Team Lead: Financial Accountant

DBSA; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading development finance institution is seeking a Team Lead: Financial Accountant in Midrand, South Africa. This role involves ensuring the accurate recording and reporting of financial transactions, compliance with accounting standards, and driving continuous improvement. A minimum of 8 years of experience and a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting are required. The position focuses on financial management, stakeholder engagement, and team leadership, offering a permanent contract within a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in financial accounting and reporting.
• Strong understanding of IFRS and VAT laws.
• Experience in financial services and SARS e-filing.

Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with financial regulations and standards.
• Oversee accounts payable, receivable, and payroll processes.
• Participate in annual external audit processes.

Skills

Financial accounting

SAP

Microsoft Excel

Problem-solving

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Accounting

Tools

SAP

Job description

Closing Date: 2025/12/31

Reference Number: DBS251205-1

Job Title: Team Lead: Financial Accountant

Job Grade: 00

Job Type Classification: Permanent

Location - Town / City: Midrand

Location - Province: Gauteng

Location - Country: South Africa

Job Profile: Team Lead Financial Accountant_Job Profile October 2025 v2.docx.pdf (279.51 kb) - 12/5/2025 5:49:06 PM

The purpose of the role is to ensure the accurate recording, reporting, and analysis of the DBSA financial transactions in compliance with accounting standards and regulatory requirements. Key performance areas include Technical Expertise and Knowledge, Problem Solving and Decision Making, Innovation and Improvement, Financial Management, Management Reporting and Information Systems, Transactional Processing and General Ledger Management, Internal Control and Risk Management, Stakeholder Management and Reporting, and Team Leadership and Management. Key measurements of outputs include Timeliness of accounts payable and subsistence and travel payment, accuracy rate of financial information, risk mitigation actions implemented, and stakeholder satisfaction scores.

Key Responsibilities

1. Technical Expertise and Knowledge

• Leverage advanced technical knowledge and skills to provide expert insights and solutions.
• Stay abreast of the latest industry developments, technologies, and best practices to maintain a high level of competency and innovation. Apply expertise to analyse complex problems, design effective solutions, and support the implementation of projects or initiatives.
• Share knowledge with colleagues and stakeholders, facilitating training sessions, presentations, or consultations as needed.
• Maintain a deep understanding within area of expertise and contribute to continuous improvement.

2. Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Apply analytical skills and industry-specific knowledge to effectively identify, assess, and address complex challenges within their area of expertise.
• Analyse situations to understand underlying issues, considering various factors and perspectives, and develop creative and practical solutions.
• Demonstrate sound judgment and decisiveness, making informed decisions based on data, evidence, and expert insight while anticipating potential outcomes and risks.
• Collaborate with team members and stakeholders to gather input and ensure alignment before implementing solutions.
• Solve problems and make strategic decisions, the specialist contributes to optimizing operations, driving innovation, and achieving organisational goals.

3. Innovation and Improvement

• Champion innovation and foster a culture of continuous improvement within their area of expertise.
• Identify opportunities to enhance processes, products, or services, leveraging their technical knowledge, creativity, and industry insights.
• Explore and implement cutting‑edge technologies or methodologies to drive efficiency, quality, and value for the organisation.
• Encourage and facilitate idea generation among team members, promoting a collaborative environment where innovative solutions can flourish.
• Seek ways to improve and innovate, the specialist contributes to maintaining the organisation's competitive edge and adapting to evolving market demands.

4. Financial Management

• Maintain an understanding of the DBSA financial transactions to understand the impact on the financial position, financial performance and cash flow statement disclosures.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with financial, tax, VAT and related regulations.
• Implement financial policies and procedures that consistently support business operations.
• Contribute to proactive and regular forecasting and scenario planning for corporate balance sheet and cash flow statements.
• Manage and control payments to prevent fraudulent activities.
• Enhance financial control standards and ensure effective management of working capital, risk management, and disciplined financial best practices.
• Execute daily clearing and reconciliation of DBSA general ledger accounts.
• Timely processing of all journal entries, supplier invoices, and debtors' invoices.
• Monthly preparation of financial information used in financial reporting and management reports.
• Prepare and reconcile creditors' and debtors' accounts.
• Contribute to the preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual reports, including variance reporting in collaboration with business.
• Assist and contribute towards the preparation of annual and interim IFRS compliant annual financial statements of the Bank.
• Contribute and assist management with annual external audit processes and preparation of regulatory submissions.

5. Management Reporting and Information Systems

• Analyse and report on the Bank's income and expenses, providing insights to the business.
• Provide support in forecasting and scenario planning for both corporate and divisional operations.
• Provide management reporting information for the Finance and Business Heads, CFO, CEO, and Board.
• Lead the accounts payable function to ensure accuracy, completeness, and reliability of business information for decision-making, trend analysis, forecasting and action planning.
• Align financial policies, procedures and strategies with SAP FICO design to reflect business and financial rules.
• Drive continuous improvement in management information reporting and system enhancements within the finance division.
• Review actions against the organisational plan (Balance Score Card) and consider the "big picture" when identifying opportunities.
• Stay informed about DBSA's business functions and industry developments.
• Ensure compliance with legislative, financial, tax, VAT and related matters, including Treasury and PFMA requirements.
• Prepare or review journal entries for accuracy and potential errors.
• Collaborate with business and other finance functions to ensure timely and accurate management reporting.
• Ensure correct VAT on accounts payable and receivable transactions.
• Participate in ad hoc financial projects to enhance financial control across the business.

