Finance & Operations Assistant

Orionlabs; Cape Town; Remote; ZAR 134,000 - 201,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive part-time compensation

Flexible hours

Access to learning and certification budget

Supportive team environment

Job summary

A consulting company is seeking a Finance & Operations Assistant to support daily business operations with responsibilities including bookkeeping, client invoicing, and maintaining records. This role is ideal for students or early-career candidates looking for exposure in a dynamic and remote work environment. Candidates should be studying or have completed a degree in Finance or a related field, with strong organisational skills and a numbers-oriented mindset. Flexible hours and competitive compensation are offered.

Qualifications

• Currently studying or recently completed a degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field.
• Comfortable working with numbers and financial information.
• Strong attention to detail and a habit of double-checking work.
• Good organisational skills and ability to manage multiple small tasks.
• Familiarity with spreadsheets (Google Sheets/Excel).
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-motivated and reliable in a remote environment.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and send client invoices and supporting time reports.
• Assist with basic bookkeeping in Xero.
• Help reconcile bank statements and maintain accurate financial records.
• Follow up on overdue invoices and support simple debtor follow-ups.
• Organise and maintain digital documentation.
• Support preparation and submission of VAT, payroll, and tax returns.
• Assist payroll in SimplePay.
• Support operational processes such as onboarding new team members.
• Identify process improvements and ensure smooth operations.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organisational skills

Comfortable with numbers

Written and verbal communication

Remote/asynchronous work

Education

Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business

Tools

Xero

SimplePay

Google Sheets

Excel

Job description

Finance & Operations Assistant

About Us

Orion Labs is a small, fast-growing consulting company building modern software and infrastructure for clients around the world. We’re fully remote, collaborative, and hands‑on with dynamic technologies. You’ll join a supportive team with real ownership, lots of room to learn, and clear opportunities to grow your career while doing meaningful work for great clients.

Job Description

We’re looking for a Finance & Operations Assistant to support the day-to-day running of the business. This junior role will give you exposure to a wide range of bookkeeping, finance, and operations activities, from keeping records tidy to helping make sure the company runs smoothly behind the scenes.

This role is ideal for a student or early‑career candidate who is organised, numbers‑minded, and keen to learn how a modern consulting business operates.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and send client invoices and supporting time reports.
• Assist with basic bookkeeping in Xero (expenses, invoices, payments) and help ensure correct VAT treatment on transactions.
• Help reconcile bank statements and maintain accurate financial records, flagging any discrepancies or missing items.
• Follow up on overdue invoices and support simple debtor follow‑ups.
• Organise and maintain digital documentation (contracts, invoices, vendor records, receipts).
• Support preparation and submission of VAT, payroll, and provisional tax returns (VAT201, EMP201/EMP501, IRP6) with guidance from our accountant.
• Support payroll in SimplePay (pay runs and related admin).
• Support operational processes such as onboarding new team members and maintaining internal documentation.
• Identify process improvements and help keep things running smoothly.

Qualifications

• Currently studying or recently completed a degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• Comfortable working with numbers and financial information.
• Strong attention to detail and a habit of double‑checking your work.
• Good organisational skills and ability to keep multiple small tasks on track.
• Familiarity with spreadsheets (Google Sheets/Excel); experience with Xero and/or SimplePay is a plus.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Self‑motivated, reliable, and comfortable working in a remote, asynchronous environment.

Nice to Have

• Experience with Xero and SimplePay.
• Understanding of correct VAT treatment for invoices and expenses.
• Experience helping with admin or operations in a small business or student organisation.

We offer competitive part‑time compensation, fully remote work, flexible hours that can fit around studies, access to a learning and certification budget, and a supportive, low‑ego team that values work‑life balance and growth.

Inclusive Hiring

We hire for skill, potential, and values. In South Africa’s diverse context, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and aim to provide a fair, inclusive process. If you have the skills and drive, we’d love to hear from you.