Senior Manager: Project Accounting

Construction Education & Training Authority; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Job summary

Construction Education & Training Authority (CETA) is seeking a strategic leader to head the project accounting function. You will manage financial governance, reporting, and compliance for all project finances, aligning with PFMA, Treasury Regulations, and CETA policies.

You will drive budgeting, forecasting, risk management, and stakeholder reporting to support executive decisions. You will develop policies, supervise staff, and ensure timely financial closures and audits, with a focus on

Qualifications

• Experience implementing PFMA and Treasury Regulations in a public sector or similar organisation.
• Proven ability to develop and monitor budgets and performance metrics.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of project accounting activities to ensure accurate recording and reporting of project finances.
• Develop and implement project financial management policies, procedures, and controls for compliance with PFMA and Treasury Regulations.
• Oversee monthly, quarterly, and annual project financial reporting and ensure alignment with budgets and funding allocations.
• Provide management with insights through variance analysis, forecasting, and risk assessment for strategic decision making.
• Maintain internal controls to safeguard project funds and prevent fraud or mismanagement.
• Coordinate audits and respond to audit queries related to project accounting.
• Lead and develop a high-performance team within the project accounting unit.

Skills

Agility

Result-Orientated

Strategic thinking

People management

Risk management

Budgeting

Forecasting

Job description

To lead and manage the project accounting function within CETA by ensuring accurate financial management, reporting, compliance, and governance of all project-related finances, while supporting strategic decision‑making and ensuring optimal utilisation of funds in alignment with regulatory and organisational requirements.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Develop an Operational plan aligned with the Project Accounting Divisional Strategy and CETA Mandate
• Ensure that all functions in the Unit are aligned with the developed operational plan.
• Ensure that all staff are aware of the operational plan.
• Develop set performance measurement mechanisms and ensure the implementation of these through the operational plan.
• Develop policy and procedure documents as and when required.
• Review current policies and procedures and make suggestions for changes.
• Monitor progress to ensure successful implementation of plans and achievement of targets.
• Produce relevant information reports according to requirements and timelines.
• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of project accounting activities to ensure that all financial transactions related to projects are accurately recorded, classified, and reported in line with approved budgets and financial frameworks.
• Develop and implement project financial management policies, procedures, and controls to ensure compliance with Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), Treasury Regulations, and CETA policies.
• Oversee the preparation and monitoring of project budgets, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and funding allocations while identifying potential risks and variances.
• Ensure timely and accurate allocation of project costs, including direct and indirect expenses, to appropriate cost centres and funding streams.
• Monitor project expenditure against approved budgets and provide detailed variance analysis reports with recommendations for corrective action.
• Facilitate financial decision-making by providing management with insights and analysis on project financial performance and sustainability.
• Ensure proper financial closure of projects, including reconciliation, reporting, and documentation in accordance with audit and compliance requirements.
• Oversee the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual project financial reports in compliance with applicable accounting standards and organisational requirements.
• Ensure that all financial reporting related to projects meets regulatory requirements and aligns with National Treasury reporting frameworks.
• Coordinate and manage audit processes by preparing required documentation and responding to audit queries related to project accounting.
• Review and validate financial statements and reports to ensure accuracy, completeness, and integrity of project financial information.
• Implement and maintain internal controls to safeguard project funds and prevent fraud, irregular expenditure, and financial mismanagement.
• Ensure compliance with grant conditions, donor requirements, and funding agreements related to project finances.
• Provide assurance to executive management and governance structures regarding the financial status and compliance of projects.
• Lead the development of project budgets in collaboration with project managers and relevant stakeholders to ensure alignment with organisational priorities.
• Conduct detailed financial forecasting and scenario analysis to support strategic planning and decision‑making processes.
• Monitor budget utilisation and provide ongoing financial projections to ensure optimal use of available resources.
• Identify financial risks and opportunities within project budgets and recommend mitigation strategies to management.
• Facilitate budget reviews and adjustments in response to changes in project scope, funding, or external factors.
• Ensure integration of project budgets into the overall organisational budgeting framework.
• Provide training and guidance to project teams on budgeting principles, processes, and compliance requirements.
• Manage the relationships and contracts with identified partners and service providers
• Facilitate and maintain effective stakeholder and business relationships through appropriate relationship building, networking and reporting activities.
• Represent the organisation to stakeholders, associates and partners and maintain professional, effective and amicable relationships to ensure that CETA’s interests are upheld.
• Liaise on a regular basis with all third parties and ensure that business.relationships are maintained.
• Address problems that are identified in the most appropriate manner.
• Investigate problems and find suitable solutions.
• Deal with customer queries and escalated issues from the unit.
• Build and lead an effective and cohesive team through the effective management of unit resources.
• Drive the implementation of talent acquisition, succession planning, development, and retention strategies for the unit.
• Ensure the enhancement of relevant knowledge and skills through continuous coaching, mentoring and nurturing of talent in the business unit.
• Create a high-performance culture and manage team performance effectively by translating and communicating the annual performance goals and measures into individual work plans based on agreed upon objectives.
• Ensure the working environment contributes to improving employee engagement, recognition and increased productivity.
• Ensure the management of poor performance and disciplinary matters in line with the CETA’s policies and procedures.
• Ensure all business activities adhere to relevant legal, regulatory, and industry standards.
• Prepare and submit regular reports on compliance status, highlighting any potential risks or areas of non‑compliance to executive management.
• Perform ongoing risk assessments to identify and evaluate internal and external risks that could impact operations.
• Work closely with the Executive Manager to implement risk controls and ensure alignment with organizational risk management goals.
• Monitor the progress of risk mitigation activities and escalation issues that require higher‑level intervention.
• Manage internal audits to assess the organization’s compliance with regulatory standards and internal policies.
• Stay informed about regulatory changes and ensure that internal policies and procedures are updated promptly.
• Communicate policy updates and regulatory changes to relevant teams and ensure timely implementation.
• Build and lead an effective and cohesive team through the effective management of divisional resources.
• Drive the implementation of talent acquisition, succession planning, development, and retention strategies for the division.
• Ensure the enhancement of relevant knowledge and skills through continuous coaching, mentoring and nurturing of talent in the business Division.
• Create a high-performance culture and manage team performance effectively by translating and communicating the annual performance goals and measures into individual work plans based on agreed upon objectives.
• Ensure the working environment contributes to improving employee engagement, recognition and increased productivity.
• Ensure the management of poor performance and disciplinary matters in line with the CETA’s policies and procedures.

Core Competencies:

• Agility
• Result-Orientated
• Integrity
• Respect
• Professionalism
• Stakeholder Management
• Accountability
• Strategic Management
• People Management
• Risk and Compliance Management
• Change Management
• Budgeting and Forecasting
• Attention to Detail
• Analytical Thinking
• Problem-Solving
• Time Management
• Integrity and Ethics