Accounts Receivable Manager

ACCOUNTS RECIEVABLE MANAGER

Finance

Job Purpose

The Accounts Receivable Manager is responsible for leading the accounts receivable function within a fast-paced growing FMCG environment, ensuring accurate billing, timely collections, and optimal cash flow. Operating in a high-volume, customer-centric setting, this role requires strong leadership, process discipline, and relationship management to reduce risk, minimize bad debt, and ensure financial integrity across a broad customer base—including wholesalers, retailers, distributors, and key accounts. The Accounts Receivable Manager will report into the Head of Shared Services.

Key Accountabilities and Outputs

1. Accounts Receivable Operations

• Oversee the full accounts receivable cycle, including invoicing, collections, credit control, cash application, and customer account reconciliations.
• Ensure the accurate and timely billing of large volumes of transactions, considering delivery schedules and promotional discounts common in the beverage industry.
• Manage collection processes aligned to customer payment terms (e.g. 7-day, 14-day, 30-day cycles) to ensure healthy DSO and reduce aged debt.
• Collaborate with the sales and distribution teams to resolve pricing, delivery, and rebate disputes that impact payment.
• Maintain accurate AR sub-ledgers, reconcile customer accounts, and ensure proper application of cash and credit notes.
• Manage deductions, claims, and short payments—ensuring proper documentation and resolution.

2. Credit Risk and Customer Relationship Management

• Evaluate and approve credit applications for new customers in line with internal credit policy and risk appetite.
• Review and adjust customer credit limits based on trading history, payment performance, and business risk exposure.
• Monitor key FMCG customers (e.g. national retailers, route-to-market distributors, and independent stores) for payment behavior and escalate risks early.
• Maintain strong relationships with key customers’ finance and procurement teams to support cash collection and issue resolutions.
• Ensure accurate application of the National Credit Act

3. Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, train, and support a team of Credit managers, AR clerks and credit controllers in delivering best-in-class receivables performance.
• Set performance targets and KPI’s related to DSO, collections, and query turnaround time.
• Foster a high-performance, results-driven culture with a focus on collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct regular team reviews and support ongoing skills development.
• Assist the business in streamlining the claims process.
• Generate and analyze AR aging reports, customer account status, bad debt provisions, and DSO trends.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly AR reports for senior finance and sales leadership.
• Support the month-end close by ensuring all receivables, provisions, and adjustments are accurately recorded.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, tax regulations (e.g. VAT), and external audit requirements.
• Assist in developing cash flow forecasts based on receivables outlook and planned collections.
• Assisting with any ad-hoc requirements.

4. Reporting, Analysis, and Compliance

Qualifications and Experience

• 3 Year Diploma in Credit Management or Bachelors Degree in Accounting (B.Com 3 years)
  • 3–5 years in an Accounts Receivable or Credit Management role within FMCG or beverage industry – Essential
  • Experience managing high-volume customer accounts, route-to-market complexity, and short payment cycles
  • Experience in managing large sized teams.
  • Strong background in credit risk analysis, cash application, and dispute resolution
  • Credit Management 1 – 3 is mandatory.
  • Advanced SAP experience is recommended (SAP R3 to S4)

Key Qualities

Communication

• Communication requiring a high level of diplomacy and sensitivity

Problem Solving

• Proactive identification of functional problems related to a specific process or policy, determine cause and impact, and choose the best alternative to solve the problem based on guidelines provided and an understanding of the theory or practices underpinning the problem.

Relationships Maintained

• Groups of individuals at a senior management level inside the organisation

Behavioural Competencies

Collaboration

• Helps others with their work.
• Meets commitments to team members or others in the organisation.
• Actively contributes to team discussions and the accomplishment of team work plans.
• Shares expertise and resources to help others address their needs.
• Seeks to include all those who can contribute to the most successful outcome and those who have a stake in the results.
• Actively keeps all stakeholders informed.
• Attempts to reinvigorate team processes when progress is lagging: stays engaged even when not in full agreement with the team’s direction.

Accountability

• Accomplishes assigned tasks and goals: takes necessary actions to keep progress against objectives on track.
• Prepares a roadmap for success.
• Ensures that all who need to know, are clear about the plan.
• Takes full responsibility for own actions and outcomes, including mistakes.
• Always acts in the company’s best interest, regardless of whether it is difficult or unpopular.
• Ensures others are on track for achieving their goals.

Decision Making

• Organises information to make it easier to analyse or see trends.
• Anticipates consequences and formulates alternatives.
• Establishes clear decision criteria for making informed choices.
• Seeks relevant information to better understand situations and problems.
• Conducts appropriate analysis; neither makes snap decisions or over-analyses.
• Sees relationships between various facts, figures or other information.

Analytical Thinking

• Able to take a complex task and breaking it down into manageable parts in a logical, detailed way.
• Thinks of multiple explanations or alternatives to a problem
• Able to identify the information needed to solve a problem effectively
• Performs tasks accurately and thoroughly, making adjustments to ensure needs are met
• Considers business priorities when making decisions or analysing the costs and benefits of various alternative solutions.

Planning and Organising

• Manages time effectively, ensuring effective completion of tasks under stressful deadlines.
• Able to prioritise activities and resources, ensuring that results are achieved effectively.
• Able to evaluate progress and make appropriate adjustments to initial plans, ensuring a successful outcome.