Forward Deployed Accountant

About the Role

Join Sterling as a Forward Deployed Accountant and work at the intersection of accounting, finance operations, and AI-driven software. This role is designed for someone who wants to move beyond repetitive month-end processing and instead help finance teams modernize the way they work. You will support customers across New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and other markets, while also contributing directly to product development and company growth.

Sterling is an AI assistant for accountants that helps finance teams automate repetitive work so they can spend more time on higher-value tasks. The company is a fast-growing, well-funded startup backed by investors associated with companies such as TradeMe, Pushpay, Xero, Vend, Halter, Canva, and others.

This is a hybrid position based in Auckland or Wellington, with a couple of days each week expected in the office.

What You Will Do

You will work closely with finance leaders to understand how their teams operate, configure Sterling for their needs, and guide them through early workflows. Beyond implementation, you will help improve customer processes, identify where automation can add real value, and contribute insights that shape the product roadmap.

Because this is a startup environment, there is no hard line between customer work and product work. If you uncover a problem, you will help solve it. If customers repeatedly ask for something, you will help define it. If the product does not behave quite right, you will help explain why and improve it.

As the company scales, you will also help build the operating playbook for onboarding, implementation, support, and best-practice customer engagement.

What Sterling Is Looking For

The ideal candidate brings solid accounting experience, preferably with CA qualification or an equivalent background. More important than credentials is a strong understanding of how finance teams actually operate in practice, including the difference between documented procedures and the real way work gets done.

You should be an effective communicator who can simplify complex ideas, build trust quickly with customers, and write clearly and professionally. You also need to be organised, self-motivated, and comfortable taking ownership without needing step-by-step direction every day.

Curiosity about technology and AI is important. You do not need to be highly technical, but you should be enthusiastic about learning new tools, working in an AI-first environment, and exploring better ways of operating finance functions.

A startup mindset is essential. The work will change quickly, experimentation is part of the process, and you should enjoy building, iterating, and solving problems as you go.

Nice-to-Have Experience

• Experience working inside industry finance teams
• Background in process improvement or systems implementation
• Exposure to ERP or finance system projects, especially enterprise platforms such as Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, Acumatica, NetSuite, or Sage
• Customer-facing experience
• Previous experience in a startup environment

Why Join Sterling

You will be given meaningful ownership and the opportunity to work directly with the founding team. The company offers a competitive salary, and equity may be available for the right person.

This is a chance to help define a new category of finance software and make a measurable impact on both the product and the business, while gaining front-row exposure to a major shift in finance technology.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to share why they would be a strong fit for the role by email.