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Accountant
Free template · 2026

Accountant Job Description Template

A ready-to-use Accountant job description for 2026, with the interview scorecard and questions to hire one. Copy it as is or customize it free in about 15 seconds.

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Includes the job description, an interview scorecard and questions for every round.

Mid-level in Latin America
$2,500/mo
Same role in the US
$6,250/mo
You save
Up to 60%

All-in monthly cost, 2026 rates.

Job description template
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Accountant

We are hiring a mid-level Accountant to manage day-to-day accounting activities and ensure accurate, timely financial reporting. You will own key month-end processes, reconcile accounts, support internal controls, and help drive clean audit-ready records while working independently on well-defined workstreams.

Responsibilities

  • Prepare and post journal entries for assigned ledgers and ensure they are supported and properly documented.
  • Perform account reconciliations (e.g., balance sheet accounts) and investigate variances to resolution.
  • Own parts of the month-end close process, including preparing schedules, reviewing general ledger activity, and meeting close deadlines.
  • Support accounts payable and accounts receivable workflows by validating coding, tracking outstanding items, and resolving discrepancies.
  • Assist with compliance and audit readiness by organizing supporting documentation and responding to routine accounting inquiries.
  • Review transactional data quality and help standardize processes to reduce errors and improve consistency.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional partners to gather information needed for reporting and reconciliations.

Must-have qualifications

  • Hands-on experience preparing and posting journal entries and maintaining supporting documentation
  • Experience performing account reconciliations and resolving variances with appropriate documentation
  • Solid understanding of month-end close procedures and producing accurate financial reporting outputs
  • Proficiency with accounting systems/ERP and the ability to work accurately with general ledger data
  • Working knowledge of US GAAP basics and how they apply to day-to-day accounting work
  • Ability to work independently on well-defined accounting workstreams and meet deadlines consistently

Nice to have

  • Experience supporting external audits or audit requests with organized supporting schedules
  • Experience with financial reporting close checklists and internal control documentation
  • Background in AP/AR operations, including invoice validation and reconciliation of outstanding items

What success looks like in 12 months

  • Month-end close is completed on time for assigned ledgers
  • Reconciliations are performed with resolved variances
  • Financial reporting inputs are accurate and audit-ready
  • AP/AR discrepancies are reduced through better coding and documentation
  • Process improvements reduce recurring accounting errors

Logistics

  • Full-time (40 hours a week), remote from Latin America.
  • Working hours overlap with US business hours.

About the company

[About your company: what you build, your stage and team size]

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Interview scorecard

Score every candidate against the same bar

Deliver accurate, well-documented accounting work that supports a reliable month-end close and audit-ready financial records.

Outcomes to measure

What this hire should deliver in the first year. Replace [N] with your own targets.

  • Month-end close is completed on time for assigned ledgers. Measure: Close assigned books by [X] business days after period end in [Y]% of months
  • Reconciliations are performed with resolved variances. Measure: Complete required reconciliations with variance resolution within [X] days in [Y]% of cases
  • Financial reporting inputs are accurate and audit-ready. Measure: Achieve [X]% zero-material-adjustment rate for assigned reporting packages during review/close
  • AP/AR discrepancies are reduced through better coding and documentation. Measure: Reduce open reconciliation discrepancies by [X]% over [Y] quarters
  • Process improvements reduce recurring accounting errors. Measure: Implement [N] process improvements that measurably reduce recurring errors/incidents by [X]%

Competencies and weights

What to evaluate, how much it counts and what a strong answer looks like.

Journal entry accuracy · 21%
Journal entries are the foundation of correct ledger balances and accurate reporting. Evaluated in Round 1.

  • Weak: Prepares entries with incomplete or unclear support; cannot explain key accounting choices during review.
  • Meets the bar: Posts entries with correct accounts/amounts and maintains clear supporting documentation; resolves minor issues during review.
  • Strong: Posts complex or high-impact entries correctly with thorough documentation; proactively flags risks or inconsistencies before close.

Account reconciliation rigor · 21%
Reconciliation quality drives balance sheet integrity and speeds close and audit readiness. Evaluated in Round 2.

  • Weak: Reconciles without fully investigating differences; relies on assumptions; leaves unresolved items without a plan.
  • Meets the bar: Reconciles systematically, documents items, and resolves variances or escalates with clear evidence.
  • Strong: Identifies recurring reconciliation drivers, implements fixes, and improves documentation quality across periods.

Month-end close ownership · 19%
The role requires reliable independent execution against close timelines. Evaluated in Round 1.

  • Weak: Misses deadlines or requires frequent follow-up to complete close tasks.
  • Meets the bar: Completes assigned close tasks independently, communicates status early, and helps keep the close on track.
  • Strong: Anticipates blockers, coordinates dependencies, and prevents delays through proactive tracking and escalation.

