Job title: Banking and AP Accountant (Joburg)

Main Purpose:
The role holder has the overall responsibility to function as the first line manager of the accounts payable and banking department to ensure the smooth running of the daily operational requirements of the functions through effective leadership. In this role, the accountant is responsible to lead the daily operational requirements of the banking and AP functions of the company, i.e. check and monitor the quality of inputs and review the outputs for accuracy, validity and completeness through robust internal controls, i.e. monthly preparation and review of bank and AP related balance sheet reconciliations (daily, monthly and quarterly processes)

Key Performance Areas:
Manage the daily operations of the banking and •AP teams
•Drive the daily processing of banking transactions through uploading of statements
•Drive the daily processing of TIA related GL entries (Bank, Debtors and other TIA related processing)
•Daily matching and clearing of EFT in/ Out accounts
•Manage the daily cash planning requirements, funding and investing requirements (Transfers, sweepings, investments and disinvestments on a daily basis based on daily requirements from legal entities, UMA’s and or business units (FinOps, RI, IT and other business units) as per the documented process
•Manage the bi-weekly AP payment processes to be Effective, efficient and timeous process
Manage the effective, timeous and accurate processing and approval of valid local and foreign invoices payments
•Ensure validity and completes through the approval by department heads accompanied by supporting documentation (Payment requisition, authorised invoice and proof of banking details)
•Ensure accurate and complete processing, i.e. correct allocation of payments to the correct cost centre as per approved cheque requisitions and accurate vat treatment (vatable or vat exempt)
•Drive the accurate processing of purchases orders / payments / intercompany transactions regarding the vat treatment (whether exempt or vatable)
•Drive timeous payments through timeous loading and approval of payments on the FNB portal
•Manage the TIA Receipts Allocations Process to ensure that the banking team
•Capture and allocate premium and claims recoveries received to various debtor’s accounts according to reference detail received from the credit control team
•Capturing and allocation of receipts to be done regularly and timeously (with the bulk allocation period being between the 15th to cut-off date of each month)
•Escalate and resolve claims recovery rejections with the claims specialist responsible for loading the payments
•Investigating and resolving internal queries received from the various stakeholders (credit control team, claims department and underwriting teams)
•Monthly Review of bank reconciliations
•Review all bank reconciliations on a monthly basis within the required timelines
•Identify all reconciling items, investigate, follow up on long outstanding items and clear items (items in GL not on bank statement / Items on bank statement not in GL)
•Processing of accurate and valid manual journal entries, i.e. bank charges, interest received and cash movements
Monthly Review of clearing accounts and other related AP accrual accounts
•Investigate and follow up on transactions posted to the TIA clearing account by the finance team
•Liaise with the bank regarding transaction queries
•Matching and clearing EFT in / EFT out account and liaison with business support to ensure no long outstanding reconciling items
•Review of all other AP related control accounts, i.e. AP Accruals, Procurement control account, Trade Creditors

Quarterly Process
•Cash movement process - Drive the new daily cash movement process with final journals posted on the 1st WD post quarter-end
•Completion of quarterly bank account dashboard

Project Support
•Drive the TIA fixes with Data team (Bank Recon and Debtors Recon)
•Investigate and follow up issues on the Claims Payment Control and any other banking or payment related issues
•Assist with system enhancement testing (TIA related interfaces)
•Support of all other adhoc projects

Staff management and leadership
•Drive and monitor the team’s meeting of objectives
•Training and development to be provided
•Assess effective utilisation of the overall team’s time and reallocation of tasks to the rest of the team with capacity
•Regular catch-up session with team on objectives & monthly formal one-on-ones)
Stakeholder Support
•Liaison with all banks on all bank related matters
•Respond and action queries received from the Finance senior management team
•Query resolution from internal stakeholders – Queries to be actioned and resolved timeously (brokers, credit control, claims team and other internal stakeholders

Minimum requirements:
•BCOM Degree in accounting
•3-5 years working experience in an accounting role (insurance accounting and/or financial services industry beneficial
•Basic financial and business acumen
•Basic computer literacy
•Understanding of accounting systems and software (beneficial)
•Ability to work in a team
•Management of all payments (local / foreign / indirect tax payments)
•Sound understanding of financial processes