Senior Specialist Accounting Hub at MultiChoice

About the job
Senior Specialist: Accounting Hub

The Organisation

• The MultiChoice Group is a multinational media and entertainment group headquartered in South Africa, Dubai and the Netherlands with principal operations in pay television, video entertainment, advertising and content security. Brands within the Group include DStv, GOtv, SuperSport, M-Net, DStv Media Sales, Showmax and European-based content security leader Irdeto. We’re proud to say we serve 20 million subscribers across more than 50 African markets, with a successful history of identifying and adapting to industry trends, allowing us to continuously deliver the best in entertainment. Key areas of operations are:
• Storytelling ranging from content creation, production and aggregation including the best global general entertainment, sport and eminent African content library, delivered to customers
• Pay Television: direct-to-home satellite and digital terrestrial television services;
• SVOD: subscription video on demand services across multiple online platforms with a focus on library and local content in developing markets, and
• Advertising: providing dynamic media solutions; handling commercial airtime, on-air sponsorships, content integration, and online sales across a variety of 130+ channel brands on linear TV, VOD, social media, and digital platforms.

The group’s strength lies in its focus on local language and culture, its entrepreneurial spirit and the quality of its workforce. MultiChoice Group has a successful history of identifying trends early, adapting them for the markets in which it operates and leveraging them to maximum advantage. The group generates revenues primarily through subscription model, with a growing contribution from advertising revenue. Its key objectives are to:

• Expand Pay TV, SVOD subscriber base and Advertising sales
• Focus on investment and technology
• Maintain a local approach
• Provide quality service
• Attract innovative and motivated employees

Position Name

• Senior Specialist: Accounting Hub

Position ID

Reports to

• Manager: Accounting Hub

Division

• Finance

Department

• Headcount Support Model

Support Provided to

• Manager: Accounting Hub
• Manager: Reporting, Head of Financial Shared Services

Size of business supported

Number of Direct Reports

• 0

Key Customers

• Manager: Accounting Hub; Senior Manager: Reporting, Head of Financial Shared Services

Location

• Based in South Africa, Johannesburg, Randburg

Purpose of the Position: Monitor and ensure compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards, Preparation of Annual Financial Statements, Governance & Compliance and Internal Control

Key Performance Objectives

Tasks

Controls, Governance & Policies

• Responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of system of robust controls, procedures and policies
• Responsible for monitoring compliance to accounting policies
• Consider recommendations to update accounting policies and revising where applicable
• Support the Finance Shared Services Innovation team in governance initiatives
• Ensure compliance to policies, internal control and external audit
• Internal audit: Actively monitor close out of findings, ensuring no overdue items
• General Ledger Reconciliations: Work with other FSS functions to improve quality, including a policy, risk matrix, quality assurance and reporting on balance sheet stats
• Ensure that all GL accounts have been allocated to correct owners
• Assist in improvement and development of processes and systems for accounting purposes
• Assist in implementing and driving quality standard frameworks and ensure that high levels of quality accounting are maintained, including alignment with global best practices
• Hedge accounting documentation
• Management of the Balance sheet reconciliation process
• Quality reviews of balance sheet accounts

Month End Close & Year End Activities

• Preparation and building of Annual Financial Statements, Interim financial statements and disclosures
• Ensure compliance with IFRS and related disclosures for all companies
• Involvement in the Pre- and Post-month end close meetings
• Standardisation of Chart of Accountants and drive correct classification of GL accounts across the business
• Work with cross functional teams in the shared services and business to ensure compliance, accuracy and efficiency in financial areas
• Assist in the external and internal audit process
• Review audit schedules and assist the auditors in their inquiries
• External audit: Liaison, including audit requirements and follow up
• Assisting the Central Accounting team with certain month end duties

Accounting Hub Support

• Ensure the correct treatment of accounting principles according to International Financial Reporting Standards and accounting policies
• Support the Finance Shared Services team in the application and interpretation of accounting principles
• Interpret complex accounting issues and translate into practical explanations and applications
• Implementation of new IFRS standards and interpretations
• Preparation of IFRS accounting solutions
• Ensure that all initiatives, new products and services can be properly managed by integrating the commercial requirements with the needs of Finance Shared Services (e.g. accounting, tax, reporting)
• Analyse concepts to understand all aspects of the impact on operations
• Produce the supporting documentation for information/training

Projects/Other

• Assist the Manager: Technical, Advisory & Compliance Manager on strategic finance projects as determined by the Head of Finance Shared Services
• Ad hoc projects that arise on a continuing basis
• Analysis and financial modelling
• Finance projects (billing system testing)
• Attend to business partner queries
• Manage, improve and develop relationships with internal & external stakeholders
• Able to run with tasks and be proactive in delivery
• Consider the impact of solutions on other areas of Finance and the business, as well as the interdependency of units

Qualifications

CA (SA)

Experience / Skills

• Minimum 3 years’ relevant experience in a similar role
• Sound, detailed knowledge and experience in IFRS (including hedge accounting, accounting for FECs, IFRS 9 and IFRS 15) and Taxation rules
• SAP system experience
• Hyperion Financial Management
• Advanced excel skills and financial modelling

Competencies

• Attention to detail
• Proactive and ability to plan ahead
• Ability to prioritise in order to meet multiple deadlines
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and pressurised situations
• Ability to think and move quickly in a dynamic fast-moving environment
• Excellent communication skills- upward, downward and lateral
• Conflict management
• Problem solving
• Coaching and mentoring
• Systematic and analytical
• Speed and accuracy with figures
• Stakeholder management