Junior Accountant

Sealand Gear; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Global exposure

Cross-functional exposure

Growth opportunities

Job summary

Sealand is a proudly South African lifestyle brand seeking a Junior Accountant to support the Finance team across retail, manufacturing and e-commerce. You will work closely with the CFO and teams to keep financial data accurate, up-to-date and actionable, handling day-to-day transactions, reconciliations and month-end processes.

You’ll gain exposure to inventory movement, stock, and how manufacturing and retail activity flow into the financial accounts, while developing your accounting career

Qualifications

• 1–3 years’ experience in an accounting, junior accounting or bookkeeping role
• A relevant qualification in Accounting, Finance, Commerce or related field, or equivalent practical experience
• Hands-on experience using Xero is essential
• Basic understanding of accounting principles and financial reporting
• Good understanding of bank reconciliations, accounts payable/receivable

Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate daily financial transactions in Xero and correct account coding
• Process and record expenses; monitor budgets and variances
• Manage cash flow and daily bank reconciliations across multiple accounts
• Reconcile credit cards and payment gateways such as Stitch and PayPal
• Assist with month-end close and financial reporting, including journals and balance sheets
• Support inventory accounting across manufacturing and retail operations

Skills

Xero

Excel

Bank Reconciliation

Financial Reporting

Communication

Attention to Detail

ERP Systems

Shopify

Education

Accounting/Finance qualification

Tools

Cin7

Shopify

Job description

Sealand is a proudly South African lifestyle brand creating premium, durable and versatile gear and apparel from responsibly sourced materials, including recycled and upcycled waste.

Born in Cape Town and inspired by our connection to the outdoors, we make products designed to move with people, last for the long haul, and have a story worth telling.

We’re growing, expanding our retail footprint, developing new products, strengthening our operations and taking Sealand to more customers locally and internationally.

We’re looking for people who want to be part of that journey.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We’re looking for a Junior Accountant to join our Finance team and play a hands-on role in keeping the financial side of Sealand running smoothly.

This is a practical accounting role that sits across our retail, manufacturing, e-commerce and corporate business. You’ll work closely with the CFO and wider team to ensure our financial information is accurate, up to date and useful for decision-making. You’ll be involved in the day-to-day detail — from Xero transactions, bank reconciliations and supplier invoices to cash flow, expenses, customer accounts and month-end processes.

Because Sealand is both a manufacturing and retail business, you’ll also get exposure to the movement of products and stock through the business. You’ll work with Finance and Operations to understand how raw materials become finished products, how stock moves through our stores and e-commerce channels, and how this ultimately flows through our financial systems.

We’re looking for someone who enjoys getting into the details, takes ownership of their work and wants to develop their accounting career in a growing, entrepreneurial business.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES DAILY & MONTHLY ACCOUNTING

• Maintain accurate daily financial transactions in Xero, including correct account coding.
• Process and record business expenses accurately and timeously.
• Monitor expenses against budgets and flag variances or concerns to relevant budget holders.
• Monitor daily cash flow and maintain the cash flow forecast.
• Complete daily bank reconciliations across multiple bank accounts.
• Reconcile credit cards and payment gateways, including platforms such as Stitch and PayPal.
• Maintain accurate supporting documentation and financial records.
• Assist with month-end accounting processes and ensure transactions are processed within required deadlines.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE

• Process supplier invoices accurately and timeously
• Match invoices to purchase orders and supporting documentation
• Resolve discrepancies with suppliers and internal teams
• Prepare weekly and monthly supplier payment runs
• Maintain accurate supplier account records
• Ensure outstanding supplier queries are followed up and resolved

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE

• Monitor outstanding customer balances and follow up on overdue accounts
• Work closely with the Corporate Sales team to resolve customer account queries
• Liaise with Systems Support where invoicing or system-related issues arise
• Maintain accurate customer account records and supporting documentation

ASSEST & FIXED ASSET MANAGEMENT

• Maintain the company’s fixed asset register
• Process monthly depreciation
• Ensure additions, disposals and changes to assets are accurately recorded
• Assist with reconciliations and reporting relating to fixed assets

