Senior Debtors Clerk (Freelance)

Ogilvy South Africa; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 320,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Ogilvy South Africa is seeking a Freelance Senior Debtors Clerk to manage an allocated portfolio of debtor accounts, ensuring accurate records, timely collections and reconciliations. You will engage with clients, allocate payments, and provide month-end commentary from a commercial, detail-oriented perspective.

The role requires independence, strong communication and a proactive approach to resolving ageing balances, with collaboration across Finance, Billing and Client Service teams.

Qualifications

• 10+ years' experience in Debtors/Accounts Receivable.
• Diploma or qualification in Finance, Accounting or related field.
• Independently manage a debtor portfolio.
• Strong understanding of debtor reconciliations, collections and ageing analysis.
• Good understanding of accounting principles and financial controls.
• Experience with Business Central/Navision is advantageous.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
• SOX controls and audit requirements experience advantageous.
• Excellent numerical and analytical abilities.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple accounts.
• Reliable, organised and self-motivated; able to work independently.

Responsibilities

• Manage an allocated portfolio of debtor accounts and maintain accuracy.
• Perform weekly and monthly debtor account reconciliations and investigate variances.
• Monitor debtors ageing and follow up on overdue balances.
• Engage with clients regarding invoices, payment queries and remittance advice.
• Ensure payments are accurately allocated to accounts and invoices.
• Investigate and resolve unallocated cash and account discrepancies.
• Maintain records of collection activities and follow-ups.
• Provide commentary on monthly debtors ageing and risks.
• Assist with cash flow and collection forecasts.
• Liaise with internal departments to resolve invoicing queries.
• Identify potential collection risks and escalate issues.
• Assist with month-end/year-end debtor reporting and reconciliations.
• Assist with SOX audits and provide supporting documentation.
• Ensure compliance with policies and internal controls.
• Maintain audit trails for debtor transactions.
• Support ad hoc finance duties and projects.

Skills

Debtors / Accounts Receivable

Communication

Relationship Management

Problem Solving

Ownership & Accountability

Time Management

Resilience

Teamwork

Adaptability

Initiative

Integrity & Confidentiality

Maturity & Professionalism

Results Focus

Education

Diploma in Finance/Accounting

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Business Central / Navision

SOX audits experience

Job description

The Freelance Senior Debtors Clerk will be responsible for the effective management of an allocated portfolio of customer accounts, ensuring accurate account maintenance, timely collections, reconciliations and resolution of outstanding queries. The role requires a proactive and detail-oriented individual who can work independently while collaborating effectively with internal teams and clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage an allocated portfolio of debtor accounts and ensure accounts are maintained accurately and timeously.
• Perform weekly and monthly debtor account reconciliations, investigating and resolving variances.
• Monitor the debtors ageing and actively follow up on outstanding and overdue balances.
• Engage with clients regarding outstanding invoices, payment queries, disputes, account balances and remittance advice.
• Ensure customer payments are accurately allocated to the relevant accounts and invoices.
• Investigate and resolve unallocated cash, unidentified payments and account discrepancies.
• Maintain accurate records of collection activities, payment commitments and follow-ups.
• Provide meaningful commentary on the monthly debtors ageing, highlighting risks, overdue balances, disputes and expected collections.
• Assist with cash flow and collection forecasts by providing accurate information on expected customer receipts.
• Liaise with internal departments, including Client Service, Production, Finance and Billing, to resolve invoicing and account-related queries.
• Identify potential collection risks and elevate problematic or long-outstanding accounts appropriately.
• Assist with month-end and year-end debtor reporting and reconciliations.
• Assist with internal, external and SOX audits, providing supporting documentation and account information when required.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, finance procedures and internal controls.
• Maintain appropriate supporting documentation and audit trails for debtor-related transactions.
• Assist with ad hoc finance duties and projects as required by the Debtors and Finance Manager.

Requirements

• 10 + years' experience in a Debtors / Accounts Receivable environment.
• Diploma or relevant qualification in Finance, Accounting or a related field.
• Previous experience managing a debtor portfolio independently.
• Strong understanding of debtor reconciliations, collections and ageing analysis.
• Good understanding of accounting principles and financial controls.
• Experience with Business Central / Navision will be advantageous.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
• Experience with SOX controls and audit requirements will be advantageous.
• Good numerical and analytical ability.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines.
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple accounts and competing demands.
• Reliable, organised and self-motivated.
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision.

Soft Skills / Competencies

• Communication– communicates clearly, professionally and confidently with clients and internal stakeholders.
• Relationship Management – builds positive working relationships while maintaining appropriate boundaries and professionalism.
• Professional Assertiveness – able to have firm but respectful conversations regarding overdue payments, disputes and outstanding matters.
• Problem Solving – investigates issues, identifies root causes and takes a practical approach to resolving them.
• Ownership & Accountability – takes responsibility for allocated accounts and follows matters through to resolution.
• Time Management – effectively prioritises workload and manages competing deadlines.
• Resilience– remains calm, professional and solutions-focused when dealing with pressure or challenging situations.
• Teamwork– works collaboratively with colleagues and other departments to achieve shared objectives.
• Adaptability– responds positively to changing priorities, processes and systems.
• Initiative– proactively identifies issues and takes appropriate action without requiring constant supervision.
• Integrity & Confidentiality – handles financial and customer information responsibly and with discretion.
• Maturity & Professionalism – demonstrates sound judgement, reliability and professional conduct.
• Results Focus – demonstrates commitment to achieving collection objectives and resolving outstanding matters.

Key Attributes

The successful candidate will be a mature, commercially aware and solutions-focused finance professional who takes ownership of their portfolio and is confident dealing with both clients and internal stakeholders.

They should be proactive, dependable and adaptable, with the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a high level of accuracy and professionalism.

The individual should also demonstrate a strong collections mindset, with the confidence and persistence required to drive outstanding accounts and commitments through to resolution.