Clerk: Payments - Pretoria at South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)

Purpose Statement

• Responsible for the complete, accurate and timely processing of invoices and payment of amounts due to suppliers for the purchase of goods and services by SABS employees

Minimum Requirements    

• 3 years relevant work experience in creditors or payment management environment: Operational Level
• Must have pre-audit, processing and reconciliations experience: Operational Level

Duties and Responsibilities    
Functional Management    

• Perform a pre-audit of creditors invoices, verify authorization levels, goods received signatures, and compliance to tax legislation.
• Process invoices for local and foreign suppliers.
• Complete the timeous and accurate processing of valid and authorised supplier invoices taking into account payment terms, discounts and credit notes.
• Perform three-way matching between invoice, purchase order and goods receipting before making payment.
• Send out and follow up to ensure that unprocessed invoices sent to the business unit managers for approval are returned to the Account Payable business unit for processing
• Ensure that key supplier accounts are updated monthly.
• Reconcile all supplier and general ledger accounts on a monthly basis.
• Manage monthly invoice registers and verify that all supporting documentation complies with the supply chain management policy and where applicable the payment requisition form is completed correctly
• Send out payment instruction on SABS letterhead to the bank for supplier payment once approved by relevant signatories
• Ensure bank charges on payments made are forwarded to the applicable Payment Clerk for processing before month end closure
• Attach the invoice to the remittance and submit for review, after the creation of the payment run.
• Issue remittance to suppliers as confirmation of payment.
• Ensure that all valid invoices received are captured timeously before month-end and year-end as per deadline of timetable distributed.
• Close pre-payments, once stock has been received, or leave open until the following month.
• Ensure that copies of all outstanding invoices are submitted for accrual on a monthly basis.
• Promptly escalate any outstanding accounts and accrual for resolutions to Supervisor: Payment Management.
• Coordinate support for key suppliers and customers.
• Ensure that key supplier accounts are updated monthly.
• Ensure that supplier accounts are not put on hold without the knowledge of the Supervisor Payment Management.
• Reconcile all supplier and general ledger accounts on a monthly basis and promptly clear all reconciling items.
• Compile reports as and when required by management in line with set timeframes.
• Manage and monitor supplier payments weekly.
• Ensure that all cheque invoices received by Accounts Payable are settled timeously as per the approved Delegations of Authority.
• Ensure that payments made and funds transferred correspond with the payment report.
• Update payments on the system once EFT transfers have been finalised.
• Provide proof of payment and remittance advice to all suppliers paid.
• Maintain payment files and ensure it is clearly marked, archived and retrieved when required.
• Ensure that filing is completed timeously on all required administrative activities.

Risk and Compliance Management 

• Assist in identifying and adhering to fraud controls, risk prevention principles, sound governance and compliance processes, and tools to identify and manage risks.
• Support and provide evidence to all internal and external audit and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain quality risk management standards in line with ISO and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain and enforce all related Service Level Agreements to minimise business risk and ensure business continuity.
• Adhere to all relevant laws, policies and Standard Operating Procedures throughout the organisation
• Review related Standard Operating Procedures in consultation with Finance leadership to ensure business optimisation.             

Stakeholder Management    

• Build and maintain effective internal and external stakeholder relationships for the purpose of expectations management, knowledge sharing and integration, and to manage the organisation’s reputation.
• Represent and participate in the organisation’s committees and tasks teams when required.
• Convene and attend meetings and present relevant information stakeholders when required.
• Ensure efficient communication to all auditors and other finance team members.
• Ensure the provision of excellent customer service.
• Resolve and/or escalate queries and problems within span of control and within agreed time frames.
• Follow up on unresolved queries and complaints where required.
• Liaise with relevant stakeholders regarding follow-up of information.
• Develop and maintain a good working relationship with all key SABS suppliers