Junior Management Accountant

Location: While we’re a fully remote team, this role is required to be based in Cape Town or Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa

Team: Finance

Job type: Part-time contractor (The role will require 20-30 hours per week)

Report to: Management Accountant

Caribou is an impact consulting company on a mission to create more inclusive economies and societies in an increasingly digital world. We support clients to use their funds and resources more effectively to maximize their social and environmental impact. Our partners are leading corporations, government agencies, international financial institutions, and private foundations worldwide. We provide end-to-end fund management, advisory, research, measurement, and impact services to enable organizations to tackle some of the world’s most complex challenges.

Caribou has existed for a decade and is in the midst of a period of rapid change and growth, which necessitates greater structure and efficiency in its central functions.

We have always been a remote-first company. We have no physical office and use digital tools for collaboration. We have over 50 staff in 20 countries across 5 continents.

Core to our culture is supporting our staff to have autonomy over where, how, and (within reason) when they work. We trust and empower everyone to work in a way that achieves successful outcomes while providing flexibility to manage all aspects of their life.

We hire people because they are the best at what they do, so we’re pretty sure that our team is some of the smartest and most interesting people you’ll meet. Come join us!

We are seeking a detail-orientated, organized Junior Management Accountant to join our growing finance team. This is an exciting opportunity for an individual to play a key role in assisting the finance team to add value to the organization in a growing environment. The ideal candidate will have strong accounting skills and a proactive mindset. The role will require you to assist with the processing of invoices, organizing financial data, and ensuring accuracy among various other administrative and financial tasks.

Data Entry

• Accurately input financial data into accounting software and ensure all records are up to date

Invoice Processing

• Prepare, process, and file invoices, ensuring that all invoices are approved and paid in a timely manner 

Revenue Recognition

• Prepare month end journals for revenue recognition, the candidate should have an understanding of deferred and accrued income

Financial Records

• Maintain and organize financial documents and records, ensuring they are easily accessible for auditing and reporting purposes

Payment Processing

• Prepare and reconcile payment files for payment ensuring accuracy and completeness of all information

Expense Reporting

• Assist with employee expense reports, ensuring all claims are supported by proper documentation and all exchange rates are calculated at accurate rates

Support Audits

• Assist the finance team with internal and external audits by providing necessary documentation 

Budgeting support

• Assist the finance team with the budgeting process by inputting data into workbooks and ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the data

Software

• Ensure that all software invoices are obtained from the relevant platform and recognised appropriately

Utilization of Staff

• Export reports from the project management software to analyse staff utilization rates per project, which will feed into the management accounts
• Prepare utilization journals to account for the utilization of staff per project

Allocation of Expenses

• Assist the management accountant in ensuring all Invoices and bills are accurately recorded to specific internal projects

UK VAT Returns

• Assist the management accountant with the quarterly VAT returns
• Ensure the appropriate processing of UK VAT and the implications thereof for foreign transactions

Administrative Support

• Provide administrative support to the  executive team, including assisting with expense reports and organising data, as well as any other ad-hoc administrative tasks to support the team

Candidates must have experience in at least two of the following:

Education and Certifications:

Strong understanding of Accounting: A solid foundation in accounting principles and practices is essential

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance is required.

Experience

A minimum of 3 years of experience in a similar role, and experience with multi-currency transactions is advantageous.

Technical Skills:

Proficiency in Xero is required

Proficiency in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets is required

Soft Skills

Attention to Detail: High level of accuracy and excellent attention to detail

Self Starter: Able to work independently, in a remote environment in a logically organized manner

Trustworthy: we are responsible for handling significant client funds, and trust is imperative

Team Player: we are looking for individuals to be part of a Core Services (Central team) that supports and enables our wider team to grow and deliver impact at scale

Someone who is looking to grow their financial competency

Competencies

Numerical Aptitude - someone who is data-driven with a natural bend for interpreting financial information and data insights.

Strong Communicator - The Core Services Team works remotely and supports multiple non-financial stakeholders in our organisation. This is best suited to someone who can simplify complex data and articulate insights.

Technology savvy - Someone who can think outside the box and use our suite of tech tools creatively and responsibly, to deliver efficiencies

Excellent organizational abilities: We move fast, and want someone who is able to balance conflicting priorities