Specialist Fund Accountant and Administrator

Purpose of the role

We are looking for an experienced Specialist Fund Accountant & Administrator to join our Cape Town team.

This is a dual-function role combining retirement fund administration, client portfolio management and Fund Accounting review and oversight.

The successful candidate will manage a small to medium portfolio of participating employers, provide specialist support to the administration team, and perform first-level review and quality control across key Fund Accounting activities.

The role requires a strong understanding of the relationship between member administration, employer contributions, investments, cashflows, accounting records, benefit payments and financial reporting.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end administration of an allocated portfolio of participating employers and clients.
• Manage contribution billing, allocations, reconciliations and outstanding contribution matters.
• Process and monitor investment and disinvestment instructions, benefits and claims.
• Manage client queries and ensure agreed SLA turnaround times are achieved.
• Perform first-level review of monthly Trustee cashflow reports and quarterly management accounts.
• Review and authorise journals within the applicable delegated authority.
• Review monthly investment and contribution reconciliations and investigate discrepancies.
• Provide oversight of relevant unit-pricing processes and investigate unusual movements or exceptions.
• Assist with annual financial statements, audit working papers and external audit requirements.
• Liaise with auditors and coordinate the resolution of audit queries.
• Perform first-level Section 13A contribution monitoring and escalate outstanding or non-compliant matters.
• Assist with new client onboarding, installations, opening balances and reconciliations.
• Perform first-level review of participating employer Special Rules.
• Provide technical and operational backup to Administrators during peak periods, leave or vacancies.
• Identify financial, administration and operational risks and ensure exceptions are investigated, corrected and escalated appropriately.
• Assist with monthly and quarterly Trustee administration and financial reporting.

Qualifications

A relevant tertiary qualification in one of the following areas is preferred:

• Accounting
• Finance or Financial Management
• Commerce
• Employee Benefits / Retirement Funds
• Business Administration
• A related financial services discipline

Accounting or financial-management studies combined with a strong understanding of retirement fund administration will be highly advantageous.

Experience required

The successful candidate should have practical experience in a combination of:

• Retirement fund / employee benefits administration
• Fund Accounting or financial accounting
• Contribution and investment reconciliations
• Financial reporting and management accounts
• Audit preparation and working papers
• Client portfolio management
• Benefit and claims administration
• Section 13A contribution monitoring
• Investment and disinvestment administration
• Retirement fund administration systems
• Client servicing and SLA management

Previous experience working across both Fund Accounting and retirement fund administration will be a strong advantage.

Competencies required

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong analytical and reconciliation skills
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
• Sound Fund Accounting and retirement fund administration knowledge
• Strong Microsoft Excel and financial-analysis skills
• Ability to identify and investigate discrepancies
• Strong problem-solving and risk-awareness skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
• Strong client-service orientation
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Ability to work effectively across Administration, Fund Accounting, Investments, Risk and Compliance teams
• Accountability, initiative and sound professional judgement
• High levels of integrity and confidentiality

If this sounds like YOU - apply now!