, the lake, the snow or in the city.

We provide a wide range of quality professional services to farming, forestry as well as commercial and investment clients and we pride ourselves on fully supporting ongoing education both internally and externally for our team, believing an educated and up to date team is key to creating a great level of service to our clients. Should you wish to further your learning, we will assist you within the work environment.

With best-practice systems and processes in place and a young, open-minded team, there is an opportunity for someone to ‘make their mark’.

To be successful in the role, you will need to:
• Have an appropriate accounting qualification, and/or relevant experience within a Chartered Accountancy practice
• Be suited to working in a professional environment, be a team player and have a natural focus on providing excellent service to clients

The role includes:
• Preparation of financial statements
• Tax compliance work, as well as a range of broader client-led tasks
• Should you develop an interest in any of the additional services or project work the firm provides, you will have the opportunity to hone your skills down a specialist path if desired

NZ residency or valid NZ work permit required.

Each year we look for the next up and coming star/s to join our team. The right person/s will have the opportunity to complete their study towards an accounting degree while in full time employment with Graham Brown & Co.

A successful applicant is expected to complete 2-4 papers per year through Massey University’s Extramural programme or Open Polytechnic.

Graham Brown & Co pays for all course fees and books up front and half the cost of the course fees are then deducted from your fortnightly wages throughout the study semester. On successful completion of each paper, the deducted fees are refunded back to you. If a pass is not obtained in a course paper, it is your responsibility to pay for the resit in full and the deducted fees from your first attempt are held until successful completion of the paper.

Apprentices are expected to allow 10 hours a week study time per paper. To help with this, apprentices may request an unpaid day or two half days per week for study. A quiet room and resources are supplied at the office to assist with this.

Apprentices are also entitled to two days paid study leave per paper (one study day and one exam day). Unpaid study leave may also be requested.

Other study arrangements outside Massey University’s Extramural programme or Open Polytechnic can be negotiated.

Numbers – The alternative costs
We believe the cost of full time study in an unsupported environment is more than $60,000.

As an apprentice at Graham Brown & Co you save on these costs and have the ability to earn as you learn and gain invaluable practical knowledge and skills.

Who would this suit?
• You may be a recent school leaver or have completed schooling some time ago, and looking for a career change
• Keen to further yourself at the same time as earning a competitive income
• Someone with a keen eye for detail, and a clear aptitude for numbers
• Have an interest in accounting/numbers (though you do not need to have studied accounting at school)
• Entry qualifications for acceptance into either Massey University or Open Polytechnic would be an advantage but not necessary

Advantages
• The ability to gain qualifications without having a student loan
• Your course costs paid for you beyond just year one (provided you pass)
• The ability to earn as you learn in your relevant chosen field
• Gain a wide range of practical experience adding to your CV for the future
• Well placed to continue on with professional exams in a supportive training environment

Starting Salary
Apprentices start on minimum wage and this is reviewed after three months, six months and annually thereafter. Apprentices who excel in both their studies and the working environment have the potential to earn a very competitive salary within the first five years and be exposed to a wide range of practical training. This often places you ahead of your university graduate counterparts, who have little or no practical experience upon completion of their degree.

Contact Richard Rutgers if you would like more information on info@grahambrown.co.nz or phone 07 885 1022.