Finance Assistant - Cape Town

OVERVIEW

Are you passionate about finance and looking to build your career in a fast-paced, global business?

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience across a range of finance activities, learn from experienced professionals, and develop the practical skills you need to take the next step in your finance career.

At Ten our goal is simple, to become the most trusted service business in the world. 

We are already the global market leader for lifestyle management and concierge services, providing services from a strong global office network with over one thousand employees.  

We deliver our service through a combination of Ten’s proprietary, unique technology-enabled platform and the expertise of our highly trained lifestyle managers. Ten is growing quickly and has ambitious plans to innovate and to keep inspiring and to continue to improve the lives of millions of members. Will you help take us there? 

As a Finance Assistant, you will own the day-to-day and month-end accounting for a group of international entities within our travel business, with primary accountability for the integrity of the balance sheet. You will carry a multi-entity, multi-currency reconciliation workload and will be expected to explain, evidence and clear every balance you own.

Your role involves working closely with the wider global finance team, the travel operation, and third-party banking, payment and supplier partners. Your work is reviewed by a senior accountant, with escalation to the Member Team Manager and technical sign-off from the Group Financial Controller.

The priority for this role is a fully substantiated, supportable balance sheet delivered to a fixed close calendar, with every material balance explained and every difference evidenced.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Balance Sheet Ownership:

• Prepare and review the monthly balance sheet for the entities in scope, commenting on every material balance and substantiating it to supporting schedules.
• Substantiate balances to third-party evidence, including bank statements, merchant settlement reports and supplier statements, and evidence any difference.
• Raise and post correcting journals independently, and explain the double entry behind them.
• Close out review points raised by the reviewer and write review commentary a reviewer can rely on.
• Investigate and challenge unexplained balances rather than carrying them forward.

Reconciliations and Control Accounts:

• Weekly reconciliation of bank accounts and merchant settlements, and periodic reconciliation of corporate card accounts.
• Prepare cash-in-transit documentation at close and post the resulting adjustments.
• Investigate and clear month-end and cash-flow clearing queries so that no unexplained item ages beyond the current period.
• Weekly matching of customer and supplier ledger entries so that revenue and cost of sales are released to the profit and loss account in the correct period.
• Monthly posting and agreement of intercompany balances across entities, ensuring both sides net to nil before close.
• Maintain reconciliations for control accounts: clearing, cash in transit, intercompany, prepayments, deferred and accrued income.

Reporting, Queries and Close:

• Complete industry and regulatory submissions and the related reconciliations to the required deadlines.
• Recognise breakage monthly across the entity group.
• Take daily ownership of the finance mailboxes: resolve internal and supplier queries, action payments and refunds, and escalate anything that affects a balance sheet position.
• Deliver all owned tasks to the close calendar, hand clean schedules to review, and communicate any delay in advance.
• Provide cover for colleagues on shared entities during absence, and support audit requests and ad-hoc work for the wider finance team.

BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS: 

As Finance Assistant, you will be expected to role model the behaviors associated with our Ten Standards and our core business values of Member Focused, Trustworthy, and Pioneering. You will be investigative, pursuing a difference to its root cause rather than writing it off, self-managing across multiple entities and competing deadlines, and confident in stating when a balance is not yet supportable. Clear written communication is essential, as a significant part of the role is resolving queries with non-finance colleagues and third parties.

We encourage diverse philosophies, cultures and experiences.

We appreciate diversity and are dedicated to creating an inclusive work environment for our employees. This idea unites the teams at TEN. All aspects of our relationship, including the decision to hire, promote, discipline or terminate, will be based on merit, competence, performance and business needs.