GAAP application basics · 16%
Accurate day-to-day accounting depends on applying GAAP principles to real transactions. Evaluated in Round 3.

  • Weak: Struggles to connect transaction facts to basic GAAP treatment; makes unclear statements about accounting impact.
  • Meets the bar: Applies basic GAAP concepts appropriately to everyday accounting scenarios and can justify treatment.
  • Strong: Consistently identifies when GAAP treatment may differ based on facts and recommends clear next steps for review.

ERP and ledger data handling · 13%
Strong data handling reduces rework and supports faster reconciliation and reporting. Evaluated in Round 2.

  • Weak: Makes frequent posting or data extraction mistakes; has difficulty validating ledger activity.
  • Meets the bar: Navigates ERP/GL confidently, extracts needed data accurately, and performs validation checks.
  • Strong: Uses ERP features effectively to audit work quickly, reduces manual effort, and improves data quality through controls.

Documentation and audit readiness · 10%
Good documentation ensures smooth audit responses and reduces risk during review. Evaluated in Round 3.

  • Weak: Provides incomplete documentation; cannot quickly locate key support or explanations.
  • Meets the bar: Maintains organized support for entries and reconciliations; responds clearly to routine accounting questions.
  • Strong: Creates reusable documentation structures/schedules that reduce review cycles and improve audit readiness.
Interview questions

Questions for every interview round

Each round has an owner, a time box and questions that test the competencies above.

Round 1: Accounting Foundations & Close
Finance/Accounting Lead · 45 min

  1. Walk me through a month-end close process you’ve owned. What were your specific inputs, outputs, and the order you worked through them?
  2. Describe a journal entry you prepared that later required review or adjustment. What changed and how did you prevent a recurrence?
  3. How do you prioritize multiple close tasks when dependencies are delayed? Give a concrete example of how you communicated status and managed risk.

Round 2: Reconciliations & Systems
Senior Accountant · 45 min

  1. Pick one balance sheet reconciliation you own. How do you identify the true items driving the difference and what documentation do you keep?
  2. Tell me about a time you found a discrepancy that turned out to be a coding or data-quality issue. How did you trace it in the ERP and correct the ledger?
  3. Describe a reconciliation process you improved to reduce errors. What metric or outcome improved and how did you validate it?

Round 3: GAAP Application & Documentation
Controller · 45 min

  1. Share an example of how you determined the appropriate accounting treatment using GAAP for a day-to-day situation (describe the facts and what you did).
  2. How do you ensure your work is audit-ready? Walk through what you keep, how you organize it, and how you respond when someone asks follow-up questions.
  3. Describe a time you had to explain a calculation or accounting position to a non-accounting partner or reviewer. What did you use to make it clear and accurate?

Red flags to watch for

  • Consistently missing deadlines for assigned close tasks or needing excessive prompting to complete work
  • Unable to explain how differences were resolved in reconciliations or relying on unsupported assumptions
  • Frequent incomplete documentation for journal entries or reconciliations, creating repeated review cycles
  • Confident but incorrect statements about GAAP treatment for basic transaction scenarios
  • Difficulty using ERP/GL tools to validate balances or produce required extracts for reconciliation

How much does it cost to hire an Accountant in Latin America?

In 2026, a senior Accountant in Latin America costs $3,750 to $4,250 a month all-in, versus $9,125 in the US: up to 59% less. Mid-level starts at $2,500.

Country

Mid-level

Senior

Argentina

$2,500

$3,750

Brazil

$2,750

$4,125

Colombia

$2,500

$3,750

Mexico

$2,875

$4,250

United States

$6,250

$9,125

Monthly cost in USD, all-in: the talent's salary plus Teilur's flat 20% fee, from our 2026 rates. The United States row shows what the same role typically costs there.

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Frequently asked questions

What does an Accountant do?

Typical responsibilities include: prepare and post journal entries for assigned ledgers and ensure they are supported and properly documented; perform account reconciliations (e.g., balance sheet accounts) and investigate variances to resolution; own parts of the month-end close process, including preparing schedules, reviewing general ledger activity, and meeting close deadlines. The full list is in the template above.

How much does it cost to hire an Accountant in Latin America?

In 2026, a senior Accountant in Latin America costs $3,750 to $4,250 a month all-in, versus $9,125 in the US: up to 59% less. Mid-level starts at $2,500.

Can I customize this Accountant job description?

Yes. Teilur's free Job Description & Scorecard Generator rewrites it for your stack, seniority, time zone and hiring urgency in about 15 seconds. No sign-up needed.

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