The Chief Accountant is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the Company's financial records, statutory compliance, treasury management, financial reporting, inventory accounting, and working capital management. The role supports the Head of Finance in delivering accurate financial information, safeguarding company assets, strengthening internal controls, ensuring statutory compliance, and driving continuous improvement across the finance function.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

1. Financial Reporting

• Prepare accurate and timely monthly management accounts, annual financial statements, and ad hoc reports in accordance with IFRS and Company policies.
• Ensure timely month-end and year-end closing.
• Review all General Ledger balances and ensure completeness and accuracy of financial records.
• Prepare monthly balance sheet reconciliations and resolve reconciling items.
• Perform monthly gross margin analysis by principal, product, customer and branch, highlighting significant variances.
• Prepare monthly financial analysis and management commentary.

2. Treasury and Cash Flow Management

• Support treasury management and cash flow planning.
• Monitor daily bank balances and circulate daily cash position reports.
• Manage transfers between bank accounts to optimize liquidity.
• Perform monthly reconciliations of all local and foreign currency bank accounts.
• Support banking relationships and financing activities.

3. Accounts Receivable Management

• Review and monitor the Accounts Receivable ledger to ensure completeness and accuracy.
• Review customer reconciliations and ensure reconciling items are resolved promptly.
• Monitor customer ageing and work closely with the Credit Control team to improve collections.
• Review customer credit limits and ensure compliance with the Company's credit policy.
• Review bad debt provisions, credit notes, write-offs and unapplied receipts.

4. Accounts Payable Management

• Review supplier reconciliations before payment.
• Review and authorize payment requests ensuring adequate supporting documentation and approvals.
• Ensure timely settlement of supplier obligations.
• Monitor outstanding supplier balances and resolve disputes promptly.

5. Payroll Administration

• Process payroll journals and reconcile payroll accounts.
• Ensure timely statutory remittances.

6. Inventory Accounting and Costing

• Prepare import product costing and maintain accurate cost sheets.
• Monitor and reconcile Goods in Transit (GIT) balances.
• Investigate long outstanding Goods in Transit balances.
• Review and approve all stock adjustments.
• Conduct periodic stock counts and investigate inventory variances.
• Monitor product expiry and process expired products adjustments monthly.
• Reconcile inventory sub-ledgers to the General Ledger.
• Ensure inventory transactions are accurately recorded within the ERP.

7. Branch Accounting

• Review monthly branch reconciliations- branch inventory, receivables, payables and cash balances.
• Investigate and resolve branch accounting differences.
• Ensure timely submission of branch financial information.

8. Principal Companies Accounting

• Review monthly debit notes for expenses paid on behalf of principal companies.
• Reconcile intercompany balances monthly.
• Follow up outstanding intercompany balances for settlement.

9. Tax and Statutory Compliance

• Prepare tax schedules supporting VAT, PAYE, SDL, WHT and Corporate Income Tax returns.
• Ensure timely filing and payment of statutory obligations.
• Support TRA audits and tax investigations.
• Maintain proper tax documentation and reconciliations.

10. Internal Controls and Risk Management

• Develop, review and implement finance policies and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Strengthen internal controls across finance operations.
• Identify and report control weaknesses.
• Implement corrective actions for audit findings.
• Ensure compliance with Company policies and IFRS.

11. Audit Coordination

• Coordinate internal and external audits.
• Prepare audit schedules and supporting documentation.
• Resolve audit queries on a timely basis.
• Monitor implementation of audit recommendations.

12. Stakeholder Management

• Maintain effective relationships with banks, auditors, suppliers, tax authorities and principal companies.
• Liaise with external stakeholders on finance-related matters.
• Provide financial information as required by management and external parties.

13. Leadership and Continuous Improvement

• Supervise and mentor finance staff.
• Review work performed by junior team members.
• Promote continuous improvement and automation within the finance function.
• Participate in ERP enhancements and finance transformation initiatives.

