Senior Finance and Risk Accountant

About the Role

This role is suited to a proactive, hands-on finance professional who enjoys working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, is comfortable processing accounting work as well as reviewing it, and naturally questions figures, transactions and supporting information.

Reporting to the Group Financial Manager and working closely with the Senior Accountant, the successful candidate will support accounting through to trial balance, month-end reporting, reconciliations, statutory compliance, payment controls and VAT recovery across multiple entities. The role will also help identify and manage financial, operational, contractual and compliance risks across the Group.

This is a practical role for someone who can move confidently between processing, review and investigation: checking bank figures, following discrepancies to source, strengthening controls, monitoring contracts and escalating risks with clear recommendations.

Benefits and Package 

• Competitive salary package;
• Medical aid contribution;
• Company-supported retirement savings;
• Permanent, full-time employment;
• Exposure to multiple industries and business operations;
• Visible contribution within a privately owned, entrepreneurial Group; and
• Scope for professional growth as the Group expands.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Accounting and Month End Reporting

• Support the preparation and processing of supplier invoices, cashbooks, journals, accruals, prepayments and other accounting records through to trial balance.
• Support the completion and reviewing of the general-ledger, bank and balance-sheet reconciliations and month-end close activities accurately and on time.
• Review monthly accounts and verify bank balances against source statements or online banking records; investigate unusual movements, stale items and unreconciled differences.
• Prepare monthly management reporting packs, cash-flow information and supporting schedules for review by the Group Financial Manager.
• Analyse income statement variances and explain the factors driving performance.

Cash Flow Tax and Compliance

• Support cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting across Group entities and question material deviations from expectations.
• Support the preparation and submission of accurate VAT201 and EMP201 returns within the required deadlines; identify and recover valid input VAT and maintain complete supporting evidence.
• Review VAT reconciliations and follow up on omitted, rejected or historical claims where recovery is valid and adequately supported.
• Assist with audit preparation, maintain clear supporting files and respond to information requests from external auditors.
• Prepare payment batches, verify invoices, approvals and supplier banking details, and co-release approved payments in line with bank mandates, delegated authority and segregation-of-duties controls.

Risk Contracts and Governance

• Maintain a practical Group risk and asset register and dashboard covering financial, operational, tax, fraud, payment, liquidity, reporting and compliance risks, including owners, actions and target dates.
• Assess emerging risks and control failures, investigate root causes and recommend proportionate corrective action to the Senior Accountant and Group Financial Manager.
• Maintain a central contract register and monitor key dates, renewals, notice periods, financial commitments, payment terms, guarantees, insurance requirements and other material obligations.
• Review contracts from a finance and risk perspective, flag unusual or unfavourable commercial terms and coordinate specialist legal review where interpretation or legal advice is required.
• Monitor adherence to delegated authority, banking mandates, finance policies, statutory obligations and contractual commitments, and escalate exceptions promptly.
• Support due-diligence reviews, insurance information requests and the investigation and documentation of suspected fraud, loss events or material control breaches.

Financial Controls and Team Support

• Review and validate accounting entries and reconciliations prepared by junior finance team members and provide practical guidance where required.
• Identify incomplete information, unusual transactions, duplicate or suspicious payments and control weaknesses, and ensure they are investigated and addressed.
• Help strengthen accounting processes, reconciliations, payment controls and documented procedures across the Group.
• Track agreed remedial actions, follow up with responsible owners and escalate overdue or unresolved risks with practical recommendations.
• Provide clear financial and risk information that supports sound management decisions.
• Perform ad hoc accounting, reconciliation, risk-review and reporting duties across the Group.

Trade Finance Support

• Provide general financial and accounting support relating to the Group’s trade finance activities.
• Assist with reconciliations, transaction reviews and financial controls relating to trade finance operations.

Requirements

Please apply only if you meet all the following minimum requirements:

• Completed BCom Accounting degree or equivalent accounting qualification;
• Completed SAIPA or SAICA articles;
• Professional registration with SAICA, SAIPA or as an AGA(SA)
• At least three years of relevant post-articles experience in a hands-on financial accounting or finance-control role;
• Hands-on experience with accounting processing, trial balance, bank and general-ledger reconciliations, month-end reporting, payment controls, VAT and management accounts;
• Exposure to risk registers, internal controls, contract administration, compliance monitoring or multi-entity operations;
• Experience using Sage 300 Accpac or a comparable accounting system;
• Exposure to financial services, property, hospitality or other multi-industry operations;
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills; and
• Ability to work full-time from our offices in Cape Town’s Northern Suburbs.

Is This You?

• Do you have a proven track record in strong accounting, reconciliation, financial-reporting, and control capability?
• Are you known for your accuracy, strict confidentiality, and sound financial and risk judgement?
• Do you naturally take ownership of your work and follow responsibilities all the way through to completion?
• Do you find yourself questioning bank figures, transactions, and assumptions—digging deeper to investigate incomplete or inconsistent information?
• Can you translate complex figures into clear, practical financial insights for the rest of the business?
• Can you thrive working independently while still being a positive, collaborative force within the Finance team?
• Do you excel at juggling competing priorities and consistently meeting tight deadlines?