Senior Accountant

Bridgestone; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading tire manufacturer in the Americas is seeking a Senior Accountant in Johannesburg. The role includes ensuring the integrity of financial reporting, preparing tax returns, and acting as a key contact for auditors. Candidates must have a Bachelor's degree in accounting, CA (SA) is preferable, and a minimum of 5 years post-articles experience. Strong analytical and communication skills are essential. The position offers a full-time contract with an on-site work environment and opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

Supportive onboarding experience

Opportunities for professional development

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ post articles experience in controlling, auditing or accountancy.
• Proven track record of business partnering and influencing stakeholders.
• Strong experience with IFRS and GAAP compliance.

Responsibilities

• Ensure integrity and pertinence of accounting information.
• Prepare annual financial statements and tax returns.
• Act as main contact for external auditors during audits.

Skills

Analytical skills

Strong Excel capability

Experience in financial modelling

Communication skills

Commercial acumen

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting

CA (SA)

Tools

SAP

Power BI

Job description

Type of work: On site

Type of contract: Open-ended/permanent

Full/Part Time: Full time

Location: Johannesburg, ZA

Senior Accountant

POSITION SNAPSHOT

Type of work: On site

Type of contract: Open-ended/permanent

Full/Part Time: Full time

Location: Johannesburg, ZA

ABOUT US

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and Bridgestone Europe, Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, operate collectively as a “Bridgestone West” strategic region. This region services the strategic business needs of teams across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. BSAM and BSEMEA are subsidiaries of Bridgestone Corporation, globally headquartered in Japan. Bridgestone and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products and solutions to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Job Purpose

You will be responsible for ensuring the integrity and pertinence of Local & Group Accounting information by researching account issues for compliance and by establishing quality control over financial transactions, financial reporting, taxation, auditing, accounting systems and processes. This position addresses tight deadlines and a multitude of accounting activities including general ledger preparation, internal & external financial reporting, year-end audit preparation and the support of budget and forecast activities. This position will be responsible for developing and maintaining accounting principles, practices and procedures to ensure accurate and timely financial statements. The Senior Accountant will have to coordinate and interact with Bridgestone’s Shared Service Center in Poland, as well as other internal and external accountants in the Organization, ensuring that work is properly performed and completed within BSEMEA deadlines. To ensure accurate financial reporting, tax compliance, and support for internal and external audits, while maintaining alignment with corporate standards and legal requirements.

Responsibilities

Controlling & Accounting

• Prepare annual financial statements (P&L, Balance Sheet)
• Participate in monthly, quarterly and annual closings
• Perform accounting tasks using SAP (data entry, ledger control, analytical records)
• Reconcile ledger and analytical records (Balance Sheet reconciliation)
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual tax returns
• Compile statistical reports and financial statements
• Act as main contact for external auditors during group and statutory audits
• Focus on direct and indirect tax-related tasks
• Prepare tax calculations, declarations, and reports
• Ongoing supervision and control testing of all the transactions processed in the Organization.
• Analyze transactional processes, review, investigate and correct errors and inconsistencies in financial entries, documents and reports.
• Compiles and analyses financial information to prepare entries to general ledger accounts, cost center and properly document transactions.
• Produce monthly reconciliation of general ledger accounts.
• Closely maintain, supervise, and monitor the overall A/P, A/R, GL, Fixed Assets, Payroll postings
• Work to consolidate Group Financial Reporting and eliminations
• Responsible for the planning and delivery of the month-end financial reporting process, ensuring accurate reporting in compliance with IFRS and Group policies and procedures.
• Fulfil specific additional Quarterly and Year-End reporting requirements.
• Report, analyze and ensure integrity and pertinence of financial information within deadlines.
• Perform actual variance analysis and explanations, proactively identifying financial issues / opportunities and propose solutions.
• Supports budget and forecasting activities, especially with B/S and Taxes.
• Preparation of the intercompany elimination transactions to consolidate the Bridgestone South Africa group.

Local Financial Reporting & Auditing

• Responsible for the preparation and production of the calculations for income taxes and relevant supporting documentation / reconciliation.
• Ensure compliance with local and corporate policies, regulations and laws.
• Report, analyse and ensure integrity and pertinence of financial information within deadlines.
• Work with both internal and external auditors during financial and operational audits.

Fiscal Expertise

• Support for the preparation and production of the South African Corporate Income Tax and other Fiscal requirements, in line with Local regulations.
• Ensure compliance with local and corporate policies, regulations and laws.
• Monitors and analyses Organization work to develop more efficient procedures and use of resources while maintaining a high level of accuracy.
• Review and recommend modifications to accounting systems and procedures.
• Collaborates with the other departments to support overall department goals and objectives – utilize teamwork to develop synergies;
• Advises staff regarding the handling of non-routine reporting/accounting transactions.
• Support any ERP enhancements and automations as required from time to time

Qualifications & Experience Required

Education, Master, other certification:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, with completed post articles (preferable at a big 4 firm.
• CA (SA) is highly desirable.
• Minimum 5 years’ post articles experience in controlling, auditing or accountancy—ideally within a manufacturing, distribution, consumer goods, automotive or similar environment.
• Proven track record of business partnering influencing non-finance stakeholders, translating complex financial data into actionable business insight.
• Strong experience of IFRS, GAAP, financial modelling, scenario planning, and variance analysis.
• Experience in consolidations and taxation
• Excellent analytical skills, strong Excel capability, familiarity with ERP systems and ideally with BI/reporting tools (e.g., Power BI, SAP, etc).
• Commercial acumen: able to relate cost-drivers, pricing, margin dynamics, local market behaviours and business strategy.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; able to present to senior management, influence decisions and build trusted relationships.

WHAT WE OFFER

At Bridgestone, what really matter is to foster co-creation opportunities and empowering you to be creative and curious to make mobility safer, more efficient, and more sustainable for future generations. Whatever role you fill, when you represent Bridgestone, you are a valued teammate, and part of our larger mission to “Serve Society with Superior Quality”, for that, we offer you more than just a competitive payment; we will provide you:

• A supportive and engaging onboarding experience to ensure a smooth transition into our team.
• The opportunity to develop and grow, through training and regular mentorship.
• Corporate Social Responsibility activities.
• A truly global, dynamic and challenging work environment.
• Agility and work/life effectiveness and your long-term well-being.
• A diverse and inclusive team.

We are committed to create an even more inclusive culture that advances equity, embraces individuality, and helps our increasingly diverse teammates, customers, and communities thrive, by providing equal opportunities in employment. This means that all job applicants and members of staff will receive equal treatment and that we will not discriminate on grounds of gender, marital status, race, ethnicity, color, nationality, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion or age.