The posting
We are looking for a Finance Accountant who is equally comfortable working in Japanese and English to join our client’s finance team. This is a hands-on role at the centre of client’s day-to-day accounting: you will own a defined part of the month-end close, keep the ledgers clean and reconciled, and act as the finance point of contact for our Japanese-language stakeholders — whether that means suppliers, clients, auditors or colleagues in the Japan business. Because much of the source documentation, correspondence and local reporting is in Japanese, native or near-native Japanese is essential to the role rather than a nice-to-have.
Working hours ~09:00 - 18:00 (morning shift)
This opportunity is open only to candidates based in the Philippines
Key Responsibilities:
- Own the end-to-end accounts payable cycle: process supplier invoices, match to purchase orders and receipts, and resolve exceptions.
- Handle Japanese-language invoices, credit notes and supplier correspondence, including 請求書 and qualified-invoice (インボイス制度) requirements.
- Manage the AP inbox and act as first point of contact for supplier queries in Japanese and English, chasing missing documentation and clearing aged items.
- Prepare and execute payment runs, ensuring correct bank details, currency, withholding tax and payment terms.
- Reconcile supplier statements and the AP sub-ledger to the general ledger, investigating and clearing differences.
- Prepare and post month-end journals — accruals, prepayments, provisions — and support a timely close.
- Own the reconciliation of assigned balance sheet accounts, including bank, intercompany and accrued expenses.
- Maintain the general ledger and ensure transactions are coded accurately and consistently.
- Prepare monthly management reporting packs with variance commentary.
- Support cash management: payment forecasting, bank postings and short-term cashflow reporting.
- Act as the finance team's Japanese-language interface with suppliers, banks, tax agents and the Japan-based team.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Native or near-native written and spoken Japanese - mandatory
- Fluent in English (verbal and written) - mandatory
- Around 3–5 years of accounting experience covering month-end close, reconciliations and transactional finance.
- Part-qualified or qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA, CIMA, CPA, 日商簿記 2級 or above, or equivalent), or qualified by experience with a demonstrable track record.
- Sound understanding of double-entry bookkeeping and core accounting principles.
- Strong Excel skills — pivot tables, lookups, large-volume data handling and reconciliation techniques.
- Experience with an accounting system such as Sage and / or Oracle Fusion
- Accuracy and attention to detail, with the discipline to reconcile properly rather than round off.
- Proven ability to work independently and manage deadlines in a remote or distributed team.
- Clear written communication — in a remote role, most of your work is handed over in writing.
