Part-time Senior Accountant / Bookkeeper

Job Description

• Under this engagement, the contractor will provide dedicated financial leadership, day-to-day accounting control, and operational process enhancement for an established industrial supplier serving the automotive and mining sectors. Availability: 24 hours per week, on-site Monday to Thursday, 09:00 to 15:00 at the Paarl office, with quarterly travel to Johannesburg for stock count oversight.

• The primary objective of the role is to directly support the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) by taking complete ownership of day-to-day finance, protecting liquidity through disciplined working capital management, delivering accurate management accounts, and embedding robust operational checks and balances across the organization.

Contract Term

• Initial engagement: 24 hours per week (Monday to Thursday, 09:00–15:00)

• Work arrangement: On-site (Paarl office), with required travel to the head office in Johannesburg once per quarter

• Schedule: Fixed part-time schedule (no weekend, public holiday, or December commitments)

• Contract type: Independent Contractor

Scope of Services

Cash Flow Management & Working Capital Oversight

The contractor will

• Exercise active daily control over accounts receivable (AR) and accounts payable (AP).

• Drive debtor collections systematically to reduce days sales outstanding (DSO) and preserve operational liquidity.

• Manage supplier payment terms and creditor disbursements to optimize working capital cycles.

• Conduct regular bank reconciliations and cash flow forecasting to safeguard daily liquidity.

Financial Accounting & Management Reporting

The contractor will

• Maintain and reconcile the complete general ledger across all balance sheet and income statement accounts.

• Prepare accurate monthly management accounts, P&L statements, and financial commentary for the CEO.

• Deliver timely insights into gross margins, departmental spending, and inventory holding costs.

• Travel to the Johannesburg head office once per quarter to oversee, reconcile, and audit physical stock counts.

Internal Controls & Process Optimisation

The contractor will

• Review existing accounting workflows, identifying control gaps and single points of operational failure.

• Design, implement, and enforce robust internal checks and balances across procurement, invoicing, and dispatch.

• Streamline transaction processing using existing ERP and accounting systems to reduce manual interventions.

Tax Compliance & Risk Mitigation

The contractor will

• Manage South African tax compliance workflows, ensuring precise calculation and reconciliation of input and output VAT.

• Oversee submissions, declarations, and administrative requirements via SARS eFiling.

• Proactively identify, track, and mitigate financial, operational, and commercial risks across supply chain operations.

Cost Control & Commercial Value Creation

The contractor will

• Scrutinise operational expenditures to identify waste, inefficiencies, and margin erosion.

• Partner with the CEO to evaluate supplier pricing, negotiate favourable commercial terms, and implement cost-saving initiatives.

• Support data-driven commercial decisions tailored to the automotive and mining supply chain landscape.

Deliverables

The contractor will provide

Weekly Deliverables

• Working capital snapshot outlining bank balances, debtor aging status, and priority creditor payment schedules.

• Bank reconciliations and transaction capture updates across active accounts.

• Operational risk and cash flow alert log flagging any overdue accounts, margin dips, or system bottlenecks.

Monthly Deliverables

• Monthly management accounts pack (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow summary, and key financial ratios).

• Input and output VAT reconciliation statement and SARS eFiling confirmation receipts.

• Overhead variance analysis detailing cost-control progress against budget.

• Internal control improvement summary noting implemented process fixes and workflow enhancements.

Quarterly Deliverables

• On-site quarterly Johannesburg physical stock-take reconciliation report, highlighting variances, shrinkage, and valuation adjustments.

Requirements

Required Skills & Experience

The contractor should demonstrate

• Relevant financial qualification (e.g., BCom Accounting or related degree) OR a minimum of 15 years of progressive, practical accounting experience.

• Demonstrated track record managing full-function general ledgers, reconciliations, and management accounting cycles.

• In-depth, practical understanding of South African tax compliance, specifically VAT reconciliations and SARS eFiling execution.

• Strong commercial acumen gained within industrial supplies, technical manufacturing, automotive, mining, or supply chain distribution.

• High emotional intelligence, calm demeanour, and practical problem-solving style suited to collaborating closely with an entrepreneurial founder/CEO.

• Ability to work on-site at the Paarl office 4 days per week (Monday to Thursday, 09:00–15:00) with quarterly travel availability to Johannesburg.

Preferred Experience

Preference will be given to candidates with

• Advanced expertise in Microsoft Excel (complex formulas, VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, and financial modeling).

• Hands-on experience with South African ERP or accounting suites (e.g., Sage Pastel Partner, Sage Evolution).

• Experience leading physical warehouse stock counts, valuation adjustments, and inventory write-down analyses.