Lead Accountant (Rivonia)

Jones & Wagener (Pty) Ltd; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 480,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

Jones & Wagener (Pty) Ltd is seeking a Lead Accountant on a fixed-term maternity cover to provide senior finance leadership. The role focuses on continuity, accuracy, and control across finance functions during a critical period.

You will guide the team, ensure timely month-end close, and support the Finance Manager with ad hoc matters. The candidate should have strong bookkeeping knowledge, good governance, and the ability to work with diverse stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Senior accounting or finance experience with month-end and reporting responsibilities.
• Ability to review others' work and provide guidance or supervision.
• Proven ability to manage multiple finance functions, deadlines and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Accounts Payable, review processing and month-end requirements.
• Manage General Ledger month-end processes, reconciliations and journals.
• Oversee property management, month-end reporting and shareholder-related reviews.
• Oversee invoicing and cash management activities.
• Provide day-to-day guidance to finance team and monitor progress.

Skills

Month-end

Reconciliations

Financial controls

People management

Excel

ERP systems

Stakeholder management

Education

SAICA membership

CIMA/ACCA/SAIPA

Tools

PROMAN ERP

MS Office

ERP systems

Job description

Location: Rivonia (Office-Based)
Department: Finance
Reporting to: Head of Department
Job Type: Fixed Term (Maternity Cover until 30 June 2027)
Closing Date: 16/09/2026

Role Purpose

The Lead Accountant will provide senior-level oversight and management within the Finance Department during a period of maternity leave, with responsibility for overseeing key finance functions, meeting month-end and reporting deadlines, and providing guidance and direction to finance team members. The role is focused on ensuring continuity, accuracy and effective control across the assigned finance activities.

The successful candidate will have strong accounting and finance experience, with the ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and take ownership of responsibilities with limited supervision. The role requires someone comfortable reviewing work, resolving issues proactively, managing follow-ups and making sound decisions within established financial controls and processes.

This role is well suited to someone who is technically strong, organised, accountable and confident in managing people and multiple finance functions. The successful candidate should be able to quickly understand existing processes, identify what needs attention, drive outstanding matters to completion, and provide reliable oversight and support to the Finance Manager and wider finance team.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will have a sound understanding of bookkeeping principles, general ledger structures, reconciliations and month-end processes.

This role requires a methodical, accountable and detail-oriented individual who is comfortable working with financial data, identifying and following up on reconciling items, and taking ownership of assigned responsibilities with appropriate supervision.

The successful candidate should be able to prioritise deadlines, maintain accurate supporting schedules, identify areas requiring correction or improvement, and understand how reliable bookkeeping contributes to the effectiveness of the finance function.

Key Responsibilities

The Lead Accountant will be responsible for overseeing and managing a range of finance functions. Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Oversee Accounts Payable management, including review of processing, outstanding items, supplier matters and month-end requirements.
• Manage and review bookkeeping activities and General Ledger month-end processes, including reconciliations, journals and supporting schedules.
• Oversee property management, month-end reporting and shareholder-related reviews for relevant entities.
• Oversee grocery management and sign-off processes, ensuring appropriate controls and supporting documentation are maintained.
• Manage invoicing activities and review invoicing reports, ensuring invoices are processed accurately and within agreed deadlines and processes.
• Oversee Treasury Trust management and related cash management activities.
• Provide oversight of shareholder-related accounting, reporting and administrative activities.
• Review monthly financial calculations and supporting schedules, ensuring accuracy, completeness and appropriate supporting documentation.
• Review and follow up on receipts captured by the invoicing team, ensuring completeness and accuracy.
• Provide oversight of Trust Management activities and ensure relevant accounting, reporting and administrative requirements are appropriately managed.
• Provide day-to-day guidance, direction and review to finance team members, including allocating priorities, monitoring progress and holding team members accountable for completion and quality of work.
• Support the Finance Manager with ad hoc finance matters

Role Requirements

The successful candidate should have practical experience in a senior accounting or finance role, with strong month-end, reporting, review and people management capabilities.

• Professional registration or membership with a recognised accounting body (e.g. SAICA,
• CIMA, ACCA, SAIPA)
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in accounting, finance or a similar senior finance role
• Strong practical experience with month-end accounting, reconciliations, management
• reporting and financial controls
• Experience reviewing the work of other finance team members and providing guidance or
• supervision
• Proven ability to manage multiple finance functions, deadlines and stakeholders
• simultaneously
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Outlook
• Experience working with finance systems and multi-module ERP environments

Advantageous Requirements

• Experience in a consulting, engineering, professional services or other multi-project environment
• Experience with accounts payable, invoicing, treasury, property, trust or shareholder-related accounting
• Experience working with PROMAN or similar professional services ERP systems
• Engineering & Environmental Consultants

Success in this role will be measured by the candidate’s ability to:

• Maintain continuity across assigned finance functions and ensure key responsibilities are managed accurately and timeously
• Meet month-end, invoicing and reporting deadlines without requiring constant supervision
• Review financial information and identify errors, exceptions, control gaps or outstanding matters early
• Manage, support and hold finance team members accountable for completion and quality of work
• Effectively manage multiple priorities and follow-ups across different finance functions and stakeholders
• Take ownership of issues through to resolution and escalated matters appropriately where required
• Provide reliable and accurate support to the Finance Manager and wider Finance Department
• Contribute to improved consistency, efficiency and control across the Finance Department.