Manager Financial Accounting at South African Airways (SAA)

Company: South African Airways (SAA)

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Industry: Aviation / Airline

Posted: Sep 5, 2025

Deadline: Sep 10, 2025

Job Type: Full Time

Qualification: Bachelors

Experience: 5 – 7 years

Location: Gauteng

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Field: Finance / Accounting / Audit

Reference Number    
SAA250818-1

Job Purpose    

The Manager Financial Accounting role is responsible for compiling and distributing the Final Income Statement, high level narratives for the month & Balance Sheet for the Group, balancing of final Group Trial Balance in SAP with Final Income Statement and Balance Sheet, Manage and set month end closing deadlines for all SAP users (Group), as well as manage the opening and closing of accounting periods in SAP (Group). 
The role will run the foreign currency revaluation program in SAP and reconcile to detail, ad hoc tasks and sound liaison with other finance departments. In addition, the role is responsible for the preparation of the annual financial statements as well as relevant interaction with both internal and external auditors. 
The incumbent will be responsible for creating new, changing, blocking and unblocking GL accounts in SAP (Group), Maintain Trial Balance in SAP (Group). The role will ensure that reconciliations are done, reviewed and signed off, ensure that all Inter-Company consolidations are done, reviewed and signed off, as well as to ensure that all month end closing exchange rates are loaded in SAP. 
Furthermore, the role is also responsible for converting and uploading of non-SAP subsidiaries Trial Balances in SAP, supervising of subordinates and co-ordinate leave, coordinate the period 13-year end journal process and provide updated Trial Balances etc. to auditors and internal customers.

Principal Accountabilities    

Provide input to the design of the Department Strategy and implement strategy within area/s of responsibility
Manage the implementation of the Department’s strategy
Recommends and standardises policies, processes and systems to support implementation of the strategy
Drive profitability in area of responsibility and overall department
Manage and control budget for the cost centre and contribute to department budget management
Provide recommendations to actively support cost and headcount containment
Analyse cost centre report monthly to ensure that costs are correct
Prepare Group consolidated annual financial statements (AFS) using Accounts Production financial statement software
AFS must be prepared in terms of IFRS, Companies Act, PFMA and other relevant legislation
Liaising with external auditors regarding the AFS, as well as the external audit in general
Benchmarking SAA’s AFS against the AFS of other industry leaders in order to keep up to date with best practices followed by leading airlines
Preparation of information for inclusion in the annual report and Directors’ Report
Prepare Final Income Statement & Balance Sheet working paper (Excel), which includes commentary and high level narratives, check consolidation entries for correctness
Run forex revaluation every month, ensure that the amounts are posted correctly to the various GL accounts and perform a reconciliation of the calculation 
Ensure that all accounts, which are your responsibility, are reconciled and cleared monthly and that there are no unresolved issues older than 3 months on the reconciliations
Create / Change / Block / Unblock General Ledger (GL) Accounts in SAP after following the relevant department policies and procedures
Responsible for updating the table with any changes to the accounting clerks for all company codes
Ensure that all new accounts are correctly grouped in the TB
Reconcile TB groupings, after year end, to groupings on AFS to ensure that the TB and AFS are in sync, feasibility regarding reallocating accounts on the TB should be considered
Exercise control over the opening and closing of the accounting periods in SAP for the whole group, as per the month end timetable
Use discretion in opening and closing the accounting period as per the request of various companies/departments to ensure that the specific month- / year end deadlines are met
Conduct March year end closing (period 12 & 13 closing) and normal month end 
Control period 13 opening and closing after consultation with management 
Summarize period 13 journals entries posted
Liaison with external and internal auditors to ensure successful audit
Maintain good working relationship with internal and external clients to improve the image of SAA, Finance and Financial Accounting in particular
Ensure that the Policies and Procedures for Final Accounts, are updated regularly
Complete the Quarterly Group PFMA Compliance Checklist & PFMA Disclosure Template in respect of irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure when requested by the Financial Controller Shared Services
Advise Finance team regarding changes to IFRS and the accounting impact thereof
Liaise with subsidiary finance departments regarding accounting policies
Submission of populated templates to the shareholder as required
Scrutinise and follow up on any abnormalities in the Trial Balance on a regular basis
Review monthly journals captured in SAP by subordinates for correctness
Review monthly and year to date Sundry Income analysis before distribution (Account 810500)
Verify and signoff of monthly and year to date FOREX analysis (Account 944010)
Verify and sign off monthly recurring journals prepared by subordinates
Ensure journals marked for reversal have been reversed
Ensure Trial Balance variants in SAP are updated for the new month
Compile internal month end closing schedule and hand to Team Leader for distribution
Update the SAP News monthly with the new closing dates once available
Back up Shared files between Manager and Team Leader after each month end

Qualifications & Experience    

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting at NQF level 7
Qualified Chartered Accountant CA(SA) registered with SAICA
At least 5 – 7 post articles years’ experience in financial accounting environment of which 3 years is in a management level
Experience with people management
Exposure to financial reporting, particularly International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
Knowledge and Skills    
Good knowledge of SAP FI (Financial) essential
Good knowledge of TM1 will be an advantage
Application and understanding of accounting principals
Public Finance Management Act
Good knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Companies Act and other relevant legislation
Accounting principles and procedures
Working knowledge of Accounts Production software will be an advantage
Computer literate (MS Office and Advanced Excel, SAP FI, TM1, Accounts Production)
Good interpersonal skills
Excellent communication skills (verbal & written)
Ability to perform under pressure and meet deadlines
Analytical and accuracy in work output essential
Strong numeric skills
Attention to detail
Strong problem-solution orientation
Effective decision making
Good administrative, planning and organising skills
Confidentiality and accountability

Attributes    

Leads with purpose
Manages team performance
Manages transformation and change initiatives
Drives innovation
Sells/ translates the vision
Leverages team diversity
Role models behaviours and values
Innovative
Self-starter
Reliable and team player

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