Financial Accountant 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

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 and contact GTSD when needed. Advise stakeholders when batches have successfully run.
• SAP Control reports for Africa entities (ZSMP; VFX3; VF04 etc.) executed per timetable.
• 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 adjusted First Cost Model updated at financial year end. Review model with external auditor.
• 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 finalized.

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:

• CA/ACCA/CIMA qualification
• 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 SAP and advanced MS excel
• A minimum of 5 years' working experience in Financial accounting with working experience or equivalent engagement with auditors