General Ledger Accountant

Redheads Engineering Group; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Redheads Engineering is recruiting on behalf of our client for a General Ledger Accountant in Cape Town. You will support the German Client Accounting Team, delivering financial reporting, reconciliations and bookkeeping under German GAAP, IFRS and related frameworks.

The role requires a Bachelor's degree, 2+ years' ledger experience, strong Excel, and ERP exposure (SAP, Yardi, DATEV). Fluency in English is essential; German language skills or willingness to learn are highly regarded.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance is required.
• 2+ years' general ledger experience in a professional setting.
• ACCA studies advantageous but not required; IFRS/GAAP exposure is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and review monthly and quarterly financial reporting under HGB and IFRS.
• Post and review journal entries for assets, equity, accruals, and loans.
• Assist with SPV onboarding and review of legal documents.
• Support VAT returns and Bundesbank statistics reporting.
• Reconcile data across DATEV, SAP, Yardi and perform intercompany reconciliations.
• Oversee payments executed by the AP team.
• Produce and review ad-hoc client reports.
• Contribute to process improvements and workflow automation with the German Accounting & Tax Team.
• Collaborate with clients, banks, auditors and tax advisors as a trusted partner.

Skills

General ledger accounting

German GAAP/IFRS knowledge

English fluency

Excel proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance

Tools

SAP

Yardi

DATEV

Job description

Redheads Engineering is recruiting on behalf of our client for a [Job Title] in Cape Town. Our client is a leading global provider of administrative services, with over 11,000 employees in 87 jurisdictions. Their Cape Town office works hand in hand with the German Accounting & Tax team in Frankfurt, delivering cross-border accounting solutions to Real Estate, Private Equity and Capital Markets clients across a wide range of investment structures.

About the Role

As a General Ledger Accountant, you will support our client's German Client Accounting Team, servicing Financial Services clients in Capital Markets, Private Equity and Real Estate. You will be responsible for financial reporting, account reconciliations and day-to-day bookkeeping under German Commercial GAAP (HGB), IFRS and other relevant frameworks.

Working alongside the Team Leader – Client Accounting Financial Services South Africa, you will provide excellent support to internal and external stakeholders and take ownership of your deadlines. The role calls for strong organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage complex workloads.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and review monthly and quarterly financial reporting, bookkeeping and reconciliations under HGB and IFRS
• Prepare, post and review journal entries, focusing on fixed and financial assets, equity, accruals, provisions and loans
• Support SPV onboarding, including review of legal and corporate documents
• Assist with VAT returns and Bundesbank statistical reporting
• Manage and reconcile data across accounting systems (DATEV, SAP, Yardi), including bank, tenant, service charge, intercompany and loan reconciliations
• Oversee payments executed by the AP team
• Produce and review ad-hoc client reports
• Contribute to process improvements and workflow automation with the German Accounting & Tax Team
• Collaborate with clients, banks, auditors, lawyers and tax advisors as a trusted business partner

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance
• 2+ years' general ledger accounting experience
• ACCA studies advantageous but not essential; candidates with strong accounting fundamentals are encouraged to apply
• Exposure to IFRS or European GAAP highly advantageous
• Commitment to developing expertise in German accounting, legal and tax compliance
• Fluent English; German language skills, or a willingness to learn, highly appreciated
• Strong MS Excel and Word skills; ERP exposure (SAP, Yardi, DATEV) beneficial
• Organised, analytical and proactive team player, able to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment