Current Openings at BDO South Africa

Primary Purpose of the Job

This individual will be a key member of the Compliance Team that supports BDO South Africa in building a resilient and successful business, by:

• Receiving and collecting client and opportunity information and facilitating an effective and efficient onboarding process.
• Being a trusted advisor to business, advising on system use and completion of the client onboarding process.
• Understanding that this role includes mindful completion of a workflow process and cannot be a “tick the box” exercise.
• Entrenching a strong culture in the firm that this is about more than pure compliance, but also about promoting a message that everyone has a role to play in protecting the firm against risk.
• The team that the individual will be part of is primarily responsible for the administration of the Acceptance and Continuance of Client Relationships and Specific Engagements” but also has other compliance duties.
• The Onboarding Champion role will report into the Compliance Operations Senior Manager.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsible for processing efficient and effective compliance related activities for the primary and secondary allocated business units or offices.
• Focussed on collecting and receiving relevant information and entering this on the CRM/Core system in a timeous and accurate way. 
• Responsible for data quality for workflow items involved with.
• Pro-actively identify re-acceptances and initiating the process on a continual basis.
• Pro-actively build and verify group structures on a continual basis.
• Submit international conflict checks for all opportunities to international clients onboarded on CRM/Core. Send emails to partners of Restricted entities for all opportunities submitted to Restricted entities. Follow up and track responses.
• Participate in communications in relation to Acceptance and Continuance of Client Relationships. This could include sending out and following up of COI checks, dependent on requirements.
• Assist with initiatives, processes, systems, and tools relating to Acceptance and Continuance of Client Relationships and other compliance functionalities, as needed.
• Able to understand and communicate the “why” of why certain processes are followed and needed.
• Provide training, advice and support to partners, directors and professionals on client acceptance and re-acceptance procedures and systems on a regular basis.
• Perform follow ups and engage with relevant stakeholders of other BDO member firms.
• Pro-active identification and communication of potential improvements as it relates to compliance activities involved in.
• Stakeholder management and engagement, in relation to duties to be performed.
• Using the tools provided proactively to research group structures as well as directorships, and other relevant pre-verification checks as needed.
• The Champion needs to understand the implication of information found, as there are additional processes linked that there are additional actions needed for.  Responsibility would lie with the Onboarding champion to complete this process.

Requirements

Qualifications, Recognition of Prior Learning, Work Experience, and Knowledge

• Qualifications/Recognition of Prior Learning equivalent
• Completion of High school
• A qualification in Compliance, Risk, Finance or Audit would be an advantage

Work Experience

• Experience in similar risk management, independence and/or compliance roles.
• Experience within a professional services/audit firm would be advantageous.

Knowledge

• Basic Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Written and spoken English language skills.
• BDO systems experience an advantage.

Technical Competencies

• Efficient processing of compliance related tasks.
• Progress reporting.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to understand and manage time and constraints as communicated.

Behavioural Competencies

• Good interpersonal and organisational skills
• Strong spoken and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with team members.
• An optimistic outlook
• A proactive approach to continuous improvement

BDO Core Competencies

• Relationships and Collaboration
• Exceptional Client Service
• Engaging people
• Quality, Risk management and Operational performance

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Job specifications:

• Responsibility for portfolio of clients (Individuals, Trust, Companies and Close Corporations)
• Processing of all accounting, cashbooks, suppliers invoices, sales invoices, payroll journals and other relevant journals are captured in the accounting records of the clients on a real time basis
• Familiarity with digital platforms that integrate with cloud-based accounting packages
• Performing health checks on the integration between operating systems and financial data and ensuring all reports/information are reflected in the accounting records of an entity
• Ability to perform month end checks, ensuring all balance sheet reconciliations are performed and all agreed to external monthly support
• Provide support and direction to your team, if any, of intermediate and junior accounts
• Be ultimately responsible for ensuring all support to trial balance is maintained
• Preparation of monthly management accounts
• Processing monthly general journals
• Monthly reconciliation of expenses 
• Finalisation of monthly accounts
• Responsible for facing clients and presenting management accounts to them wherein you showcase your accounting technical ability
• Be the Outsourced Financial Manager to your clients ensuring that all necessary areas of compliance are dealt with
• Preparation and submission of statutory returns (VAT 201, EMP 201, EMP501 and return of earnings

Requirements
Additional competencies:

• Compile Annual financial statements in terms of IFRS for SMEs
• Perform the following engagements Compilation Engagements in terms of ISRS 4410 Independent Review Engagements in terms of ISRE 2400 Accounting Officer Engagements in terms of Close Corporations Act
• Ensuring that proper planning is performed before execution
• Ensuring BDO SOPs are followed at all times 
• Reviewing working paper files performed by your team
• Proposing journals to client
• Communicating with clients and making engagement arrangements, discuss engagement results
• Performing tax computations for companies, close corporations and trusts (including SBC's, special allowances (s12C, S12E, etc.))

