Client Accounting Manager

CA Financial Appointments; Cape Town; Remote; ZAR 600,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

CA Financial Appointments is expanding its UK-facing team as it enters South Africa, seeking an experienced Client Accounting Manager. You will own a portfolio of UK clients, act as the primary contact, and oversee the delivery quality of back-office accounting work.

You will manage client relationships, review financial statements, and ensure timely, accurate service. This role offers remote flexibility and exposure to UK clients as the SA team grows.

Qualifications

• Experience working with UK clients or within a UK accounting environment.
• Knowledge of UK GAAP/FRS reporting requirements.
• Experience reviewing financial statements prepared by others.
• Experience managing a portfolio of clients or assignments.
• Strong client relationship and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end delivery for a portfolio of UK clients.
• Act as key contact across your portfolio and coordinate with back-office team.
• Review accounts and work prepared by back-office team for technical accuracy.
• Ensure delivery within agreed deadlines and manage recoveries and profitability.
• Guide and support accounting team members to maintain high standards of delivery.

Skills

Client management

UK GAAP

Financial statements review

Time management

Communication skills

Relationship building

Education

Accounting qualification

Job description

Are you an experienced accounting professional with UK accounting experience who enjoys working with clients just as much as working with numbers?

An established and growing UK-based accounting firm is expanding its operations into South Africa and is looking for an experienced Client Accounting Manager to join its UK-facing team. This is not a traditional accounting production role. Rather, you'll take ownership of a portfolio of UK clients, act as their key point of contact and oversee the quality and delivery of work completed by a supporting back-office accounting team.

What you'll be doing

You'll take responsibility for the end-to-end management of a portfolio of UK clients, including:

• Building and maintaining strong client relationships and managing day-to-day client communication
• Acting as the key point of contact across your portfolio
• Reviewing accounts and work prepared by the back-office accounting team
• Ensuring work is technically accurate and delivered within agreed deadlines
• Coordinating workloads and keeping jobs moving efficiently
• Monitoring time spent, recoveries and profitability across assignments
• Identifying issues early and working with the wider team to resolve them
• Supporting and guiding accounting team members to maintain high standards of delivery
• Ensuring clients receive a responsive, professional and commercially minded service

What we're looking for

We're particularly interested in someone who combines strong technical accounting knowledge with excellent people and client-management skills.

Ideally, you'll bring:

• Previous experience working with UK clients or within a UK accounting environment
• Good knowledge of UK GAAP / FRS reporting requirements
• Experience reviewing financial statements/accounts prepared by others
• Previous responsibility for managing a portfolio of clients or accounting assignments
• Strong client relationship and communication skills
• An understanding of job management, deadlines, time management and recoveries
• The confidence to manage both clients and internal/back-office stakeholders
• A relevant accounting qualification or strong accounting training

The opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing international business at an early stage of its South African expansion.

You'll have the flexibility of a remote working environment, direct exposure to UK clients and the opportunity to take genuine ownership of your portfolio rather than simply preparing accounts behind the scenes.

For someone who enjoys building relationships, managing people and processes, and delivering a high-quality service to clients, there is also significant scope to grow alongside the business as the South African team expands.

If you don’t hear back from us within 2 weeks of applying, please consider your application unsuccessful. But stay in touch follow us online and keep an eye out for future opportunities.