Financial Accountant

Location: Cape Town

Working Practices: Hybrid, comprising of two office-based days and three remote working days per week. 

Contract Type: Permanent

Reports to: International Finance Director

Job summary: 

The Financial Accountant will provide broad, hands-on accounting support across multiple entities and jurisdictions, with a particular focus on the purchase to payment cycle (including bank reconciliations and supplier management), monthly management accounts and statutory finance support. The role operates at a senior accountant level, taking ownership of defined finance processes with limited day-to-day supervision while supporting consistent reporting, strong financial controls and reliable international finance operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Month-End Accounting, Reporting and Analysis 

• Support month-end close activities, including accruals, prepayments, journals and review of accounting entries. 

• Prepare and support monthly management accounts, reporting packs, variance analysis and budget comparisons. 

• Maintain general ledger accuracy and ensure transaction flows are correctly reflected in the trial balance and financial statements. 

• Provide clear commentary and analysis to support finance review and decision-making. 

Reconciliations, Controls and Compliance 

• Prepare bank, supplier, intercompany, customer receipt, fixed asset and balance sheet reconciliations. 

• Support VAT, SARS and other statutory requirements where applicable. 

• Operate internal financial controls and escalate risks, exceptions and reconciling items appropriately. 

• Support audit requests and maintain accurate, complete and well-organised supporting documentation. 

Finance Operations, Systems and Stakeholder Support 

• Own purchase-to-payment, supplier query resolution, expense processing and banking activities across multiple countries. 

• Assist with budgeting, forecasting, divisional expense reporting and financial analysis. 

• Use ERP/accounting systems and Excel to support reconciliations, analysis, reporting and process control. 

• Document, improve and follow standard operating procedures and internal finance processes. 

• Liaise with international finance teams and stakeholders across the US, AU, UK and South Africa. 

What does success look like?

• Month-end close activities are completed accurately and on time. 
• Management accounts, reporting packs and reconciliations are reliable, complete and well supported. 
• Supplier, banking, intercompany, fixed asset, customer receipt and VAT-related processes are owned and progressed without unnecessary escalation. 
• Financial controls are followed and opportunities for improvement are identified and implemented. 
• Stakeholders receive clear, professional and timely finance support. 
• Audit requests and documentation are handled efficiently and accurately. 

Requirements

• 8 years’ relevant experience with a diploma qualification
• Experience managing the AP cycle, including suppliers, cashbook, bank reconciliations and supplier query resolution.
• Experience preparing management accounts, financial reporting, reconciliations and dealing with senior stakeholders. 
• Strong reconciliations experience, including bank, supplier, intercompany, balance sheet and fixed asset reconciliations.
• Strong understanding of VAT and income tax, with international finance experience desirable. 
• Exposure to foreign currency, intercompany transactions and multi-entity finance environments desirable. 
• Experience supporting audits and maintaining clear, complete and well-organised supporting documentation. 
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills, with the ability to research solutions and proactively problem solve. 
• Experience using ERP/accounting systems and confidence adapting to new systems and ways of working. 
• Strong communication skills, attention to detail and ability to work independently with limited supervision. 
• Ability to document and improve finance processes and standard operating procedures. 

Benefits

About OES

OES is a vibrant and values-led organisation, and we are passionate about enhancing lives through education. We work with university partners, training institutes, and professional bodies worldwide, to develop and enable immersive and engaging learning experiences. We empower our teams to be student-focused, innovative, and embrace change with a growth mindset to ensure we achieve our vision of being the world’s most impactful enabler of education. We encourage our people to grow and develop through teamwork and a diverse range of projects, programs and challenging work. We trust our people to deliver, so when you work with OES, you will join a team who are empowered to impact every day.

Company Culture & Values 

We are a people-focused organization with a culture built around collaboration, connection, and working together toward one common goal. Our vibrant, values-led culture is grounded in four core principles that guide everything we do: 

Passion and Perseverance: We love what we do (even though it’s not always easy) and take pride in creating transformative learning experiences. We bring a ‘can-do’ attitude to our work, tackling challenges and inspiring others. 

Teamwork: We operate as cross-functional teams globally with trust and respect, celebrating success. We have fun while we work and enjoy collaborating with each other and OES partners. 

Agility and Innovation: We are innovative, lateral thinkers who use our skills to do things better for our students. We thrive in ambiguity, embrace change and challenge conventional thinking.  

Integrity: We do what’s right, and what we say we will do, every time. We value a culture of respectful feedback and believe that respect trumps harmony. 

These are some of the benefits you can expect when you join the team:

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Medical allowance
• Commute allowance
• Flexible work for genuine career-life fit
• A healthy and supportive company culture
• Generous annual leave
• Paid maternity and paternity benefits
• Study leave
• Professional development and mentoring
• OES Culture Club events
• Company funded lunch and drinks every 8 weeks

*Policy T&Cs apply for certain benefits