Finance Manager

Location: Johannesburg Metro, Johannesburg, South Africa

Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Primary Industry: Accounting

Position Overview

We are looking for a hands-on and experienced Finance Manager / Management Accountant to take responsibility for the day-to-day financial operations of the business.

The ideal candidate will have gained their experience within a small to medium-sized accounting practice, where they have been responsible for managing multiple clients, processing high volumes of transactions and working across a broad range of accounting functions.

Experience within a smaller accounting firm is highly advantageous, as it generally develops strong practical accounting skills, efficiency, attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.

The successful candidate will have a strong working knowledge of Xero and SARS e-filing, be comfortable with high-volume processing and have the ability to work independently while also managing and developing a small finance team.

We are looking for someone who is not afraid to get involved in the detail and who can balance hands-on processing with financial management, reporting and team oversight.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Accounting & Processing

• Oversee and manage the day-to-day financial processing of the business.
• Perform and review high-volume accounting transactions on Xero.
• Ensure all transactions are accurately and timeously captured and allocated.
• Process and review:
  • Customer invoices
  • Supplier invoices
  • Payments and receipts
  • Bank transactions
  • Creditors and debtors
  • Journals
  • General ledger transactions
  • Cashbook transactions
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date accounting records.
• Perform regular bank and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies and unusual transactions.
• Ensure financial records are complete and properly supported.

2. Management Accounting & Reporting

• Prepare monthly management accounts and financial reports.
• Assist management with understanding financial performance and trends.
• Prepare and analyse:
  • Income statements
  • Balance sheets
  • Cash flow reports
  • Management reports
  • Variance analysis
  • Financial performance indicators
• Identify financial risks, discrepancies and areas requiring management attention.
• Provide meaningful financial insights and recommendations to management.
• Assist with budgeting, forecasting and cash-flow planning.

3. SARS, Tax & E-Filing

• Manage and maintain the company's SARS-related financial compliance.
• Prepare and submit relevant SARS returns via e-filing.
• Assist with:
  • VAT201 submissions
  • EMP201 submissions
  • EMP501 reconciliations
  • IRP5-related processes
  • Income tax submissions
  • Other applicable SARS submissions
• Ensure tax and statutory deadlines are consistently met.
• Liaise with SARS and external tax/accounting professionals where required.
• Maintain accurate supporting documentation for all submissions.

4. Accounts Payable & Receivable

• Oversee the full accounts payable and receivable functions.
• Monitor outstanding customer balances and follow up on overdue accounts.
• Review supplier accounts and payment schedules.
• Ensure supplier statements are reconciled.
• Assist with cash-flow management and payment planning.
• Ensure appropriate controls are in place to minimise financial risk and errors.

5. Payroll Support

• Oversee and/or review payroll-related accounting entries.
• Ensure payroll reconciliations are accurately completed.
• Work closely with HR/payroll to ensure payroll information is correctly reflected in the accounting records.
• Assist with payroll-related statutory reporting where required.

6. Financial Controls & Compliance

• Establish, maintain and improve financial controls and accounting processes.
• Identify weaknesses in existing financial processes and recommend improvements.
• Ensure appropriate segregation of duties and financial controls are maintained.
• Monitor financial transactions for errors, irregularities or potential fraud.
• Maintain proper financial records and supporting documentation.
• Ensure the company remains compliant with applicable accounting, tax and statutory requirements.

7. Team Management

• Manage, mentor and develop a small finance team.
• Allocate workloads and ensure deadlines are achieved.
• Review work completed by finance staff and provide guidance where required.
• Train team members on accounting processes and systems.
• Monitor individual and team performance.
• Promote a culture of accuracy, accountability and efficiency.
• Step in and assist with processing during busy periods when required.
• Ideally, the successful candidate will have previous experience managing a small team of approximately 3–4 people.

8. External Accountant / Auditor Liaison

• Liaise with external accountants, auditors, tax practitioners and other professional advisors.
• Prepare information and supporting schedules for annual financial statements and audits.
• Respond to accounting and financial queries from external stakeholders.
• Ensure requested financial information is accurate and provided within agreed deadlines.

Qualifications

• BCom Accounting, BCom Management Accounting, BCom Financial Accounting or similar qualification.
• Alternatively, a relevant accounting qualification combined with substantial practical experience.
• SAIPA/SAICA/CIMA or similar professional affiliation would be advantageous.

Experience

• 3–5+ years' relevant accounting experience, preferably gained within a small to medium-sized accounting practice.
• Strong practical experience with Xero.
• Strong working knowledge of SARS e-filing.
• Experience managing multiple clients, entities or accounting functions simultaneously.
• Experience with high-volume financial processing.
• Previous experience preparing management accounts.
• Experience with VAT, PAYE and other SARS submissions.
• Previous experience supervising or managing a small finance team is highly advantageous.
• Experience managing a team of approximately 3–4 people would be ideal.