Accountant (East Rand, Gauteng)

Introduction

Work for a Division of a Large Corporate Group in East Rand.

The ideal candidate will hold a BCom Accounting degree or equivalent accounting qualification, with strong Excel and Sage 300 ERP skills. The candidate must be able to work independently, perform effectively under pressure and meet tight deadlines. Strong attention to detail and accurate outputs are required with minimal review. The candidate should be able to resolve reconciling differences promptly, support staff with reporting and variance resolution, and provide practical system training and guidance to regional units where required. Able to travel to other coastal regions - WC and KZN.

Duties & Responsibilities

Key Performance Area

Financial reporting

• Ensure the Region’s monthly financial results are accurate, complete, supported by appropriate schedules and submitted within required Group reporting deadlines.

• Review monthly regional results to identify errors, unusual trends and material variances before submission.

• Participate in monthly financial reporting meetings and provide clear explanations for regional performance, variances and corrective actions required.

• Review revenue monthly to ensure it is complete, accurate and recorded in the correct reporting period.

• Prepare balance sheet reconciliations, including cost accruals, accrued revenue, closing stock and other relevant regional balances.

• Assist with the preparation of monthly flash reporting for the Coastal Region.

• Ensure costs are allocated to the correct cost centres monthly.

• Process monthly journal entries accurately and timeously, with appropriate supporting documentation.

• Prepare and review monthly variance analysis and investigate material deviations against budget, forecast and prior periods.

• Support the monthend and year-end close processes by ensuring that all required journals, reconciliations and supporting schedules are completed accurately and timeously.

• Provide financial commentary and explanations to support monthly regional performance reporting

• Budgets - Assist with the preparation of the Region’s annual budget, including detailed supporting schedules, assumptions and variance explanations for review by management.

• Ensure budget inputs are reasonable, complete and aligned with operational requirements and Group reporting timelines.

• Assist with followup queries and revisions arising from management’s review of the annual budget.

Forecast

• Assist with the preparation of regional forecasts when required, ensuring that forecast movements are supported by reliable schedules, operational input and clear explanations.

Stock

• Review open purchase orders and follow up with units to ensure daily stock receipting is completed and outstanding items are resolved promptly.

• Regularly review stock listings to identify and resolve unusual quantities, incorrect units of measure, negative stock, obsolete items and other stock accounting exceptions.

• Review monthly closing stock values to ensure stock is accurately recorded, appropriately valued and supported by relevant documentation.

• Assist with stockrelated queries, corrections, reconciliations and variance investigations where required.

• Ensure units are trained on stock protocols, system processes and stock control best practices.

• Support regional stock control by reviewing stock count compliance, stock adjustment trends, writeoffs, wastage and variance explanations, and escalating recurring stock control weaknesses for corrective action.

Cash Controls

• Ensure the regional cash control workbook is updated, reviewed and reconciled monthly, and that reconciling items are investigated and resolved timeously.

Fixed Asset Management

• Ensure quarterly asset counts are completed, differences are investigated, and the fixed asset register is updated to reflect verified assets, transfers and disposals.

Creditors

• Perform the first review of supplier reconciliations for accuracy, completeness and compliance with payment requirements.

• Complete the first bank release within authorised limits and in accordance with Company banking controls.

Debtors

• Review the debtors and billing process to ensure purchase orders are obtained timeously, invoices are raised accurately, overdue amounts are followed up in line with agreed collection processes, and unresolved matters are escalated where required.

• Review the Coastal Region’s debtors ageing regularly to identify overdue accounts, escalate exceptions and support timely collection in accordance with agreed payment terms.

• Review the Coastal Region’s monthly debtors reports and ensure accurate, complete and timely submission to the Group.

Insurance

• Assist with the preparation and submission of annual insurance declarations by ensuring that all required regional information is complete, accurate, appropriately supported and submitted on time.

• Assist with regional insurance claims where applicable, including the collation of supporting documentation, followup on outstanding claim information and escalation of unresolved matters where required.

• Maintain accurate and complete supporting records for insurance declarations and claims, including relevant schedules, correspondence and supporting documentation.

Approval of orders

• Approve purchase orders where applicable, ensuring expenditure is authorised, correctly allocated and compliant with Company policies, procedures and budgetary controls.

• Review purchase order information for reasonableness, correct cost centre allocation, appropriate authorisation and supporting documentation before approval.

Cost management

• Review regional expenses to ensure costs are authorised, correctly allocated, supported by appropriate documentation and monitored against budget.

Audits

• Assist with annual external audits, internal audits and BBBEE audits by preparing requested schedules, providing supporting documentation and resolving audit queries within required deadlines.

• Ensure audit information relating to the Coastal Region is accurate, complete, appropriately supported and submitted in the format required by the relevant audit process.

• Follow up on audit findings or queries allocated to the region and assist with corrective action until matters are resolved or appropriately escalated.

Internal Controls and Compliance

• Monitor adherence to Company financial policies, procedures and delegated authority requirements across the Region.

Regional Stakeholder Support

• Provide financial support to regional operational teams by responding to queries, explaining financial results and assisting with the investigation and resolution of variances.

Desired Experience & Qualification

CRITERIA

• BCom Accounting degree or equivalent accounting qualification.

• Previous accounting experience in a hospitality, catering, food services environment, manufacturing or production

• Proven stock accounting experience, including stock reconciliations, stock adjustments and review of stockrelated variances.

-           Excel and Sage 300 ERP proficiency is essential.

-           Regular travel to regional units in the Coastal regions (W Cape & KZN) is required.

-           Strong attention to detail is essential.

-           Strong ability to resolve reconciling items accurately and timeously.

-           Accurate reporting skills