Junior Specialist Financial Accountant

About the position

Coordination of External Financial Reporting Risk (FRR) and ownership of
the Balance Sheet Attestation Tool (i.e. Consigno) across the Group

• Ensure the operation of a robust FRR Governance
  process, including the review and consolidation of information
  and the production of management information required for FC
  attestation, AFRC and other forums (e.g. GLRS's) across all
  clusters, countries and entities;
• Full understanding of the allocated business or cluster
  Balance sheet through performing monthly analytical review
  and variance analysis and through discussions with business.
  Provide output of analysis to stakeholders;
• Support Business Unit owner for Consigno and other
  Financial Reporting attestation processes. This includes
  monitoring of system performance, and coordination
  of
  remedial actions for system failures and other issues;
• Provide appropriate management information to
  process owners for consideration before communication to
  Finance Management on the assessment of FRR, ensuring
  accurate and validity of information and high quality and
  appropriate commentary;
• Adhoc projects that require timely and sustainable
  resolution;
• Produce management information packs and
  presentations to support the risk assessment of FRR to
  relevant Risk Committees;
• Produce and communicate appropriate Key Risk
  Indicators (KRI's) to monitor the level of financial reporting risk
  and effectiveness of controls, to ensure that the Key Controls
  are appropriately implemented and understood by stakeholders;
• Monitoring and tracking remediation plans resulting
  from the above;
• Engaging with external auditors on Financial Reporting
  Risk;
  Coordination of Monthly, Quarterly and Annual commentary on Balance
  Sheet movements
• Obtaining commentary at reporting periods on relevant
  clusters to be used by senior stakeholders as part of the
  briefing notes on Balance Sheet movements;
• Obtaining commentary and articulating this
  commentary to be suitable for commentary sent to the
  Prudential Authority (PA)
• Providing suitable answers to the PA on questions
  raised on Balance Sheet movements in the regulatory returns
  Understand of the Groups Financial Reporting processes,
  systems, Controls, policies and frameworks
• Develop an appropriate knowledge of the financial
  reporting systems and processes that operate across
  businesses within Absa
• Develop a working understanding of Absa Financial
  Reporting policies and risk management frameworks in order to
  assess compliance in relevant areas;
• Provide support for Financial Reporting policies and
  risk management frameworks;
• Input into the operational planning of assurance and
  conformance testing plans to support risk assessments; and
• Assist business to document action plans for risk
  mitigation identified during Analytical review, GLRS's,
  conformance testing or in the KRI process.
• Provide training on Financial Reporting policies and risk
  management frameworks
  Provide support to other process executors through motivation and
  employee engagement
• Understanding and managing team dynamics to
  maximise performance;
• Escalate issues around allocation of resources to
  process architects tasks to ensure delivery of team objectives;
• Ensure continued development of resources, through
  couching and mentoring, to empower value added delivery of
  tasks.
  Process Execution: Provide inputs and execution of quality control and
  process improvements
• Ensure alignment of process with organizational
  strategy; take accountability for relevant processes within area
  of responsibility and ensure delivery and maintenance of
  standardized processes and controls
• KPI's, and performance management thereof
• Constantly review and improve processes
  (automation included) to drive and implement a sustainable and
  effective process in support of quality and accuracy
• Drive sustainable cost and processing efficiencies
  through continuous innovation, industry benchmarking and
  alignment to best practices
• Recommend areas for improvement in order to reduce
  cycle times, improve productivity, create capacity and improve
  process reliability and customer satisfaction;
• Management of relevant executors of processes
  within ambit of control including coordination and management
  of capability and performance
• Assist in the implementation of new and/or enhanced
  processes;
• Identify activityspecific
  risks and work with Process
  Owner / Process Architect to mitigate risks;
• Maintain awareness of own activities and the impact
  thereof on related / interdependent
  activities;
• Actively supports the operational effectiveness of the Consigno
  system.

Desired Skills:

• CA
• Banking Experience
• CA(SA)
• Exceptional Academic Track Record
• Ability to use analytical review tools to analyze and interpret financial data.
• Understanding of financial reporting processes and related controls
• Ability to identify control gaps and weaknesses
• Ability to write concise effective reports

Desired Work Experience:

• Less than 1 year Banking
• 1 to 2 years Financial / Project Accounting

Desired Qualification Level:

• Degree

About The Employer:

Client is based in the financial services sector.