Current Roles

Senior Accountant (15 to 20 hours per week)

Accounts Adminstrator (30 hours per week)

Senior Accountant 

15 to 20 hours per week | Christchurch based

Astute Mode is an outsourced finance team providing accounting, advisory, and payroll services for small and medium business owners across New Zealand. We're CPA Australia members and Xero Gold Partners, and we believe great accounting is what gives a business owner the confidence to make the bigger decisions about their business.

We're looking for an experienced Senior Accountant who can take ownership of a portfolio of clients, deliver high quality compliance and tax work, and step into the advisory space where the real value sits. You'll also play a key role in lifting the technical standard across the firm. We're a team that runs on technology, so you'll need to be genuinely tech savvy and excited to automate the work that doesn't need a human touch.

What the role looks like

• Owning end to end annual compliance for a portfolio of clients: financial statements, income tax, GST, FBT, and other IRD obligations are accurate, timely, and ready when they're needed

• Preparing and reviewing management reports and tax planning so clients always have a clear view of where they're sitting

• Providing real business advisory: budgeting, cashflow forecasting, and being the person clients call when they need to think something through

• Reviewing the work of other team members, coaching them through technical challenges, and helping them grow

• Using technology and automation to do the job smarter. If a process can be improved, we want you leading that thinking

• Spotting issues and opportunities for clients ahead of time, and raising them

Who we're looking for

You'll fit well here if you:

• Are CA or CPA qualified with solid public practice experience, know your way around Xero, and have strong technical knowledge across NZ tax and financial reporting

• Are genuinely tech savvy and keen to automate. You see new tools as an opportunity, get up to speed quickly, and actively look for ways to remove manual work

• Enjoy the advisory side of accounting and can translate the numbers into conversations a business owner actually understands

• Are comfortable reviewing other people's work and giving clear feedback

• Are proactive by nature. You take ownership, you don't wait to be told

• Can make a decision and back yourself. Confidence, resilience, and initiative matter more to us than perfection

• Are comfortable in a direct-feedback culture. We're candid, and sometimes blunt, but we operate with trust, respect, and genuine care for one another. If honest conversation makes you better at your job, you'll feel at home

• Experience using KarbonHQ would be a bonus, but not essential

Why Astute Mode

We want the people who work here to grow, develop their expertise, and build careers that support the life they want. You'll be part of a tight team that thinks beyond compliance, values clear communication, and actually cares about the outcomes our clients get.

This is a 15 to 20 hour per week role. How those hours are spread across the week is open for discussion. We're flexible within standard business hours, and we'll agree on a pattern that works for both of us before you start.

Sound like you? We'd love to hear from you.

To apply, email your CV and cover letter to [email protected] with "Application for Senior Accountant Role" in the subject line.

Interested, but want to know more first? We welcome informal, confidential enquiries. Reach out to Nick at [email protected] or call 03 356 1895 for a private chat. 

 Accounts Administrator

30 hours per week | Christchurch based

Astute Mode is an outsourced finance team providing accounts and payroll services for small and medium business owners across New Zealand. We're CPA Australia members and Xero Gold Partners, and we believe good bookkeeping is what gives a business owner the confidence to make decisions.

We're looking for an experienced bookkeeper who can own the day to day across our client base, including payroll. This isn't a role where work gets handed to you in neat pieces. You'll be trusted to see what needs doing, decide what matters most, and get on with it. We're also a team that runs on technology, so you'll need to be genuinely tech savvy and excited to automate the work that doesn't need a human touch.

What the role looks like

• Owning day to day bookkeeping and payroll for a portfolio of clients: the numbers are accurate, current, and ready when they're needed, and staff get paid correctly and on time
• Running end to end payroll, including new starters, leave, and keeping on top of compliance
• Prioritising your own work, managing your time, and keeping things moving without being chased
• Using technology and automation to do the job smarter. We're always looking for a better way. If a process can be automated or improved, we want you leading that thinking
• Spotting issues before they become problems, and raising them
• Working closely with the rest of the team to keep clients well supported

Who we're looking for

You'll fit well here if you:

• Have solid bookkeeping experience and know your way around Xero
• Have hands on payroll experience and are confident running it end to end
• Are genuinely tech savvy and keen to automate. You see new tools as an opportunity, get up to speed quickly, and actively look for ways to remove manual work
• Are proactive by nature. You take ownership, you don't wait to be told
• Can make a decision and back yourself. Confidence, resilience, and initiative matter more to us than perfection
• Are comfortable in a direct-feedback culture. We're candid, and sometimes blunt, but we operate with trust, respect, and genuine care for one another. If honest conversation makes you better at your job, you'll feel at home
• Communicate clearly and take pride in getting the basics right
• Experience using KarbonHQ would be a bonus, but not essential

Why Astute Mode

We want the people who work here to grow, develop their expertise, and build careers that support the life they want. You'll be part of a tight team that thinks beyond compliance, values clear communication, and actually cares about the outcomes our clients get.

This is a 30 hour per week role. How those hours are spread across the week is open for discussion. We're flexible within standard business hours, and we'll agree on a pattern that works for both of us before you start.

Sound like you? We'd love to hear from you.

To apply, email your CV and cover letter to [email protected] with "Application for Bookkeeper Role" in the subject line.

Interested, but want to know more first? We welcome informal, confidential enquiries. Reach out to Nick at [email protected] or call 03 356 1895 for a private chat.