Skillset required

• Managing WIP and budgets on engagements 
• Updating manager and partner on progress of engagements 
• Mentoring junior & intermediary staff both on the job and general
• Assist other staff members where needed 
• Attending to any other matters arising, such as tax queries etc in collaboration with other departments within the organisation
• Outsourced assignments when needed 
• Seek opportunities to grow department and client base
• Other duties as may be required in line with the position   

Skills requirements:  

• BCom Financial Accounting and Tax as majors (preferred Hons. BCom accounting but not a requirement) 
• Competed SAIPA or SAICA articles preferred 
• Working knowledge of most commonly used accounting packages (for reporting purposes and ad-hoc processing) 
• Detailed knowledge of cloud-based accounting platforms

Role requirements:

• Ability to lead a team 
• Work in a team and independently 
• Good communication skills, internal and external, both written and verbal 
• Good IT skills to grow the digitisation process within BDO
• Ability to travel   

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Primary Purpose of the Job

• At BDO, we believe in investing in our people to help them grow, both professionally and personally. The foundation of our business is strong relationships, with colleagues, clients and other stakeholders and we work hard every day to make this a reality.  Our commitment is to create unlimited growth by giving our people continuous opportunities and our client's unparalleled support.
• BDO’s global organisation extends across 164 countries and territories, with 111,307 people working out of 1,803 offices – and we’re all working towards one goal: to provide our clients with exceptional service. Our firms across the organisation cooperate closely and comply with consistent operating principles and quality standards.
• BDO South Africa has a vacancy for an Employee Benefits Consultant in our Cape Town offices, reporting to the Director of Employee Benefits.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Key Performance Areas:

Annual Review of scheme benefits

• Advise to client on appropriate benefits in line with market and Clients Industry
• Obtain quotes from market place and conduct full Costing and benefit Analysis
• Audit the current benefits to specific Industry including costs

Processing of Scheme

• Installations and Amendments to benefits within required Service Level Agreements (SLA's)
• Maintain Fund and Risk Rules
• Ensure that risk and retirement data tie up to rules
• Obtain Investment strategy document
• Prepare member communication
• Submit to Insurer
• New entrant/existing client communication packs

Board of Management Meetings

• Board of Management Meetings
• Take, type and send minutes to clients
• Setting annual dates for Board of Management meetings with clients and all participants
• Action all items from Minutes
• Provide Board training as and when required
• Monitoring and ensuring risk benefits are structured correctly
• Member communication on change of benefits

Investments

• Monitor Investment Performance – against Peer Benchmark as well as costs and appropriate Investment Strategy
• Ensure that Investment Strategy has been implemented as per instructions from Board
• Ensure switch forms are completed correctly and processed

Member Communication

• Ensure member booklet is accurate
• Ensure accuracy of benefit statements
• One-on-one retirement planning & member education
• Drafting presentations and newsletters o delete

Daily Client Maintenance/Service

• Issuing standard documents, such as quarterlies, surveys, legal updates etc. timeously to clients
• Prepare and manage reports and documents
• Following up queries and resolving problems of clients, members and pensioners Provide advice pertaining to employee benefits, risk, governance and compliance, investments, legislation and pending changes which could impact on each particular benefit programme

Best practice

• Maintain expected performance standards each month, ensuring and adhering to the required monthly recons, timekeeping and attendance standards
• Ensure accuracy and completeness of all tasks performed within service level agreement
• Regular client interaction on a professional and effective manner on both verbal and written communication
• Perform additional ad-hoc tasks as and when required across the client service centre to meet commitments made to clients
• Remain abreast of new innovations and technologies in the industry
• Contribute towards team efficiency and team dynamics/spirit Development of knowledge of the employee benefits industry and investment matters
• Acquaint oneself with relevant legislation i.e. Pension Funds Act, Taxation, FAIS Act etc.

Requirements
Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge and Skills:

Qualifications:

• RE5 and FSP Approved licensed Representative in the following categorieso
• Long Term Category
• Retail Pension Benefits
• Pension Funds Benefits
• Collective Investment Schemes
• CFP or similar qualifications / NQF level 5 minimum

Experience:

• 3 or more years consulting experience in Employee Benefits

Competencies: Knowledge and Skills:

Behavioural Competencies:

• Good verbal/written communication skills
• Building trust and relationships
• Fostering collaborative team work
• Professionalism
• Strong client orientation
• Attention to detail
• Ability to prioritise and handle stress
• Creative yet organised
• Task driven & delivery focused
• Socially aware and able to work as part of a diverse team
• Innovative and willing to share ideas for new ways of working
• Ability to work with all levels within an organisation

BDO Core Competencies:

• In line with BDO’S philosophy REACT

Other: 

• Innovative positive and enquiring mindset