Financial Accountant (Employee Benefits)

Discovery Limited; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 650,000 - 780,000; Full time

Job summary

Discovery Limited, via Discovery Corporate & Employee Benefits, seeks a Financial Accountant to ensure fund and management company accounting accuracy, tax and regulatory submissions, audit support, and robust financial reporting.

The role maintains complete fund records, performs reconciliations, analyzes data, and helps improve finance processes. Requires 5+ years in fund accounting, strong Excel, and knowledge of retirement funds.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in fund accounting or similar.
• Extensive retirement funds experience, including regulatory and tax administration.
• Bachelor’s degree in Commerce (BCom) or equivalent; postgraduate studies advantageous.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and financial reporting tools.

Responsibilities

• Prepare monthly fund account reconciliations and supporting papers.
• Assist with annual audit and financial statements for funds.
• Calculate tax liabilities and complete returns monthly, bi-annually and annually.
• Prepare regulatory returns and QAAR, Regulation 28, C48 submissions.
• Manage bank reconciliations and cash controls; monitor FSCA balances.
• Prepare management accounts and GL reconciliations; perform variance analysis.
• Reconcile intercompany balances and support related controls.
• Support invoice processing and supplier liaison; ensure timely payments.
• Contribute to board reporting and process improvements.
• Collaborate with Finance, Tax and Internal/External Audit stakeholders.

Skills

Financial accounting

Fund accounting

Regulatory reporting

Analytical skills

Excel

Intercompany accounting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Commerce (BCom)

Postgraduate qualification (advantageous)

Tools

Excel

Job description

About Discovery

Discovery’s core purpose is to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives. We seek out and invest in exceptional individuals who understand and support our core purpose, and whose own values align with those of Discovery. Our fast-paced and dynamic environment enables smart, self-driven people to be their best. As global thought leaders, Discovery is passionate about innovating in order to not only achieve financial success, but to ignite positive and meaningful change within our society.

About Discovery Corporate & Employee Benefits

Discovery Corporate and Employee Benefits is the first and only employee benefits provider to be shaping employee behaviour, creating healthier and wealthier workforces. It is an exciting business to be in as we reimagine the way retirement savings and life insurance is brought to companies and employees.

Key Purpose

The Financial Accountant is responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of fund and management company accounting activities, including reconciliations, tax and regulatory submissions, audit support, bank and general ledger controls, supplier process administration, and financial reporting for Discovery Employee Benefits. The role is accountable for maintaining complete and accurate fund and entity financial records, ensuring timely reconciliations, conducting analytical reviews, and preparing comprehensive supporting working papers. The incumbent proactively resolves financial and operational queries, ensures compliance with regulatory and internal control requirements, and contributes to the continuous improvement and efficiency of finance processes and reporting practices.

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to

• Umbrella Fund product accounting: Prepare monthly fund account reconciliations, perform analytic reviews, investigate variances and ensure fund balances are supported by complete working papers.
• Annual audit and financial statements: Prepare annual audit working papers, supporting documentation and financial statements for the Discovery Life Umbrella Pension and Provident Funds, and resolve audit queries timeously.
• Tax administration and query resolution: Calculate tax liabilities, complete and submit tax returns monthly, bi-annually and annually, and provide analysis and support on tax-related queries.
• Regulatory reporting: Prepare and submit regulatory returns, including QAAR, Regulation 28 and C48, and support related fund and regulatory query resolution.
• Banking and cash controls: Prepare monthly bank reconciliations, monitor bank accounts and FSCA account balances, investigate exceptions and support clearing of unallocated transactions.
• Asset allocation and commission projects: Prepare asset allocation reporting and support projects relating to commission payments, reconciliations and process alignment.
• Management company accounting: Prepare monthly management accounts, detailed general ledger reconciliations, analytic reviews, actual versus budget comparisons and financial reporting packs.
• Account management and intercompany control: Reconcile Discovery Employee Benefits Account Management balances to the general ledger and bank accounts, and manage clearing of intercompany loan accounts.
• Invoice and supplier management: Support invoice processing, supplier liaison, query resolution and related controls to ensure accurate and timely payment administration.
• Board reporting and process insight: Gather and validate board report inputs, develop a deep understanding of finance processes and recommend practical improvements where control gaps or inefficiencies are identified.
• Stakeholder engagement and internal audit support: Engage with Finance, Operations, Tax, Internal Audit and External Audit stakeholders to resolve queries, provide evidence and maintain high-quality documentation.

Personal Attributes

• Integrity, honesty and reliability
• Highly motivated self-starter who takes initiative
• Ability to plan and control work‑flow to effectively manage the team’s deadlines
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Ability to apply knowledge in a practical setting
• Strong numerical and verbal reasoning skills
• Ability to work independently and within a team environment
• Problem solving

Education and Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ experience as a Fund Accountant or in a similar financial accounting role.
• Extensive experience within the retirement funds environment, including financial, regulatory, and tax administration.
• Strong knowledge of employee benefits, retirement fund structures, and fund accounting controls.
• Proven experience in preparing reconciliations, audit working papers, annual financial statements, and managing audit-related queries.
• Solid experience with bank reconciliations, general ledger reconciliations, analytical reviews, and variance analysis.
• Bachelor’s degree in Commerce (BCom) or an equivalent tertiary qualification with a focus on Finance, Taxation, and Accounting.
• Postgraduate qualification or further studies in Accounting, Taxation, Financial Management, or Retirement Funds will be advantageous.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, with exposure to data analytics and financial reporting tools.
• Professional registration with a recognised accounting or finance body would be beneficial.

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY

The Company’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.