Financial Accountant needed at Oxford University Press Southern Africa

Principal Accountabilities:

Financial Statement Integrity and Usefulness:

• Manage Africa entities period close control for all SAP modules at month end. Control re-opening of periods through period management protocol.
• Execute R2R month-end procedures for Africa entities including journal processing, OUP Africa and groupwide sundry recharge invoicing.
• Initiate and draft multi-currency journals for approval by Finance Reporting and Analysis Manager
• Reconcile balance sheet accounts (Africa entities except Kenya)
• Apply Group policy and IFRS accounting standards to Africa entities financial accounting.
• Ad hoc: Projects: For Example:  Action ledger entries, account blocking, audit explanations for impacted entities

Effective Financial Operations Processes, Systems, and Controls:

• Control Fixed Asset and Publications First Cost register in SAP for Africa Entities
• SAP batch job control for Africa entities. Maintain parameters in SAP tables, follow procedure detail accurately and in correct order. Resolve exceptions and errors with SAP IT Support when needed.
• Clearing general ledger accounts
• General ledger master data structure maintenance for Africa entities
• Mastery of SAP reports and transaction codes

Accurate and Timely Financial and Management Reporting:

• Preparing the monthly Orbis Group Consolidation pack with multi-currency translation, group consolidation eliminations and foreign currency translation reserve.
• Reporting and underlying consolidation model adapted to a changing technology and environment.

Finance Innovation, Change and Value Creation:

• Anticipate the impact of changes in the organization and act early to mitigate negative outcomes or provide solutions. Solve temporary finance gaps and process/system challenges through the development and maintenance of models.
• Subscriptions model maintained/ adapted, and adjustments journalled.
• IFRS exposure on intangible assets
• Demonstrate strong problem-solving skills for Financial Accounting, SAP, systems and Financial Operations.
• Analysis of complex areas of ledger and communication or application of findings to inform improved financial management.

Audits – Internal and External:

• Provide External Auditors with explanations for audit queries, reconciliation’s, substantive evidence as well as ledger data.
• Demonstrate to external auditors how OUP Group Policy and Accounting Standards e.g., IFRS is applied correctly in manual and automated ledger entries.
• Walk External Auditors through financial models and systems/controls.
• Implement Management Letter recommendations following an Internal or External Audit engagement. Provide initial responses to, R2R relevant, points in Management Letters before they are finalised.

Stakeholder Relationship Management:

• Build strong working relationships with Africa Finance team leads and Commercial teams.
• Liaise regularly with OUPSA Managers and staff, OE & Group Finance. Ability to influence stakeholders, distil complex issues to non-finance areas and communicate in a style appropriate to the stakeholder seniority and area of expertise.

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor of Commerce in Finance or Accounting
• A minimum of 5 years’ working experience in Accounting and Control or Financial Operations ideally at a global company operating in a matrix environment,
• Robust experience in ERP system (SAP advantageous)
• advanced MS excel
• Experience in Financial accounting with working experience or equivalent engagement with auditors
• Operational finance and Internal Control