Accountant I

Role Purpose

Provide accurate, timely, and compliant financial support across multiple business units (cost centres). This includes managing financial transactions, preparing reports, supporting budgeting and forecasting processes, and ensuring adherence to financial policies. It supports cross-functional teams by aligning financial policies, procedures, and cost centres, ensuring consistent and accurate financial data for reporting, analysis, and forecasting.

Role Description Operational Delivery

• Monitor expenditure and enforce cost control.
• Process and manage financial transactions and allocations across business units. Prepare and review financial reports, reconciliations, and journal entries.
• Manage accruals, provisions, allocations, and account balances with accuracy.
• Provide financial information and support to cross-functional stakeholders and teams.
• Prepare and deliver accurate monthly financial reports and transactional data.
• Act as a liaison between operational teams and the central finance function.
• Provide administrative and analytical support for forecasting and financial optimisation activities.
• Ensure financial activities are executed in line with company policies and procedures.
• Support, guide and assist in co-ordinating departmental budgets and forecasts.
• Ensure consistency and quality in financial outputs across business units.

People (Self, Team & Organisational)

• Promote a culture of innovation, agility, and employee empowerment within the finance department.
• Provide technical guidance and support to junior accountants and finance teams.
• Foster collaboration across finance, operations, and commercial teams.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing and capability building within the team.

Financial, Reporting & Business Intelligence

• Manage financial costs
• Analyse financial data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities
• Provide variance analysis and commentary to support decision-making

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with financial policies, IFRS.
• Strengthen and monitor financial controls across processes.
• Identify and mitigate financial risks across functions.

Qualifications and Experience

BCom Finance, Commercial or equivalent – (essential). CA(SA) or equivalent professional qualification – (beneficial). 2-4 years’ relevant accounting or finance experience. Exposure to budgeting, reporting and month-end processes. Knowledge of accounting principles, financial controls, and reconciliations. Proficient in Microsoft Excel - intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel - (essential). Exposure to SAP (essential).

Key Competencies and Work Ethic

• Demonstrates personal drive, energy, and integrity, consistently taking accountability for actions and mistakes while maintaining a high standard of professionalism and ethical conduct.
• Acts as a motivated self-starter, capable of navigating and resolving complex financial issues with clarity and confidence, showing initiative and ownership in all tasks.
• Functions as an independent and proactive problem solver, applying strong analytical thinking to assess risks and complexities in financial processes, with a deep understanding of accounting principles.
• Exhibits financial accounting expertise combined with strong reporting capabilities, driven by curiosity to research compliance standards, industry best practices, and a commitment to continuous learning.
• Produces high-quality financial reports, applying accurate, clear, and succinct messaging that supports decision-making and reflects a strong grasp of financial data and its implications.
• Builds collaborative partnerships across teams and departments, fostering open, honest, and constructive communication, and aligning stakeholders to achieve shared goals.
• Communicates confidently and effectively, providing insights and recommendations that influence decisions at various levels of the organisation, and adapting messaging to suit diverse audiences.
• Learns quickly and pays close attention to detail.
• Manages time efficiently, prioritising a high volume of activities in a dynamic and unpredictable environment, ensuring deadlines are met without compromising quality.
• Adapts and responds positively to change, maintaining performance under pressure and embracing new ways of working in a fast-paced business context.
• Connects and initiates collaboration within and across teams, encouraging self-directed behaviour, supporting team members, and challenging them to propose thoughtful solutions and consider the impact of their ideas.
• Interacts and relates effectively with others, structuring information to meet audience needs, resolving conflicts tactfully, and fostering inclusive and productive relationships.
• Demonstrates strong financial acumen in budgeting and reporting, managing expenditure systems, interpreting trends and discrepancies, and developing practical financial solutions that support strategic objectives.
• Provides expert financial accounting and reconciliation, interpreting business results, advising senior management, reviewing policies, and aligning financial plans with stakeholder needs and organisational goals.

Our Group and all its operating companies is committed to creating, embracing, and preserving a diverse workplace that values the unique talents, perspectives, backgrounds, and abilities that enrich our organisation. A place where everyone matters and feels included.

We are committed to Employment Equity when recruiting internally and externally.

Please take note that by responding to this application and providing your personal information, you confirm your express and informed consent for Shoprite Checkers (Pty) Ltd and all its subsidiaries and affiliates companies to process your personal information for the Company to consider your application for this position. All Personal Information which you provide to the Company will be used and/or retained only for the purposes for which it is collected, whereafter it will be permanently destroyed. Your information is only retained if it is required by law or where you have given consent to us to retain such information for an extended period.

If you don’t hear from us within 14 days, please consider your application unsuccessful. Any personal information collected as part of your application will be destroyed, securely, in accordance with South African legislation.