Accounting Manager

UpCounting; South Africa; Remote; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

UpCounting in South Africa is seeking an experienced accounting leader to supervise a small team of accountants and own full-cycle accounting across multiple client files. You will run a five-day month-end close and ensure financials are accurate before reaching clients, while providing direct feedback and managing client conversations.

The role requires hands-on work with cloud ledgers (Xero/QuickBooks Online or similar), 5+ years of experience, and a track record with international clients

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance; professional qualification counts.
• 5+ years of accounting experience in a firm or multi-client environment.
• 2+ years reviewing or managing other accountants’ work.
• Three or more separate client books simultaneously with deadlines and stakeholders.
• Experience with clients outside South Africa, ideally US or Canada.
• Fixed month-end deadlines and meeting them.
• Hands-on experience with cloud ledgers (Xero, QuickBooks Online or similar).
• Direct feedback to team and performance discussions.
• English at B2 level or above, C1 preferred for NA client calls.
• Experience with ecommerce or consumer goods clients.
• Inventory and COGS experience.
• FP&A or financial modelling.
• ClickUp or similar PM tools.

Responsibilities

• Manage and review the work of a team of accountants
• Own full-cycle accounting across multiple client files
• Run month-end close on a five-day cycle
• Review financials before they reach the client, for logic and accuracy
• Give direct feedback to your team and follow up on it
• Handle client conversations, including delays and bad news
• Improve processes and identify automation opportunities

Skills

Team leadership

Month-end close

Reviewing work

Client communication

Xero / QuickBooks Online

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance

Tools

Xero

QuickBooks Online

NetSuite

Sage Intacct

Zoho Books

Job description

Hours:

Full overlap with EST, 9am to 5pm. That is 3pm to 11pm SAST (4pm to midnight from November to March). This role is client facing.

The role

You lead a team of 2 to 4 accountants and own a portfolio of eCommerce client files. You review their work, run month-end to a five-day close, and talk to founders directly.

Portfolio size varies with client size. It often sits between 10 and 25 files, fewer if the clients are large and complex, more if they are small. Either way, you are running several month ends in parallel. Our clients are 7 to 9 figure eCommerce brands in the US and Canada.

You will still be hands on. This is not an oversight only role. You work full EST hours, 9am to 5pm. We do not flex on this, because you are in direct contact with founders and your team through the day.

Must have

• A bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance, or a professional accounting qualification: CA(SA), SAIPA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA, or equivalent. In progress counts.
• 5+ years in accounting, in a firm or multi-client environment
• 2+ years reviewing or managing other accountants’ work
• Three or more separate client books at the same time, each with its own deadlines and stakeholders. Not subsidiaries of one company, and not one company you contract for.
• Experience working with clients or employers outside South Africa, ideally in the US or Canada
• You have worked to a fixed month-end deadline and met it.
• In-depth, hands-on experience with Xero, QuickBooks Online, or a similar cloud ledger (NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Zoho Books). You can do the work yourself, not just review it.
• You give direct feedback to the people you manage. Not just review notes, actual conversations about performance.
• English at B2 level or above, C1 preferred. You can hold a live call with North American clients.
• eCommerce or consumer goods clients
• Inventory and COGS experience
• FP&A or financial modelling
• ClickUp or similar project management tools

What you will do

• Manage and review the work of a team of accountants
• Own full-cycle accounting across multiple client files
• Run month-end close on a five-day cycle
• Review financials before they reach the client, for logic as well as accuracy
• Give direct feedback to your team and follow up on it
• Handle client conversations, including delays and bad news
• Improve processes and identify automation opportunities

What the job actually looks like

• Month-end is the most demanding period of the month and falls within the first ten business days. It eases considerably after that.
• You get real ownership fast. That is the upside and the expectation.
• You will be reviewing work daily, not once a week.
• Some of our processes are mature, and others are still being built. When you hit a gap, we expect you to help close it.

This role is not for you if

• You want to step back from hands-on accounting
• You avoid difficult conversations with your team
• You currently run your own accounting practice or freelance client book, whether full-time or alongside a job. This role needs your full attention.
• Your experience is mainly audit rather than full-cycle accounting
• You have only worked to rolling or flexible close deadlines
• Working full EST hours would be a strain on your health or your life
• You want a process that is already finished
• Paid time off, Me Days, statutory holidays in your country, year-end company closure
• Certifications and internal training paid for
• Promotion from within based on performance and impact
• Fully remote, async-first
• Apply via Typeform. Short questions and a brief audio answer. No cover letter.
• Intro call with the People Team, 30 minutes
• Practical assessment
• Final interview with accounting leadership, 45 minutes