Financial Accountant

Outsourced CFO; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 400 000 - 600 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm seeks a skilled Financial Accountant to manage core finance functions such as accounts receivable, month-end close, and client onboarding. The role requires strong financial acumen, attention to detail, and proficiency in Xero and Zoho CRM. The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of experience in a financial operations role and a Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance. This position offers a hybrid work setup based in Cape Town.

Qualifications

• 3+ years experience in a financial operations or finance lead role.
• Experience with cloud-based finance tools (Xero, Zoho, Dext) preferred.
• Understanding of financial reporting, tax, and compliance in South Africa.

Responsibilities

• Oversee timely and accurate client invoicing.
• Maintain and optimize Xero accounting software.
• Allocate invoices and POs accurately for reporting.
• Prepare month-end close for the CFO.
• Support due diligence processes across the business.

Skills

Financial acumen

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Proficient in Xero

Proficient in Zoho CRM

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Finance

CIMA or SAIPA qualification

Tools

Xero

Zoho CRM

Job description

Overview

We are building a talent pool on behalf of our client for a skilled and detail-oriented Financial Accountant, where a CIMA, SAIPA or a newly qualified CA is preferred. The successful candidate will play a key role within the business operations team, taking ownership of core finance functions such as accounts receivable and payable, financial systems management, month-end close, client onboarding, and external financial communications. This role is vital in ensuring financial data accuracy, timely reporting, and strong alignment with the company’s strategic business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Accounts Receivable Lead

• Oversee timely and accurate client invoicing based on signed cost estimates (CEs) and POs received.
• Match payments received to invoices in Xero.
• Manage credit notes and invoice corrections.
• Reconcile bank receipts from clients weekly.
• Debt collection and ensuring open relationships with clients.
• Build strong relationships and collaborate with Business Unit Directors and clients in a bespoke and complex environment.

Finance Systems Custodian

• Maintain, optimize, and troubleshoot Xero accounting software and Zoho CRM.
• Clean and structure financial data and ensure consistency across systems.
• Create and maintain custom dashboards and reports in Zoho CRM.
• Train and onboard new staff on Zoho CRM processes.

Client Onboarding (Finance Focus)

• Provide clients with accurate vendor onboarding documentation (banking, tax, and company details).
• Ensure the companies are onboarded as suppliers on client systems.

Financial Reporting & Compliance

• Allocate invoices and POs accurately in Zoho for reporting and revenue tracking.
• Prepare and send monthly debtor statements to clients.
• Liaise with clients for AP confirmations and reconciliations.
• Support internal and external audit requests.

Month-end Close & Year-end Financial Support

• Prepare the month-end close for the CFO to TB level.
• Ensure accuracy of monthly revenue recognition and retainer reporting.
• Clear bank accounts
• Reconcile revenue-related accounts for month-end reporting.
• Reconcile fixed assets, tax, Intercompany loans, and other accounts.
• Respond to queries from the CFO.
• Liaise with internal teams (External Bookkeeper, Client Services, CGO) to support completeness of financial data.
• Monthly VAT calculations and returns submission.
• Bi-annually assist CFO with Provisional tax estimates and manage the revenue estimates with Business Unit Directors.

Ad Hoc & Strategic Support

• Prepare revenue and debtor analyses for leadership.
• Support due diligence processes across the business with different department heads.
• Respond to ad hoc queries from CFO, CGO, and BUDs (Business Unit Directors).
• Assist in strategic business decisions with financial insights.
• Run internal process to forecast Revenue at February year end for Provisional tax purposes accurately.

Key Relationships

• Internal: CGO, Client Service Team, Bookkeeper, OCFO, Departmental Heads
• External: Clients (Finance/AP Teams), Vendors, Financial Service Providers

Experience

• 3+ years experience in a financial operations or finance lead role
• Experience with cloud-based finance tools (Xero, Zoho, Dext) preferred
• Understanding of financial reporting, tax, and compliance in South Africa
• Experience in the media industry is preferable.

Requirements

• Location: Claremont, Cape Town, South Africa - Hybrid work set up
• Qualification required: Bachelor\'s Degree in Accounting or Finance
• CIMA or SAIPA qualification preferred

Skills & Characteristics

• Strong financial acumen and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.
• Proficient in Xero and Zoho CRM
• Process-oriented with the ability to handle high volumes.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and changing environment.