Head Accountant / Chief Accountant

About the role

An established Antigua-based construction contractor is building a stronger in-house finance team and needs a Chief Accountant to lead it. The role owns the accounts and payroll, runs the day-to-day finance team and becomes the point of reference for the owners' view of the business. It is a hands-on, full-time position based in Antigua, with a route to CFO as the business grows.

Key responsibilities

• Take full ownership of the accounts and payroll, get ledgers, reconciliations and controls to a signed-off standard, and set a reliable reporting rhythm
• Run the general ledger, month-end and year-end close, bank and balance sheet reconciliations, and prepare management and statutory accounts
• Run payroll for a large site-based workforce from digital timesheets, ensuring hours, allowances and deductions are correct
• Manage accounts payable and receivable, cash flow forecasting and day-to-day treasury, with attention to supplier terms and client collections
• Support project cost control: costs against budget by job, valuations, interim applications, retentions and margin reporting
• Oversee procurement, so purchase orders, approvals and supplier invoices tie together cleanly
• Handle tax, social security and other local statutory filings, and act as main contact for auditors, banks and advisers
• Review the finance systems (currently QuickBooks) and propose improvements; set up controls, policies and the reporting cycle as the business grows
• Lead a team of four to five covering accounts payable, accounts receivable and procurement, and develop the team

Required profile

• Construction and the Caribbean: understanding of job costing, valuations, retentions and subcontractor payments, ideally with experience in Antigua or the Eastern Caribbean
• Recognised accounting qualification such as ACCA, CIMA, ACA or CPAS
• Senior finance experience in construction or contracting, with responsibility for a full set of accounts
• Hands-on payroll experience for a sizeable hourly or site-based workforce
• Experience leading a small finance team and reporting plainly to owners; experience building an in-house finance function or a systems migration is an advantage

Required skills

• QuickBooks
• Payroll processing
• General ledger and statutory account preparation

What we offer

• US$80,000 to US$100,000 net per annum, depending on experience
• Company vehicle and performance bonus
• Access to the local medical scheme
• Full-time, permanent position; accommodation is the employee's own responsibility

The search is handled by a recruitment agency; interested candidates should contact the recruiter for a confidential discussion.