For over 150 years, our schools, colleges, early learning centres and out of school care programs, have been an integral part of education in Western Australia. Together we form the state's second-largest education provider, with more than 83,000 students relying on our nearly 14,000 dedicated staff each day. We are committed to fostering an environment where every child can achieve their full potential, and our office teams support schools to do exactly that.
The Role
The role of School Support Accountant belongs to the School Support Accountants team in the Finance, Infrastructure and Digital Technology directorate. We have 5 office campuses across the state and this role will be based at our West Leederville office.
This is a full-time ongoing position commencing as soon as possible.
The School Support Accountant role is designed to support Finance Officers/Business Managers and Principals with the school's financial management, compliance requirements, accounting and financial reporting.
The primary accountabilities of this role include:
Financial Management
* Assist schools with the preparation of the annual budget, five-year financial forecasts, and financial plan.
* Provide guidance to Principals and Finance Officers on matters related to the recurrent operations and financial management of schools.
* Review the capital budgets developed by schools and ensure capital project affordability assessments are completed for any proposed capital works in conjunction with the School Infrastructure team.
* Review applications for debt facilities (overdrafts, finance/operating leases, loans for equipment) and requests for unbudgeted expenditure by schools and provide financial analysis to input into the final recommendation.
* Input into financial management processes and procedures and support schools to implement these at the school level.
* Prepare financial information and participate in working groups for schools identified at risk of financial difficulty.
Financial Compliance and Reporting
* Review and ensure timely submission of financial information by schools to CEWA and other government agencies.
* Prepare the balance day adjustments for schools for end of financial year reporting and provide assistance to the Finance Officer in this process.
* Assist schools with the preparation for the annual external audit and ensure all audit recommendations are implemented by the school following the audit process.
* Complete quarterly analysis of budget to actual results and present these to the School Principal and Finance Officer to action any issues raised.
* Ensure the requirements of the Delegations of Authority and relevant financial CECWA Policies are adhered to by schools.
Supporting Others
* Attend School Advisory Council meetings as requested or required, and present on financial reporting and analysis to support the Principal's decision making.
* Support Principals and Finance Officers in understanding financial reporting and analysis for decision making.
* Other duties as required by the Team Leader, Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance, Infrastructure and Digital Technology.
Benefits of the role
* A competitive salary: Level I on the CEWA salary scale [$118,464 – $132,666 per annum] plus superannuation.
* Additional paid leave during office closures over Christmas and Easter.
* Salary packaging options in line with our not-for-profit status, including novated leasing.
* Deferred salary program for eligible employees after two years of service.
* Free onsite parking.
* Corporate health insurance discounts.
* Access to the Fitness Passport program.
* Employee Assistance Program: access confidential counselling and wellbeing support for yourself and your family.
* Ongoing professional learning opportunities, including a CEWA scholarship program to support further education.
* Flexible work arrangements, where operationally appropriate.
* Wellbeing initiatives including annual flu vaccinations and workplace health checks.
* Parental leave provisions above statutory minimums.
Selection Criteria
A. ESSENTIAL:
• Prepared to support to the Catholic ethos in the performance of their duties.
• Professional accounting body (CPA or CAANZ) qualifications or equivalent.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• A service mind-set so that all Catholic Schools in Western Australia are provided with the service standards necessary to achieve their development objectives within system priorities and accountabilities.
• Demonstrated experience of working effectively within teams to achieve objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritise work, take initiative and meet deadlines.
• Extensive experience with management and financial accounting.
• Experience in preparing for external financial audits and liaising with external auditors.
• Experience in financial procedures including accounts receivable, accounts payable, preparation of Business Activity Statements, and general ledger processing and reconciliation.
• Sound knowledge and demonstrated ability of relevant accrual accounting practices.
• Experience working with Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics, Power BI and Workday.
B. HIGHLY DESIRABLE:
• Experience in an educational environment or a large not for profit, public practice or a commercial organisation would be an advantage but is not essential.
Information for Applicants
To access a copy of the Position Description please click here
Interested applicants should submit:
* A cover letter briefly addressing the selection criteria.
* A curriculum vitae outlining their employment history, qualifications and certifications and include a minimum of two professional references.
The successful applicant will need to provide:
* National criminal history check as issued by the Department of Education WA.
* 100 points of identification
* Evidence of professional qualifications and registrations applicable to the role.
Applications for this role close no later than
5pm Friday 13 February 2026
We reserve the right to close the advertisement early if a suitable candidate is identified. If you're interested in this role, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to ensure consideration.
If you require support with submitting your application, please contact our Talent Advisors at Applications can be submitted by clicking apply and uploading your application to our website. Applications will not be accepted via email.
All employees of Catholic Education Western Australia are required to support the Catholic ethos in the performance of their duties. Catholic Education Western Australia also encourages applications from people of all cultural backgrounds, First Nations people, and individuals with disabilities or medical conditions who meet the requirements of the position. To be eligible to apply, you must be legally permitted to work in Australia.