Job Description
Brief description
The main purpose of this position is to lead the accounting team within the Pension Administration Section of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), ensuring that pension administration accounting information is accurate, complete and complies with legislation, regulations, rules and relevant policies.
Detailed description
The successful candidate will be responsible for the following key performance areas:
- Define and set work priorities, ensuring that the team meets both internal and regulatory deadlines.
- Ensure adherence to controls and processes so that the team’s tasks meet compliance standards.
- Review and provide first-level authorisation for payments, accounting transactions and data entries captured by junior team members, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
- Lead and participate in engagements with internal and external stakeholders, demonstrating a strong service orientation in the ability to obtain, convey and explain information clearly.
- Engage with stakeholders on complex pension-related accounting matters, ensuring that they understand the fund’s processes and policies.
- Collaborate with other departments to ensure seamless pension fund accounting operations.
- Diagnose and resolve problems in the team’s operations, recommending changes to workflows or processes where necessary.
- Equip the team to resolve issues by providing guidance on troubleshooting, process improvements and effective solutions.
- Review and authorise reports required by legislation and regulations, as well as internal reports for the fund’s board and subcommittees, ensuring that they are timely, compliant and complete.
- Manage the team’s performance, providing feedback and guidance to junior team members.
- Keep abreast of changes to pension legislation, ensuring that the team is informed and adapts to new requirements.
- Review all reconciliations to ensure that they are completed accurately and on time.
Job requirements
To be considered for this position, candidates must have:
- a bachelor’s degree (NQF-level 8) in accounting;
- five to seven years’ job-related experience in a financial services environment;
- two to five years’ experience in leading teams; and
- pension administration accounting experience would be an advantage.
Additional requirements include:
- knowledge and skill in:
- industry, organisational and business awareness;
- quality assurance;
- continuous improvement;
- continuous learning and/or professional development;
- retirement fund legislation and governance, risk and compliance;
- financial accounting;
- financial reconciliation;
- function-specific performance management;
- function-specific information systems;
- business continuity planning;
- relevant legislation;
- corporate governance;
- conceptual thinking;
- effective communication;
- flexibility;
- driving results;
- promoting teamwork;
- building and maintaining relationships;
- judgement and decision-making;
- impact and influence;
- analysis and problem-solving;
- managing complexity and ambiguity;
- developing others;
- planning and organising; and
- resilience.
In line with the SARB’s commitment to diversifying its workforce, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups. People with disabilities are welcome to apply.
The SARB offers remuneration and benefits commensurate with the level of the position and in line with the market. The level at which the successful applicant will be appointed will depend on his/her competence and experience.
