Senior Accountant

Senior Accountant

HEO is the world’s first commercial non-Earth imaging (NEI) and insights services company. NEI involves capturing resolved imagery of space objects using cameras mounted on other satellites, and deriving information and intelligence from the captured imagery. Our technology helps governments and commercial companies to visually monitor their spacecraft and other space objects they care about. Our vision is to image anything in the solar system on-demand. Read more about NEI here.

We are building out a high performing interdisciplinary team capable of pushing the boundaries of space technology. We are growing fast and looking for talented, passionate people that value collaboration, growth and learning to join our team.

HEO is a post Series-A company backed by high profile venture funds including Airtree, Y Combinator and In-Q-Tel. We are headquartered in Sydney with offices in London, Tokyo, UK and Washington DC.

About the role:

We're seeking a versatile Accounting Specialist to join our Sydney team on a casual contract basis, working three days per week, all on-site at our Tech Central office to own our day-to-day bookkeeping, reconciliations, and Australian month-end close. In this highly dynamic role reporting to the Finance Director, you’ll tackle immediate priority projects while bringing structure, clear documentation, and process adoption to a rapidly growing business. It’s an ideal opportunity for a hands-on finance professional who loves solving problems and driving continuous improvement. You will develop and implement financial systems and strategies in line with HEO business goals.

This is a part-time (3 days per week) 6 month fixed-term contract with the potential for extension and to transition to full-time.

Day-to-Day Accounting & Operations

• Take full ownership of the Australian entity’s month-end process, ensuring accurate journals, timely balance sheet reconciliations, and clean financial data
• Manage core bookkeeping: daily bank reconciliation, manage accounts payable processing, approvals and collections follow up
• Deliver reliable, accurate, and timely Australian payroll management
• Maintain the general ledger and chart of accounts in Xero, ensuring integrity and consistency across entities.
• Assist statutory compliance with BAS, payroll tax lodgements

Process Improvement & System Adoption

• Help design, iterate, and roll out improved financial systems and workflows as the business scales
• Champion company-wide adoption of tools and processes (like Airwallex expense management), balancing patience with firmness to make compliance easy and clear for team members
• Create clear, standardized documentation for accounting processes to build a scalable operational foundation.

We are looking for someone with:

• 3+ years of hands-on experience in a similar accounting or finance role.
• A meticulous eye for detail, ensuring absolute accuracy across all financial data.
• Advanced Excel skills, hands-on Xero proficiency
• Practical experience processing payroll.
• A strong accounting foundation to underpin complex financial reporting.
• Experience managing month-end closes, with a track record of managing full-cycle closes, journals, and reconciliations.
• Previous experience thriving in a fast-paced start-up or scale-up environment is highly desirable
• CA/CPA qualified or actively completing qualifications

HEO’s Company Values:

We value good space citizenship. We are passionate about responsible space custodianship, sustainability and trust. We believe that space should be easy and transparent. Our values help us to tackle some of the most complex issues in space for the benefit of all of humanity.

As a team, we are committed to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for employees from all backgrounds.

Perks, benefits & culture:

HEO is one of Australia’s fastest-growing space technology companies. At HEO, we’re committed to creating the best working environment where everyone thrives, values collaboration, encourages innovation and shares the common goal of making space transparent. Here’s some of the ways we achieve that goal:

• Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP). Own a piece of HEO!
• Convenient location in Sydney’s Tech Central with end of trip facilities (bicycle parking and showers)
• Flexible leave options so you can recharge and relax when best suits you – no forced leave during office shutdowns
• Paid parental leave for everyone
• A supportive environment that fosters cross-team collaboration. We learn by trial and celebrate our wins together
• Fireside chats every other Friday where we showcase what someone’s working on or something new in our industry, with some snacks and maybe a game of ping-pong or two
• Quarterly team events to share achievements we’re proud of (no matter how big or small) plus an annual event that brings together our team and customers
• Salary range - $130-145,000 + super (pending experience)
  
  

Our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion, as well as how you can enhance HEO and our culture. Research shows that women and underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single competency or experience. If you are excited about this role, but your past experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You could be just the right person for this role and HEO. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at time of application and throughout the interview process.

The successful candidate must be an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident and will be required to undergo a background check.