MANUFACTURING, RETAIL & INVENTROY

• Support the Cost Accountant where required with inventory-related accounting
• Assist with tracking raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP) and finished goods
• Assist with monitoring Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and manufacturing variances
• Help investigate discrepancies between physical stock, operational systems and financial records
• Gain an understanding of how manufacturing and retail activity flows through the financial accounts
• Work across Finance, Production, Retail, Supply Chain and Operations to resolve accounting and stock-related queries

SYSTEMS & DATA FLOW

• Support the flow of accurate financial data between our e-commerce, retail and financial systems
• Monitor data flows between retail POS, e-commerce platforms, Cin7 and Xero
• Identify and investigate discrepancies or integration issues
• Work with relevant teams to ensure system information is complete and accurate
• Help improve the accuracy and efficiency of our finance processes as the business grows

MONTH-END & FINANCIAL REPORTING

• Assist the CFO with month-end close processes
• Prepare and process journal entries where required
• Complete balance sheet reconciliations
• Assist with the preparation of monthly management accounts
• Support analysis of financial results, variances and key movements
• Prepare supporting schedules and reports for management review
• Ensure financial records are complete, accurate and properly supported

EXPENSES & INTERNAL CONTROLS

• Review and process employee expense claims
• Review corporate credit card transactions and supporting receipts
• Ensure expenses are correctly coded and allocated
• Identify missing documentation, unusual transactions or potential errors
• Support the CFO in maintaining strong financial controls and processes
• Help ensure spending is recorded against the correct budgets and cost centres

REQUIREMENTS

• 1–3 years’ experience in an accounting, junior accounting or bookkeeping role
• A relevant qualification in Accounting, Finance, Commerce or a related field, or equivalent practical experience/accounting certification
• Hands-on experience using Xero is essential
• Basic understanding of accounting principles and financial reporting
• Basic understanding of inventory accounting, retail margins and/or manufacturing cost structures
• Strong Excel skills, including VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables and working confidently with financial data
• Strong attention to detail and a high level of accuracy
• Experience with inventory or ERP systems is advantageous, particularly Cin7
• Experience with retail POS or e-commerce platforms such as Shopify is advantageous
• Good understanding of bank reconciliations, accounts payable and accounts receivable
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage deadlines
• Good communication skills and the confidence to follow up with different teams across the business
• A hands-on approach and willingness to understand how the numbers connect to the day-to-day operation of the business

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We’re looking for someone who is curious, accurate, practical and willing to get stuck in.

You’ll enjoy working with numbers, but you’ll also understand that good accounting is about more than processing transactions. It’s about understanding what is happening in the business and making sure the numbers accurately reflect it.

You’ll be comfortable asking questions, following things through and investigating when something doesn’t look right.

You’ll take ownership of your work, be willing to learn and develop, and be comfortable working across different parts of the business — from Finance and Production to Retail, Supply Chain and E-commerce.

Most importantly, we’re looking for someone who wants to grow with Sealand and build a strong foundation for their accounting career.

WHY SEALAND

• Be part of a proudly South African brand with a global outlook
• Work with products that have a story, purpose and point of view
• Gain broad exposure across manufacturing, retail, e-commerce and finance
• Work closely with the CFO and wider leadership team
• Develop your accounting experience in a growing, entrepreneurial SME
• Have the opportunity to learn across different areas of the business rather than being limited to one part of the finance function
• Work with real business data and gain practical experience across the full accounting cycle
• Be part of a business that cares about how things are made, not just what is made
• Join a team where initiative, curiosity and ideas are encouraged
• Work in a culture built around Authenticity, Integrity, Respect & Care, Responsibility, Excellence, Long-Term View and Optimism

AND NOW WE SCALE

If you’re an accountant who enjoys getting into the details, wants to understand how a business really works and is excited by the opportunity to grow with a proudly South African brand, we’d love to hear from you.