Private Enterprise Graduate - Timaru - February 2027 Start

KPMG New Zealand is seeking a Private Enterprise Graduate to join the Timaru team, with a February 2027 start and a full-time onsite schedule. The Private Enterprise group supports privately owned businesses and individuals by delivering practical accounting, tax and advisory support. The team works with clients across industries from retail to kiwifruit, software and government, all connected through a national network of professionals. This role is a solid fit for someone nearing the end of a degree in accounting or finance who wants a hands-on start with real client impact.

In this graduate role, you’ll gain exposure to a broad mix of work, tax returns, GST and FBT, ledger reconciliation and financial analysis, plus the preparation of financial statements. You’ll assist with management accounting, helping with income projections and research for investment decisions. You’ll support senior staff on larger assignments and help manage non-company entities like trusts and partnerships, while also handling client queries, spotting opportunities to add value, and contributing to business development. There’s also a clear emphasis on learning through accounting software, proposal development and staying adaptable as business needs evolve.

If you enjoy collaborating with others, solving problems in practical ways, and building trusted relationships with clients, this could be a strong match for you. The role sits onsite in Timaru and connects you with a broad network of colleagues as you progress through a structured development path.

A day in the life in Timaru

Day-to-day work blends compliance tasks with advisory support. You’ll prepare tax returns and GST/FBT submissions, respond to IRD queries, reconcile ledgers and analyse financial data to produce clear statements. You’ll also help with management accounting, including income projections and research to inform business investment decisions. On larger client assignments, you’ll support senior staff and help manage entities such as trusts and partnerships, while staying responsive to client questions and seeking opportunities to add value. The role also includes contributing to business development by keeping up with industry trends and supporting continuous improvement initiatives, and you’ll sharpen your accounting software skills and contribute to proposal development as the business environment shifts around you.

Your essential foundations

To be a good fit for this role, the team is looking for a genuine team player who can work pragmatically to solve problems, and who can build trusted, professional relationships with clients. You’ll need to bring energy to motivate teammates toward high performance and help cultivate a creative environment where new ideas can flourish. Embracing change and always looking for ways to improve are valued traits, along with a commitment to high-quality work and clear, persuasive communication. You’re currently pursuing a degree in Accounting or Finance, or another major that meets Chartered Accountancy prerequisites.

Nice-to-haves

Beyond the essentials, these extras help you stand out in the process:

• Experience using accounting software or comfort with learning new tools quickly
• Involvement in proposal development or other client-facing writing
• Ability to adapt to shifting client needs and business environments

Pay, benefits and practical details

The role comes with a graduate package that includes a sign-on bonus and access to all KPMG benefits and initiatives. An induction week includes Graduate Camp to build cultural competency through team activities and volunteering opportunities, plus a dedicated Graduate Development programme called Boost! to support you in your first year. The position starts in Timaru as a full-time, onsite role and you’ll join a national graduate cohort right from the start.

Advice for applicants

Lead with your resumed education, place your Accounting or Finance degree front and center, and mention any Chartered Accountancy prerequisites you’re pursuing, along with your status in the Private Enterprise space and any client-facing projects you’ve worked on.

Back up your claims with concrete examples: describe a time you worked with colleagues to solve a real problem, or when you supported a senior staff member on a larger assignment. If you’ve touched on any trusts or partnerships, or handled IRD queries, give a brief, outcome-focused detail that shows your practical impact.

Be ready to talk about tasks you’ve done that mirror the role, such as preparing tax or GST/FBT returns, reconciling ledgers, or doing financial analysis to guide decisions. If you’ve helped with proposals or learned new accounting software, bring those experiences to life with a concise narrative and measurable results.

Ask a targeted question that ties to the program structure and client work, for example: how Boost! helps graduates build technical skills in their first year, what kinds of private enterprise clients you typically support, or how the Graduate Camp and national cohort collaborate across regions.