We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and driven Accountant to join our dynamic Finance Team
In this role, you will be responsible for the full spectrum of financial activities related to budgeting, forecasting, and inventory management You’ll play a key part in supporting strategic decision-making by providing accurate, timely, and insightful financial information.
We're a fully in-office team. This role is based at our Support Centre in Kuils River, Cape Town.
Experience Required
Essential:
5 years accounting experience, with 2 years at a large company or retail environment
2-3 years people management experience
Preferred
Retail experience is a bonus.
Qualifications Required
Essential:
B Comm or equivalent finance qualification (Diploma/ Degree)
Preferred
B Comm Honours
CA(SA) qualification
CIMA certification
JOB RELATED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED
Knowledge required:
Budgeting, Forecasting, Costing and profitability analysis and profit forecasting and management accounts
Good planning and building the workflow
Understand the inventory system
General accounting knowledge
Systems knowledge (working with an integrated system)
Skills required:
Computer skills, intermediate to advanced Excel
Communication skills (verbal and written)
Interpersonal skills
Ability to work independently as well as in a team
Attention to detail
Above average numerical ability
Deadline driven
Analytical thinking
Ability to work under pressure
Able to deal with large volumes of work
Ability to multi-task
Excellent interpersonal, people management, team management & leadership skills
Key Responsibilities:
1. Inventory Management
1.1. Oversight function on stock recons
Review monthly inventory reconciliations between UKUSA and general ledger
Ensure all reconciling items are identified, explained, and resolved within 30 days
Collaborate with Operations, Supply Chain, Business Analyst and store teams to investigate discrepancies
1.2. Balance inventory and general ledger
Ensure inventory balances are correctly reflected in the general ledger and agrees to UKUSA
Monitor and address mismatches in inventory movements between the GL and UKUSA
Work with finance and IT to resolve integration issues or transactional anomalies
1.3. Trend and risk analysis
Conduct monthly and quarterly inventory trend analysis (e.g., Stock adjustments, surpluses, Shrinkage)
Identify key risks such as excessive shrinkage, and or data integrity issues
Present findings and recommendations to senior finance and operations leadership
1.4. Root cause investigation
Lead or support deep-dive investigations into significant stock losses, variances, or process breakdowns
Work with cross-functional teams (Operations, IT, Loss Prevention, supply change) to identify process gaps
Drive implementation of preventative controls and monitor their effectiveness
2. Inventory Reporting
2.1. Report on shrinkage, percentages to Operations
Ensure clerks and analyst calculate and report monthly shrinkage metrics (value and percentage) by brand, division, etc.
Provide commentary and variance analysis to Operations and Loss Prevention teams
Flag abnormal shrinkage trends and initiate collaborative reviews with relevant departments and brands
2.2. Monthly reporting to management accountants on inventory related statistics
Prepare accurate and complete inventory-related statistics for inclusion in monthly management packs
Include insights into store and DC shrinkage, and provisioning trends
Provide value-added commentary to support decision-making and strategic planning
3. Team Management:
Planning, organizing and supervising Phadimas
Performance management
Recruitment
Communication
Development
4. Authorize, approve and release EFT’s
The Ackermans story goes back as far as 1916, when Gus Ackerman opened the first store in Wynberg in Cape Town. His vision for the store was to create a place where customers could find great products at fantastic prices, which is exactly what Ackermans became. Ackermans was, subsequently, bought by the Pepkor Group in 1986.
Today, there are more than 850 Ackermans stores in 5 countries, making us a leading value fashion retailer for the whole family – continuously setting the standard for value and affordability. With a wide selection of fashion for ladies, kids, babies and men, as well as homeware, cellular and key financial products, we’ll keep bringing value to your life every day.
Our purpose at Ackermans is: Bringing Value to Life, and it lies at the heart of everything we do, whether it’s to the lives of our customers and employees, or to the wider community and value retailing as a whole.
The secret to our success is simple – people. Hiring people who love what they do, and giving them every opportunity to shine. In fact, at Ackermans we’re so committed to this philosophy that we’ve named our staff members Phadimas – which means ‘shine’ in Northern Sotho. Every day, each of our employees is encouraged to shine, reach for the stars and take each other, and the Ackermans brand, to new heights of achievement and success.
We firmly believe that the future of our company rests in the hands of the people we employ. As such, every new Ackermans Phadima is put through a rigorous selection process and chosen with the greatest of care. This process ensures that each new Phadima is a perfect fit for our company culture, and will thrive in our environment of encouragement, motivation and inspiration.
If you feel that this is an environment that you could succeed in, we’d love for you to join us. View our current vacancies, and we could soon be welcoming you on-board as our newest Ackermans Phadima!