Requirements

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounts and Finance/Commerce
• Six (6) years of progressive experience preferably in a large or reputable organization/audit firm.
• Professional qualification such as CPA/ACCA/CIMA/CA is a distinct advantage
• Professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Thorough Knowledge of accounting concepts and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
• Ability to deliver clear communications and foster excellent working relationships with peers and management.
• Advanced knowledge in use of Excel, and ERP Systems (preferably Oracle, SAP or Ebizframe)
• Accuracy and attention to detail.
• Hands on experience with accounting software’s.
• Awareness of Business trends.
• Aptitude for numbers and Quantitative Skills.
• Team player with unquestionable integrity.

• Prepare accurate and timely monthly management accounts, annual financial statements, and ad hoc reports in accordance with IFRS and Company policies.
• Ensure timely month-end and year-end closing.
• Review all General Ledger balances and ensure completeness and accuracy of financial records.
• Prepare monthly balance sheet reconciliations and resolve reconciling items.
• Perform monthly gross margin analysis by principal, product, customer and branch, highlighting significant variances.
• Prepare monthly financial analysis and management commentary.
• Support treasury management and cash flow planning.
• Monitor daily bank balances and circulate daily cash position reports.
• Manage transfers between bank accounts to optimize liquidity.
• Perform monthly reconciliations of all local and foreign currency bank accounts.
• Support banking relationships and financing activities.
• Review and monitor the Accounts Receivable ledger to ensure completeness and accuracy.
• Review customer reconciliations and ensure reconciling items are resolved promptly.
• Monitor customer ageing and work closely with the Credit Control team to improve collections.
• Review customer credit limits and ensure compliance with the Company's credit policy.
• Review bad debt provisions, credit notes, write-offs and unapplied receipts.
• Review supplier reconciliations before payment.
• Review and authorize payment requests ensuring adequate supporting documentation and approvals.
• Ensure timely settlement of supplier obligations.
• Monitor outstanding supplier balances and resolve disputes promptly.
• Process payroll journals and reconcile payroll accounts.
• Ensure timely statutory remittances.
• Prepare import product costing and maintain accurate cost sheets.
• Monitor and reconcile Goods in Transit (GIT) balances.
• Investigate long outstanding Goods in Transit balances.
• Review and approve all stock adjustments.
• Conduct periodic stock counts and investigate inventory variances.
• Monitor product expiry and process expired products adjustments monthly.
• Reconcile inventory sub-ledgers to the General Ledger.
• Ensure inventory transactions are accurately recorded within the ERP.
• Review monthly branch reconciliations- branch inventory, receivables, payables and cash balances.
• Investigate and resolve branch accounting differences.
• Ensure timely submission of branch financial information.
• Review monthly debit notes for expenses paid on behalf of principal companies.
• Reconcile intercompany balances monthly.
• Follow up outstanding intercompany balances for settlement.
• Prepare tax schedules supporting VAT, PAYE, SDL, WHT and Corporate Income Tax returns.
• Ensure timely filing and payment of statutory obligations.
• Support TRA audits and tax investigations.
• Maintain proper tax documentation and reconciliations.
• Develop, review and implement finance policies and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Strengthen internal controls across finance operations.
• Identify and report control weaknesses.
• Implement corrective actions for audit findings.
• Ensure compliance with Company policies and IFRS.
• Coordinate internal and external audits.
• Prepare audit schedules and supporting documentation.
• Resolve audit queries on a timely basis.
• Monitor implementation of audit recommendations.
• Maintain effective relationships with banks, auditors, suppliers, tax authorities and principal companies.
• Liaise with external stakeholders on finance-related matters.
• Provide financial information as required by management and external parties.
• Supervise and mentor finance staff.
• Review work performed by junior team members.
• Promote continuous improvement and automation within the finance function.
• Participate in ERP enhancements and finance transformation initiatives.

• Professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Thorough Knowledge of accounting concepts and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
• Ability to deliver clear communications and foster excellent working relationships with peers and management.
• Advanced knowledge in use of Excel, and ERP Systems (preferably Oracle, SAP or Ebizframe)
• Accuracy and attention to detail.
• Hands on experience with accounting software’s.
• Awareness of Business trends.
• Aptitude for numbers and Quantitative Skills.
• Team player with unquestionable integrity.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounts and Finance/Commerce
• Six (6) years of progressive experience preferably in a large or reputable organization/audit firm.
• Professional qualification such as CPA/ACCA/CIMA/CA is a distinct advantage