Accountant - Revenue Analysis.Finance at MTN

Responsibilities

Revenue recognition:

• The accounting for revenue generated from the Service Delivery Platform (SDP) in accordance with IFRS, including the unearned revenue (IFRS15).
• Prepare all Revenue Accounting calculations and journals in accordance with IFRS 15
• Prepare reconciliations between airtime sales, charging systems and the general ledger to ensure the completeness of Revenue.
• Calculating the contract liability relating to the Voucher system. 
• Ongoing monitoring of all key primary controls that originate from Receivables and the charging system to facilitate full accountability over the completeness, accuracy and validity of revenues and where necessary bring outdated controls to management attention with a suggested solution. 
• Validating source data reports used for revenue reporting to ensure accuracy and completeness of reports.
• Reviewing and assessing current and future products to ensure that revenue recognised complies with IFRS principles. If any changes are noted, recommendations should be posed to correct it.
• Ensure that all accounting entries comply with IFRS.
• Review mappings from source systems to the GL to ensure integrity (accuracy, completeness and validity) of financial information and to ensure revenue allocations are correct. 
• Review account mappings and classification of revenue streams into appropriate segments for group reporting purposes. Ensure all new products are accounted for in the Billing and Financial system to ensure accuracy and completeness in Financial Statements. 
• Systematise and Enhance critical technology solutions relating to revenue such as the IFRS15 cube/Billing system and other primary controls.
• Contribute to enhancements in the billing systems in order to facilitate data output which is insightful to finance and marketing
• Resolve complaints and escalated queries with regards to revenue accounting timeously.
• Provide financial input on request from other MTN functional areas.
• Prepare the monthly segment report for Group reporting and engage with stakeholders in all the relevant business units to verify outputs
• Provide input to monthly Opco pack, Quarterly reporting pack, board and audit committee documents as well as the business plan as relates to revenue
• Engage with business units and reporting team on the accuracy of the non financial information

Revenue Assurance

• Assist in the development and implementation of the RA process in accordance with the RA Framework for the MTN Opco Revenue Department
• Review of all MTN OPCO Revenue Department RA controls on an ongoing basis
• Ensure resolution of all RA issues
• Reporting on all RA issues to the Manager & Senior Manger
• Participation in relevant RA workstream forums

Cost of Sales

• Ensure the accuracy of cost of sales relating to airtime vouchers, cards and handset.
• Analyse that the airtime discount provided to channels in relation to voucher sales is accurate according to the contracts signed and accurately depict the value in the Income Statement. Identify any variances and provide management with meaningful and insightful explanations.
• Prepare the relevant reconciliations between the general ledger and sub-ledger in support of the cost of sales recorded for the month. 

Revenue and Cost of Sales analysis

• Prepare insightful analysis to management on Revenue movements, financial and non financial.
• Prepare insightful commentary on a monthly basis on revenue performance integrating factors from various sources including network performance, seasonality and trends, marketing information on products and promotions etc.
• Create working relationships with members for various departments within the organisation to gain insights on the revenue streams.
• Work with the responsible Business Units to understand  the new products to be launched and the drivers for these products and the impact on Revenue. 
• Prepare detailed reconciliations between Spend and Recharge Dashboard to Revenue Recognised and prepare explanations for any variances noted. 
• Perform recurring and ad hoc detailed revenue analysis 
• Assist the manager to design dashboards for stakeholders:
• Product and segment owners
• Finance Business Partners
• Provide insights and commentary for internal and external reporting such as monthly, quarterly, and annual reviews, board and audit committee presentations. 

Revenue and cost of sales Forecasting/Budgets

• Prepare top-down budget/forecasts regarding revenues and cost of sales using the insights obtained.
• Update forecasting models for daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly revenue forecasts. 
• Monitor revenue and cost of sales drivers, comparing to expectations. Continually test for reasonability and validity. Identify new drivers.

Implementation and performance of the revenue accounting cycle controls and documentation of processes

• Analyse various revenue impacting system integrations in order to develop key controls, policies and procedures governing the accuracy.
• Update the process flows documenting product lifecycle, charging, provisioning and rating as is necessitated for the accurate recognition of revenue. And were necessary, assist the manager with the designing of process flows when new products are introduced.
• Implement key controls to ensure timely, efficient, accurate and insightful reporting of revenues
• Provide inputs to revenue related system changes
• Monitor daily, weekly and monthly controls to minimize the risk of revenue leakage

Month end and reporting periods

• The capturing of the journals and adjusting journals into the financial system upon review of the manager. 
• Calculate the rates used to recognise revenue relating the different bearer types accurately that will represent the recharges off the charging system and then revenue recognition.
• Ensure that the Income Statement accurately represents the information that has been captured off the charging system.
• Assist the manager by ensuring that month-end deadlines are met timeously. 
• Provide input to the compilation of the annual financial statements including supporting disclosures that are revenue related. 
• Prepare financial and balance sheet reconciliations related to revenue recognition and bring material variances to management attention.
• Review mappings from source systems to the GL to ensure integrity (accuracy, completeness and validity) of financial information and to ensure revenue allocations are correct. 
• Prepare reconciliation over revenue related balance sheet provisions including the completeness, accuracy, validity of the balances and related provisions
• Review SP Debtors Control and Inter-company and manage the related clearing accounts.
• Develop insightful revenue reporting and develop dashboard for stakeholders:
• Manager: Revenue Accounting & Analysis
• Regional teams
• Senior Manager: Revenue Accounting & GM: FP&A
• Finance Business Partners
• Provide insights and commentary for internal and external reporting such as monthly, quarterly and annual reviews.
• Perform recurring and ad hoc detailed revenue analysis 
• Perform month-end closure and ensure timeous reporting.
• Streamline financial reports to ensure that they are aligned to the accounting system.
• Preparation of all financial reconciliations related to revenue recognition
• Analyse results and highlight variances and corrective action.

Audit and Revenue Information requests

• Assist in co-ordinating the audit (internal and external) of revenue recognition
• Provide support to other business units which require revenue related information such as regulatory, business units.
• Assist with the audits fielding or referring questions and requests from the auditors
• Liaise with the auditors around their requirements and prepare schedules required for the audit.
• Work with Revenue Assurance to ensure that gaps identified are addressed and resolved timeously.

Improvement and reviewing new business requirements

• Review proposed marketing products to be integrated into the billing environment to ensure that controls are in place, and that revenue is recorded correctly in line with principles of IFRS
• Provide input to marketing as well as billing team on the configuration of products in the billing and charging systems in order to facilitate accurate revenue recorded and reporting
• Review all revenue related contracts to ascertain billing configuration and accounting treatment as well as potential tax treatment which must be referred to the tax department
• Review proposed changes to rates and ensure positive margins are maintained and revenues are reported according to rate changes
• Provide input to define the business requirements of billing system enhancements.
• Identify processes and procedures where the quality of work may be improved

Qualifications

Education:

• Completed 3 year degree,  CA(SA) or degree in financial accounting at honors level post articles with entry into board exams 

Experience:

• 3 years articles within one of the audit companies or TOPP at a telecommunications industry
• Experience working in a medium to large organization would be advantageous.