Requirements

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:  

• Part-qualified or qualified ACCA, CIMA, ACA, SAICA, SAIPA or equivalent, or qualified by experience with a strong reconciliation record.
• At least 3 years’ experience in a multi-entity, multi-currency finance function.
• Hands-on experience with month-end close is essential.
• Proven experience in balance sheet reconciliations and reviews.
• Experience with intercompany accounting across at least two jurisdictions.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including:
• Lookups
• Pivot tables
• Large-volume matching of ledger data
• Experience working in a high-volume transaction environment operating on a weekly rather than solely monthly cycle.
• Travel industry experience is advantageous but not essential.
• Experience with merchant account processing is advantageous but not essential.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is advantageous but not essential.

ROLE SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES:

• Able to read a balance sheet and explain what each line represents and how it moves, rather than reconcile to a template.
• Proven substantiation of balances to third-party evidence, and clear evidencing of differences.
• Builds and maintains reconciliations for control accounts, including clearing, cash in transit, intercompany, prepayments, deferred and accrued income.
• Understands the interaction between the balance sheet and the profit and loss account, including the effect of a mis-posted accrual, deferral or breakage entry on reported margin.
• Works to a fixed close calendar across multiple entities and communicates delays in advance.
• Strong analytical, written communication and organisational skills.
• Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Power Query knowledge preferred.

Guidelines for Hybrid/Home Office:

• This role is Cape Town–based and requires candidates to commute to the office at least 2 days per week. Please note this is a non-negotiable requirement.
• A secure home office at your confirmed address, free from background noise or other distractions when working remotely
• Internet service must meet minimum requirements and minimum speed check must be completed

Benefits

Our people are at the heart of the business, and we have a culture of recognition and reward - both through regular appraisals but also annual Extra Mile Awards where we celebrate those who have gone that extra mile in their role. We also encourage all our staff to incorporate their aspirations and interests into their career at Ten and we are there every step of the way in supporting development.

Rewards designed around you:

• A competitive salary depending on experience
• Flexible work arrangements including Hybrid work possibilities; with up to 60% Home Office.
• Paid time away from work. Our employees enjoy a competitive paid time off package, including a day each year to volunteer time for a good cause that is important to you.
• Paid Sabbaticals. One (1) month paid Sabbatical after every 5 years of Service, without tapping into annual leave. 
• Extra Rewards. Lucrative Ten Loyalty Rewards program which includes a bonus and gift to say thank you for being part of Ten. 
• Employer contributory company Medical Aid: We offer a comprehensive employer-contributory medical aid scheme designed to support the health and well-being of our employees. Through this benefit, the company makes regular contributions towards your medical aid plan, helping to significantly reduce your out-of-pocket medical expenses.
• Remote Working Holidays - possibilities to Travel and Work anywhere in the world! 
• Employee Discounts. Access to lots of great travel and entertainment discounts as our clients’ members would! 
• Be part of our global, dynamic, and inclusive Team, with diversity at its core. 
• Genuine career opportunities within a dynamic and international company. 

Who Are We

Ten is a leading lifestyle and concierge company helping our clients discover, organise, enjoy and get the most from life. Wepartner with global financial institutions and other premium brands to attract and retain wealth and mass affluent clients. Established in the UK in 1998 and with over 25 years of experience, Ten operates in over 20 cities worldwide, in over 26 languages, with 65% of our workforce globally distributed and is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange ('TENG'). We were the first concierge business to be awarded the B Corp certification in the UK in 2023.

Ten’s strategy focuses on four key areas: deliver a worldclass member experience, invest in technology, expand contracts 

with new and existing clients as well as develop our foothold in new markets by leveraging our market-leading service proposition.

At Ten, you’ll be part of a global, dynamic, and inclusive team, with diversity at its core and endless opportunities for growth.

Join us and experience a workplace where you can truly thrive. https://tenlifestylegroup.com/ten-tv/

Commitment to Diversity 

We encourage diverse philosophies, cultures, and experiences. We appreciate diversity and are dedicated to creating an inclusive work environment for our employees. This idea unites the teams at TEN. All aspects of our relationship, including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or terminate, will be based on merit, competence, performance and business needs.

“Ten works with a small preferred supplier list of recruitment agencies only. Please note we are not accepting any further recruitment agencies at this time. Ten Group is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.”