Financial Accounting Manager

The Financial Accounting Manager is responsible for leading and controlling the Company’s financial accounting activities, ensuring accurate books, timely month end close, fully supported reconciliation, effective internal controls and reliable audit trails. The role owns general ledger accounting, accounts payable, bank reconciliation, property, plant and equipment, insurance and employee accounts.

The Financial Accounting Manager’s responsibilities include;

• Oversee and manage the general accounting functions.
• Assess current practices and procedures, and make recommendations for improvements.
• Identify key accounting risks across all finance functions, keeping abreast of new developments in financial accounting and reporting, and updating the Company’s management of new legislative developments.

PRIMARY TASKS:

Financial Accounting;

• Manage and develop the Financial Accounting team, allocate responsibilities and monitor delivery to ensure compliance with monthly, quarterly and annual close, reconciliation, reporting and audit deadlines.
• Lead accurate and timely month-end, quarter-end and year-end financial accounting close, manage the close timetable and report monthly to management on closure status, material accounting matters, outstanding reconciliation, aged items and corrective actions.
• Maintain general ledger integrity and ensure journals and account classifications are accurate, properly authorized and supported.
• Review and formally sign off all balance-sheet, general ledger and sub-ledger reconciliation, ensuring adequate support, valid reconciling items, clear ageing and accountable action owners.
• Promptly escalate material, unusual, unsupported or overdue reconciliation differences and control issues, including their financial impact, root cause and recommended corrective action.
• Oversee accounts payable, vendor postings, supplier reconciliation, vendor advances, GRIR/GRNI, accruals, provisions, prepayments and clearing accounts.
• Ensure bank and cashbook reconciliations are completed at the required frequency and reconciling items are promptly investigated and resolved.
• Maintain fixed-asset records and control additions, capitalisation, capital work in progress, depreciation, transfers, revaluations, impairments, disposals, physical verification and tagging.
• Manage insurance administration, including renewals, insured-value and exposure schedules, policy and claims registers, claim filing, follow-up, settlement and related accounting.
• Control employee imprests, salary advances, loans and other staff accounts through accurate posting, ageing, confirmation, recovery and follow-up.
• Coordinate intercompany reconciliations and ensure unresolved differences are escalated and cleared within agreed timelines.
• Manage the full external-audit process, including the audit plan, schedules, supporting evidence, query resolution and delivery against agreed timelines.
• Draft and review the complete annual financial statements and supporting notes in accordance with applicable financial-reporting requirements, and coordinate their review and approval.
• Lead financial accounting support for internal audits and drive timely closure of relevant audit findings.
• Review, strengthen and document internal controls across financial accounting processes, including journals, reconciliations, accounts payable, fixed assets, insurance and employee accounts.
• Implement, standardise and streamline processes, controls, workflows, templates and reporting to improve efficiency, shorten close cycles, enhance SAP data quality and reduce manual or recurring items.
• Maintain complete accounting records, reliable audit trails, appropriate document retention and effective use of SAP, SharePoint and approved reporting tools.
• Lead, coach and cross-train the Financial Accounting team, maintain effective back-up arrangements and build strong stakeholder relationships.
• Provide reconciled accounting information to the Treasury, Credit Control, Management Accounting and Tax managers without assuming their specialist responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES:

Business Skills;

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, taxation, finance, business or related field.
• Chartered Accountancy or Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
• Proven experience of 8-10 years as a Public Accountant, out of which at least 5 years should be in a senior managerial role handling financial accounting and tax compliance.
• The ability to work with SAP ERP.
• Extensive knowledge of Accounting Standards (IFRS) and Tax Legislation.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Strong analytical and communication skills.
• Sound problem-solving skills.

Interpersonal Skills;

• Ability to work in a team.
• Good leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to properly interpret, apply and make decisions in accordance with the relevant policies.
• High integrity and judgment.
• An ability to generate trust and build alliances with co-workers.
• Ability to work well with the existing management team.
• Adept in developing and maintaining relationship with all stakeholders.
• Go getter approach.
• Fluent in written and spoken English, understanding of Swahili will be an added advantage.