Accountant / Audit Assistant

Job Description

A well-respected professional accounting practice, which has been supporting SMEs and individual taxpayers across South Africa for over 40 years, is seeking a motivated graduate to join their team as an Accounts / Audit Assistant.

While prior auditing experience is not essential, any exposure to auditing or completion of Articles would be advantageous. As a graduate, you will gain valuable experience and develop your skills in the following areas:

1. Processing cash books and bank reconciliations
2. Handling receipts & payments and petty cash
3. Assisting with sales invoicing and debtors accounts
4. Supporting purchases & expenses transactions and creditors accounts
5. Recording general journal entries and understanding payroll records
6. Assisting in populating the general ledger
7. Extracting trial balances
8. Supporting the preparation of income statements and statements of financial position
9. Understanding internal controls and basic business practices
10. Gaining confidence in managing client relationships and assisting with tasks such as stocktaking, recording and counting petty cash, physically inspecting assets, and helping to draft financial statements
11. Developing an understanding of trial balances and age analyses for debtors and creditors, as well as bank reconciliations
12. A basic understanding of personal and company taxes would be beneficial

Requirements

1. Bachelor Degree in Finance or Accounting
2. 3 years of accounting experience preferable but not essential
3. Academic background in accounting with practical experience in processing transactions and extracting to at least trial balance stage
4. Ability or experience in drafting income statements and statements of financial position (considered advantageous)
5. Understanding of double-entry bookkeeping and experience in reconciling bank balances, creditors, and debtors statements
6. Knowledge of financial reporting periods, journal entries, payroll, and fixed asset registers
7. Strong numerical ability and attention to detail
8. Good command of the English language (verbal and written)
9. Computer literate and digitally-savvy, proficient in MS Office (Excel and Word)
10. Integrity and emotional intelligence (EQ)
11. Good sense of humour
12. Curious self-starter, eager to learn and grow
13. Experience with accounting packages such as Pastel, Xero, QuickBooks, Sage Evolution (desirable)
14. Experience with management reporting tools like Caseware and Auditmate (advantageous)
15. Pride in your work, ensuring integrity and responsibility
16. Ability to deliver effective, understandable work that can be backed up with solid reasoning
17. Focus on accuracy and attention to detail
18. Good health (no moonlighting or other business interests)
19. Team player, accountable for actions
20. Planning, meticulous preparation, and follow-through
21. Ability to work in a time-driven environment (work is tracked in timesheets)
22. Willingness to work beyond normal hours when necessary
23. Ability to prioritise and deliver high-quality work with accuracy
24. Precise in filing both hard copy and digital materials
25. Experience with Payroll EMP returns, VAT returns, Income Tax, and e-Filing
26. Understanding of audit trails and portfolio of evidence
27. Primarily based in-office, with occasional client site visits (not remote / virtual)
28. Must live within 15km of Rosebank or Sandton
29. Must have a driver's license and ideally own a car
30. Must have own laptop (although not used for work)

Benefits

1. Career development opportunities
2. Exposure to a wide range of clients and industries
3. Access to industry-standard tools and software to enhance your skills
4. Positive work culture, fostering integrity, responsibility, and personal growth
5. Support for continuing education and certification in accounting or related fields
6. Collaborative environment
7. Workplace flexibility, with occasional site visits and in-office work