Officer: Project Accountant at Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA)

Role Purpose

The successful candidate will perform reconciliations and maintenance of commitments register for the MQA, incorporating various programmes and projects. 

The successful candidate will report to the Manager: Project Accountant. 

Key Performance Areas

• Maintain a commitments register in respect all projects and programmes for each company, supported by learner details clearly indicating contract or learner start date, end date, total contract amount, contract adjustments and contract closing balance.
• Extract electronic copies of grant claims in respect of all payments requests made during the year.
• Match payment request learner details to current year intake or contracts.
• Verify payment request details against commitment register details.
• Match payment request learner details to learners’ details in the commitment register, investigate and report on inconsistencies.
• Maintain a reconciliation of contracts signed, learners registered, resigned learners, de-associations and payments made in respect of current year intake.
• Maintain a reconciliation of payables and accruals at both learner and employer level, clearly indicating payments made and de-associations.
• Investigate and report on reasons for unpaid or delayed payment of payables and accruals.
• Reconcile monthly performance reports or MIS information to appropriately signed allocation lists and contracts and report on inconsistencies.
• Reconcile amounts paid per the accounting system to amounts paid per commitment register and amounts claimed per MIS system.
• Update MQA commitment register with addition of new learners, resignations, and de-associations from grants and reconcile with relevant performance report.
• Validate commitment closing balances.
• Provide administrative support to ensure effective and efficient office operations g., filing, retrieving, etc.
• Collaborate with other business units / teams to ensure a consistent approach with regards to query resolution and approach.
• Ensure alignment of all work process to the required quality standards.
• Perform other related duties as delegated by the supervisor and/or line manager.

Key Requirements: Qualifications, Experience and Competencies
Qualifications

• Minimum National Diploma at an NQF level 6 in the fields of accounting.
• Bachelor’s degree at NQF level 7 in the field of accounting will be an added advantage.

Experience

• A minimum of four (4) years’ relevant experience in financial administration, finance reconciliations and auditing. Experience in financial consulting and auditing will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrable experience in MS Office (MS Word, MS Projects, MS Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).

Competencies: Knowledge: 

• Sound knowledge of financial contract management and reconciliations. 
• Understanding of Great Plains accounting system or a similar system. 
• Knowledge of legislation and regulations that govern the financial operations of a SETA. 
• Knowledge of quality, risk, and audit requirements. 
• Knowledge of relevant regulations and legislation impacting the MQA, e.g., National Treasury prescripts and policies, PFMA (Section 89 of the PFMA); GRAP; the SDA and its grants; corporate governance requirements, e.g., King IV and Codes of Conduct Legal and regulatory requirements.

Competencies: Skills 

• Excellent time management skills. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 
• Be detail-oriented and possess excellent organisational skills 
• Possess the capacity to prioritise tasks and the ability to work under pressure. 
• Possess resilience and agility. 
• Work independently and meet tight deadlines 
• Bookkeeping skills, analytical and problem-solving skills.

 Competencies: Attributes 

• People orientation 
• Perseverance 
• Be a team player 
• Possess integrity 
• Stakeholder orientation.