Travel Finance Controller

MultiChoice Group; Randburg; On-site; ZAR 300,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media and entertainment company in South Africa is seeking a Travel and Expense Manager to oversee a team responsible for travel claims and related financial processes. This role offers the opportunity to lead a growing team, ensure compliance, and improve operational efficiencies within the finance department.

Qualifications

• 1 to 2 years of people management experience.
• A minimum of 3 years Travel Finance experience.
• Experience in Accounts Payable and financial environments.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Travel & Expense team and operational deliverables.
• Oversee travel invoice processing and reconciliation.
• Supervise team members and support their performance development.

Skills

Strong administrative skills

Computer literacy

Education

Degree or Diploma in Finance/Accounting

Tools

ERP/SAP

Job description

The MultiChoice Group is a multinational media and entertainment group headquartered in South Africa with presence in amongst others the Netherlands, Dubai and the UK with principal operations in pay television (pay-TV), Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD), advertising and content security. Brands within the MultiChoice Group include DStv, GOtv, SuperSport, M-Net, DStv Media Sales, Showmax and European-based content security leader Irdeto. We’re proud to say we serve 20 million subscribers across more than 50 African markets, with a successful history of identifying and adapting to industry trends, allowing us to continuously deliver the best in entertainment.

By joining our passionate and creative team, you can help us achieve our objectives of expanding our pay-TV and SVOD (Subscription Video On demand) subscriber bases, improving advertising sales, spearheading cutting-edge technology, supporting local content and providing an exceptional customer experience.

Join Africa’s most loved storyteller!

Reports to: Supervisor: Accounts Payable

Direct Reports: Yes

Division: Finance

Department: Shared Services Centre

Key Customers: Travel & Expense Team, Procurement, Banking, Travel Desk, Travel Vendors, Finance Business Partners and Accounts Payable.

Purpose of the Position:

To oversee the operational and strategic aspects of a Travel and Expense team, ensuring execution of all travel and expense claims, travel advances for employees, aligned to the company policy and standard operating processes. Management of the Travel & Expense team, including all travel related invoice processing, query management, travel accruals and reconciliations are completed within agreed timelines to meet month-end close and reporting accuracy.

Key Performance Objectives

Operational Delivery

• Management of the Travel & Expense Team and providing guidance from an operational standpoint, aligned to company policies.
• Managed the End-to-End travel invoice processing, query management and reconciliation for all travel relate vendors.
• Provide month-end reporting for all Travel & Expense related transactions and relevant balance sheet reconciliations and disclosures, aligned to standard operating procedures.
• Facilitate and maintain effective internal and external customer relations.
• Ensure all supporting documents are verified from a VAT and compliance standpoint.
• Review and verify travel costs aligned to Travel Policy.
• Sort, code and match travel costs and invoices via the approved ERP system.
• Ensure Travel related clearing is completed and reconciled within agreed timelines.
• Review and provide support on the Balance Sheet accounts relating to Travel.
• Track and report all exceptions for governance and operations meetings.
• Reconcile Travel and related transactions.
• Monitor all Lodge Card accounts to ensure payments are up to date and avoid finance charges.
• Research and resolve all travel cost discrepancies and queries.
• Maintain vendor files and supporting documents for audit and review purposes.
• Correspond with Travel Desk and vendors regarding queries, payments, and allocations.
• Produce monthly reports and assist with month end closing.
• Provide supporting documentation for audits and VAT recoveries

Administration

Daily

• Conduct stand-up with operations team.
• Attend to daily operational deliverables aligned to agreed SLA’s, Service Catalogue and Travel Policy
• Preparation and validation of all travel costs aligned to Travel Policy
• Follow-up on all outstanding invoices with the Travel desk
• Monitor Travel accrual accounts.
• Follow-up on Travel related queries with Finance Business Partners, Travel Desk, Procurement and Accounts Payable

Monthly

• Perform all travel related vendor reconciliations for payment.
• Reconciliation of lodge cards, with supporting documents
• Perform GL recons and resolve old items across all GL accounts.
• Maintaining of supporting documentation for audit purposes
• Attend operational stakeholder management meetings

People Management

• Supervise a team of administrators to ensure effective daily operations.
• Support the line manager for the area to develop a high performing team by conducting daily and weekly operational performance discussions and assisting employees to prepare the portfolio of evidence for formal performance development discussions.
• Coach and mentor team members on a daily basis on how to improve their own productivity and use of MultiChoice’s processes and systems.
• Based on training plans agreed with the line manager of the area, monitor team members to ensure that planned training is undertaken.
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the team.
• Together with the line manager for the area, interview candidates to join the team and provide input into the recruitment decision. The line manager for the area is the final decision-maker on who joins the team.
• Obtain the workforce and recruitment plans created by the line manager and plan execution within given timelines. Make recommendations to the line manager on how to improve the plans and suggest how resources could be reallocated in case of excessive workload.
• Review and update the team’s role descriptions on at least an annual basis to ensure that they are fit for purpose and contain all the accountabilities of each team member. Explain any updates to team members.
• Review leave plans in place and make recommendations aligned to operational requirements

Reporting

• Monitor travel related policy compliance and provide recommendations to relevant stakeholders to improve
• compliance

Essential Qualifications

• Degree or Diploma in Finance/Accounting diploma or studying towards B.Com degree.

Experience / Skills

• 1 to 2 years of people management experience
• A minimum of 3 years Travel Finance experience and Corporate Travel
• Experience/Understanding of Accounts Payable
• 2 years’ experience in a financial environment
• Strong administrative skills
• Computer literacy (MS Word, Excel and Outlook)
• 2 to 3 years ERP/SAP experience

Competencies – Technical

• Corporate Travel
• Accounts receivable
• Credit Management
• Cash Management
• Accounts Payable