Summary
ESET Japan is seeking an experienced General Accountant (part-time basis) to strengthen our local finance capability and support the day-to-day accounting needs of our Japan business.
This is a newly created, permanent position, as part of our longer-term plan to build greater in-house finance expertise,
Job description
The role will work closely with the APAC Finance Manager, ESET Japan stakeholders, ESET HQ Finance, and external tax and payroll specialists.
This is a hands-on accounting role. Specialist tax filings, technical tax advice, payroll calculation, and statutory social insurance administration will continue to be supported by qualified external providers where appropriate.
Key responsibilities
Month-end closing
- Coordinate and support the monthly financial closing process for ESET Japan.
- Maintain and update the monthly closing timetable in coordination with HQ Finance.
- Prepare, record, and review monthly accounting entries.
- Prepare accruals and prepayments.
- Perform bank reconciliations and key balance-sheet account reconciliations.
- Review expenses and confirm that they have been recorded correctly and supported by appropriate documentation.
- Record depreciation and fixed-asset movements where applicable.
- Review intercompany transactions and balances.
- Prepare month-end reports and supporting schedules for HQ Finance.
- Escalate technical, system, or dependency-related issues that may affect the closing timeline.
Bookkeeping and general accounting
- Record expenses and other accounting transactions.
- Maintain the general ledger and process journal entries.
- Review and record employee expense reimbursements and corporate credit-card transactions.
- Maintain accounting records and supporting documentation.
- Maintain fixed-asset records.
- Support accounting corrections and adjustments when required.
- Ensure transactions are recorded in line with ESET accounting policies and applicable Japanese accounting requirements.
- Keep accounting records organised and readily available for internal or external review.
Cash management and forecasting
- Maintain a rolling cash-flow forecast.
- Prepare monthly cash-position updates.
- Prepare payment schedules.
- Reconcile bank accounts and investigate discrepancies.
- Provide timely visibility of upcoming cash requirements to the APAC Finance Manager.
Accounts payable and payment support
- Review supplier invoices and supporting documents.
- Confirm that the appropriate purchase order and approval have been obtained.
- Record approved invoices in the accounting system.
- Ensure expenses are coded to the correct general-ledger account and cost centre.
- Coordinate payment processing with authorised personnel and banking approvers.
- Monitor outstanding supplier balances.
- Follow up on overdue, incomplete, or disputed invoices.
- Maintain appropriate documentation for audit, control, and compliance purposes.
Coordination with external tax specialists
- Serve as the main operational finance contact for tax-related accounting matters.
- Provide accounting data and supporting schedules required for tax compliance and filings.
- Review tax-related accounting entries and ensure they are recorded correctly.
- Coordinate tax-payment requirements and filing deadlines with the appointed external tax specialist.
- Track outstanding tax matters and escalate significant issues to HQ Finance and the appropriate advisor.
- Maintain copies of tax filings, calculations, and supporting documentation.
The role will not be expected to independently prepare, approve, or sign statutory tax returns or provide technical tax advice.
Coordination with external payroll and social-insurance specialists
- Review payroll calculations and payroll-related accounting entries for reasonableness.
- Reconcile payroll expenses and payroll-related balance-sheet accounts.
- Coordinate payroll-related payments and statutory contributions with the relevant providers and authorised personnel.
- Ensure payroll journals are recorded correctly.
- Follow up on payroll discrepancies or outstanding matters.
- Maintain payroll-related accounting records and supporting documentation.
The role will not be responsible for independently calculating payroll or completing specialist statutory payroll and social-insurance filings.
Financial reporting
- Prepare or support the preparation of regular financial reports, including:monthly profit and loss statements;balance sheets;cash-flow information;key expense analyses; andmanagement reporting schedules.
- Identify significant movements and provide clear explanations for material variances.
- Support other reasonable recurring reporting requirements agreed with the APAC Finance Manager.
- Prioritise material ad hoc requests in consultation with the APAC Finance Manager, taking the available 0.5 FTE capacity into account.
Year-end closing
- Coordinate and support the annual financial closing process.
- Prepare year-end closing schedules.
- Prepare account reconciliations and supporting documentation.
- Support year-end accounting adjustments.
- Ensure that required accounting records and supporting documents are complete and properly maintained.
REQUIREMENTS
Education:
• Professional accounting certification is desirable
Experience:
• 5+ years of experience in accounting or finance support roles
• Exposure to multinational environments and ERP systems
Knowledge:
• Strong knowledge of local accounting standards
• IFRS knowledge is desirable
• ERP systems experience (NetSuite preferred)
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
• Organizational and time-management skills
• Analytical thinking and ability to work under pressure
• Detail-oriented with ability to manage repetitive tasks effectively
• Independence and proactive approach of accounts payable/receivable processes
Language:
• English: Upper Intermediate (B1)
• Local language: fluent
Communication:
• Clear and concise communication skills (verbal and written) across all organizational levels
Personal characteristics:
• Data Literacy: Understanding how to interpret, analyze, and use data in decision-making.
• Learning Agility: Ability to quickly learn new skills and adapt to evolving situations.
• Time Management: Ability to manage time effectively to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to analyze issues and develop effective solutions.
• Networking Skills: Ability to build and maintain professional relationships and networks.
Benefits
Family
- Supports work/family balance
- Time to recharge: Various leave policies to support all of life’s big moments
Office
- Pension scheme: Attractive 401K rates in saving up for later years
- Centrally located: Located right in the heart of Shinagawa
Other
- Hybrid work culture: Remote work arrangements that balance personal commitments and face/face time with co-workers from around the world
- Fuel your growth: Access to world-class learning platforms and development opportunities
Primary location
Tokyo
Additional locations
Time type
Part time
