Financial Accountant

What is the purpose of the role?

The Financial Accountant plays a central role in ensuring Snapper maintains strong financial integrity, accurate accounting records, and reliable financial controls across both its New Zealand and UK operations. This role owns key operational accounting processes, champions robust governance, and supports compliance with tax, regulatory, and internal control requirements.

You will be the organisation’s subject-matter expert in core financial accounting, including NZ and UK tax considerations, balance sheet management, GL hygiene, and financial controls. By ensuring accuracy, consistency, and technical diligence, this role helps to safeguard Snapper’s financial health and enable confident decision-making across the business.

The Financial Accountant sits within the Finance function, collaborates with wider business teams, and liaises with external advisers in NZ and the UK.

• The Financial Accountant reports to the Head of Finance


• This role has no direct reports


• Key relationships: Finance team, business leaders, parent group, NZ and UK tax advisors, external partners


• Based in Wellington, NZ

What does the Financial Accountant do?

The Financial Accountant is responsible for delivering effective financial management, strong accounting control, and high-quality financial processes across Snapper. Specifically, this includes:

Core Financial Accounting & GL Ownership

• Maintain an accurate, well-controlled general ledger across NZ and UK entities


• Lead month-end close activities, ensuring timely and reliable reporting of financial results


• Prepare and review balance sheet reconciliations, investigating variances and ensuring data integrity


• Drive continuous improvements in GL processes, coding accuracy, and financial hygiene

NZ & UK Tax Compliance and Advisory Support

• Prepare and maintain tax workpapers supporting the preparation of Snapper’s annual tax and RDTI submissions


• Oversee UK staff benefit obligations


• Maintain our compliance calendar to ensure all tax and regulatory deadlines are met


• Act as the internal point of contact for NZ and UK tax advisors


• Advise and assist the Executive team and business support functions on any matters that may carry tax implications or risks

Financial Controls & Accounting Governance

• Ensure financial policies, practices, and controls are consistently applied across the business


• Strengthen internal controls, identify gaps, and recommend improvements


• Support audit or review activities as required


• Provide technical accounting guidance to the finance team and business stakeholders

Operational Accounting Responsibilities

• Oversee stock accounting, including reconciliation of stock systems, physical counts, and GL balances


• Manage fixed asset and intangibles accounting, including lifecycle tracking, additions/disposals, and tax depreciation/amortisation


• Oversee fare settlement processes, float management, and card-related liability reconciliations


• Support supplier management and shared-service processes as part of the finance operations rhythm

Insight, Support & Business Engagement

• Provide timely, clear financial insights to support operational decision-making


• identify financial risks or anomalies and communicate them proactively


• Build trusted relationships with internal teams, ensuring financial processes are understood and followed


• Contribute to forecasting and budgeting inputs as required

What will help you to be successful in this role?

You’ll thrive in this role if you combine technical expertise, strong judgement, and a methodical, detail-oriented approach.

This typically includes:

• CA qualification (or equivalent) is advantageous but not essential - strong technical accounting capability and experience can substitute


• 3+ years’ experience in financial accounting, business advisory, or relevant commercial roles


• Solid understanding of NZ tax (CIT, GST, FBT) and willingness to build UK tax knowledge


• Skill in managing month-end close processes and maintaining high-quality accounting records


• Experience supporting or coaching others


• Clear and confident communication skills


• Ability to operate independently, prioritise effectively, and escalate when required


• A mindset focused on accuracy, improvement, and accountability

What Success Looks Like

You will have your own strengths and ways of proving your value int the team. At a foundation elevel, our view of success includes these things being true : 

• You consistently deliver accurate, timely month-end results and maintain clean, well-governed financial statements


• NZ and UK tax obligations are met accurately and on time


• You identify opportunities to improve controls, processes, and financial accuracy, and implement changes effectively


• Our internal and extrernal stakeholders trust your judgement and value your clarity in communication


• You contribute to a positive, collaborative finance culture and model professionalism and integrity

Our expectations and values at Snapper

We reflect on five core values in our work and interactions at Snapper.

• Being Resilient.Using a positive mindset to handle change


• Acting with Integrity.Being open and honest with each other. Fostering a safe space for the sharing of our thoughts and ideas.


• An Innovative outlook. Looking at problems through as many lenses as we can. Applying it to people, processes, and personal development - not just code. We expect this as individuals and collectively as a team.


• Collaborating. Anything of value happens through a team. No one person has all of the skills to solve our customers' problems. We’re inclusive and open to all voices.


• Building Excellence. Not to be confused with perfection. Making sure measures are clear and fit for purpose. And celebrating it as we go.