Specialist Fund Accountant and Administrator

Salt Employee Benefits; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Salt Employee Benefits in Cape Town seeks an experienced Specialist Fund Accountant & Administrator for a dual-function role. You will manage retirement fund administration, client portfolios and fund accounting reviews, ensuring accurate reporting and compliance.

You will handle contribution billing, reconciliations, investments, audits and monthly/quarterly reporting, while providing support across teams and onboarding new clients.

Qualifications

• Experience in retirement fund administration and fund accounting is preferred.
• Ability to perform first-level reviews of financial statements and journals.
• Experience with audits, working papers and regulatory reporting.

Responsibilities

• Administer a portfolio of participating employers and clients end-to-end.
• Manage contribution billing, allocations, reconciliations and issues.
• Process investment instructions, benefits and claims and respond to queries.
• Review monthly cashflows, management accounts and journals.
• Oversee unit-pricing processes and investigate movements.
• Assist with annual financial statements and audit requirements.
• Coordinate audit queries and onboarding for new clients.
• Monitor Section 13A contributions and escalate non-compliance.
• Provide backup to Administrators during peak periods.

Skills

Analytical skills

Reconciliation skills

Attention to detail

Microsoft Excel

Client service orientation

Communication skills

Prioritisation

Risk awareness

Judgement and integrity

Education

Accounting

Finance

Commerce

Employee Benefits / Retirement Funds

Business Administration

Tools

Fund Accounting software

SLA management tools

Job description

Purpose of the role:

We are looking for an experienced Specialist Fund Accountant & Administrator to join our Cape Town team.

This is a dual-function role combining retirement fund administration, client portfolio management and Fund Accounting review and oversight.

The successful candidate will manage a small to medium portfolio of participating employers, provide specialist support to the administration team, and perform first-level review and quality control across key Fund Accounting activities.

The role requires a strong understanding of the relationship between member administration, employer contributions, investments, cashflows, accounting records, benefit payments and financial reporting.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the end-to-end administration of an allocated portfolio of participating employers and clients.
• Manage contribution billing, allocations, reconciliations and outstanding contribution matters.
• Process and monitor investment and disinvestment instructions, benefits and claims.
• Manage client queries and ensure agreed SLA turnaround times are achieved.
• Perform first-level review of monthly Trustee cashflow reports and quarterly management accounts.
• Review and authorise journals within the applicable delegated authority.
• Review monthly investment and contribution reconciliations and investigate discrepancies.
• Provide oversight of relevant unit-pricing processes and investigate unusual movements or exceptions.
• Assist with annual financial statements, audit working papers and external audit requirements.
• Liaise with auditors and coordinate the resolution of audit queries.
• Perform first-level Section 13A contribution monitoring and **escalate** outstanding or non-compliant matters.
• Assist with new client onboarding, installations, opening balances and reconciliations.
• Perform first-level review of participating employer Special Rules.
• Provide technical and operational backup to Administrators during peak periods, leave or vacancies.
• Identify financial, administration and operational risks and ensure exceptions are investigated, corrected and escalated appropriately.
• Assist with monthly and quarterly Trustee administration and financial reporting.

Qualifications:

A relevant tertiary qualification in one of the following areas is preferred:

• Accounting
• Finance or Financial Management
• Commerce
• Employee Benefits / Retirement Funds
• Business Administration
• A related financial services discipline

Accounting or financial-management studies combined with a strong understanding of retirement fund administration will be highly advantageous.

Experience required:

The successful candidate should have practical experience in a combination of:

• Retirement fund / employee benefits administration
• Fund Accounting or financial accounting
• Contribution and investment reconciliations
• Financial reporting and management accounts
• Audit preparation and working papers
• Client portfolio management
• Benefit and claims administration
• Section 13A contribution monitoring
• Investment and disinvestment administration
• Retirement fund administration systems
• Client servicing and SLA management

Previous experience working across both Fund Accounting and retirement fund administration will be a strong advantage.

Competencies required:

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong analytical and reconciliation skills
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
• Sound Fund Accounting and retirement fund administration knowledge
• Strong Microsoft Excel and financial-analysis skills
• Ability to identify and investigate discrepancies
• Strong problem-solving and risk-awareness skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
• Strong client-service orientation
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Ability to work effectively across Administration, Fund Accounting, Investments, Risk and Compliance teams
• Accountability, initiative and sound professional judgement
• High levels of integrity and confidentiality