6. Transactional Processing and General Ledger Management

• Oversee accounts payable, receivable, and payroll processes to ensure timely payments and collections, maintaining good supplier and employee relationships and healthy cash flow.
• Maintain the integrity of the general ledger as this is the foundation for reliable financial reporting and audit compliance.
• Perform reconciliations and ensure accurate journal entries to detect and correct errors early, ensuring the accuracy of financial data and preventing fraud.

7. Internal Control and Risk Management

• Implement and monitor financial controls to safeguard assets, ensure data accuracy and prevent unauthorised transactions.
• Identify and mitigate financial risks to protect the DBSA from financial losses and operational disruptions.
• Ensure adherence to governance and compliance frameworks to promote ethical behaviour, accountability and regulatory compliance.

8. Stakeholder Management and Reporting

• Provide direction and management to colleagues in the accounts payable function.
• Provide financial insights to management and business units to help non-financial managers understand the financial impact of their decisions and actions.
• Build relationships with stakeholders across the organisation to ensure open communication and a deep understanding of the Bank's operations.
• Support business decision-making with financial data to improve efficiency, profitability and competitiveness.

9. Team Leadership and Management

• Foster a collaborative and high-performance team environment.
• Set clear goals, provide guidance, and support professional development.
• Monitor team performance and promote continuous learning and innovation.

10. Key Measurements of Outputs

• Timeliness of accounts payable and subsistence and travel payment.
• Accuracy rate of financial information (e.g., number of audit findings).
• Risk mitigation actions implemented.
• Stakeholder satisfaction scores.

Expertise & Technical Competencies

a) Financial Accounting

• Thorough understanding of relevant accounting principles for DBSA and ability to guide others in their application.
• Implements controls for and monitors accounting transactions to ensure legal/regulatory compliance, and accuracy and timeliness of accounting information.
• Ability to apply credit/collection concepts independently, and able to adapt or develop new procedures as needed within DBSA and professional guidelines.
• Identifies bottlenecks and areas for improvement within the organisation's Financial Services concerning the efficiency and accuracy of the existing financial systems and processes.

b) Costing and Budgeting

• Able to prepare and input budget information for various departments.
• Able to produce standard monthly cost/variance reports for distribution to line management.
• Provides analytical support to the Finance function in the preparation of financial proposals, submissions and projected costs to be included in budgets and allocations.
• Understands monthly close/trial balance procedures.
• Understands cost/revenue centre structure.

c) Detail Orientation

• Identifies multiple sources/approaches of information to ensure that details are addressed.
• Reviews the work of others for accuracy and thoroughness.
• Follows up to ensure tasks are completed and commitments met by others.

d) Financial Analysis

• Basic general knowledge of applicable statutes, regulations, entity/company practices and concepts.
• Interprets and applies laws and regulations, analyses information and evaluates the impact of policies/procedures and practices.
• Accumulates data; summarizes information into pertinent, understandable, and presentable form; discerning valid from invalid comparisons of data; and seeking explanation for variations in the data.
• Initiates and maintains working relationships with stakeholders.

e) Financial Acumen

• Possesses sufficient expertise to establish and manage income and expenditure monitoring systems for own area of the business.
• Understands cost/revenue drivers within own area and is able to take actions to control resources and expenditure to meet financial targets.
• Understands basic management accounting reports and the processes by which financial resources are identified, obtained, allocated, managed and accounted for.

f) Planning and Organising

• Is relied on to helps another plan and organise their workload.
• Uses effectively advance time management processes to deal with high workload and tight deadlines.
• Organises, prioritises and schedules tasks so they can be performed within budget and with the efficient use of time and resources.
• Achieves goals in a timely manner, despite obstacles encountered, by organising, reprioritising and replanning.

Minimum Qualification

• A Bachelors Degree in Accounting and 3-year articles in auditing or Training Outside Public Practice (TOPP).

Minimum Experience

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in financial accounting and reporting.
• Working knowledge of banking payment channel including processing, verification, cut-off times and basic troubleshooting.
• Understanding of internal controls and segregation of duties, including dual authorisation and audit trail requirements.
• Ability to identify and resolve processing discrepancies by analysing supporting documents and transaction records.
• Knowledge of IFRS and VAT laws.
• Strong understanding of and a strong commitment to good corporate governance and specifically International Reporting Standards and other regulatory requirements, including the PFMA.
• Strong SAP working knowledge.
• Advance Microsoft Excel working experience.
• Experience in a financial accounting role in financial services.
• Experience in SARS e‑filing (value-added tax and PAYE).

Required Personal Attributes

a) Customer Service Orientation

• Tries to understand the underlying needs of customers and matches these needs to available or customised products and services.
• Adapts processes and procedures to meet on-going customer needs.
• Utilises the feedback received by customers to develop new and/or improve existing services/products that relate to their on-going needs.
• Thinks of new ways to align DBSA's offerings with future customer needs.

b) Self-awareness and Self Control

• Withholds effects of strong emotions in difficult situations.
• Keeps functioning or responds constructively despite stress.
• May apply special techniques or plan of time to manage emotions or stress.

c) Strategic and Innovative Thinking

• Experiments with new approaches, tests scenarios, questions assumptions, and challenges conventional thinking.
• Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others, leveraging internal and external sources of information, to build incremental revenue and growth opportunities.

d) Driving Delivery of Results

• Sets challenging goals that will have a significant impact on the business or support the organisational strategy.
• Commits significant resources and/or time to ensure that challenging goals are achieved, while also taking action to mitigate risk.

e) Teamwork & Cooperation

• Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts.
• Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
• Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.