Assistant Accountant

At I&J, part of AVI, we combine close to 115 years of excellence with a forward-thinking approach to the fishing industry. As a leader in premium seafood, including Cape Hake and farmed Cape Abalone, we are committed to sustainability, innovation, and empowering local communities. Our latest innovation, Air-Fri’kn Amazing, brings bold flavours and crispy perfection to your air fryer, showcasing our passion for quality and customer-centric excellence.

Why Join I&J?

• Industry Leader: Work with a renowned brand known for premium Cape Hake and farmed Abalone.
• Sustainability Focused: Contribute to responsible fishing practices with MSC accreditation.
• Community Impact: Be part of a company that empowers and invests in local communities.

Your Next Career Move Starts Here! Join our I&J Head Office in Woodstock, Cape Town as an ASSISTANT ACCOUNTANT and play a key role in maintaining the integrity of payroll-related accounting, staff debtors, employee benefit accounting, general ledger reconciliations, month-end reporting, budgeting support, and finance business partnering to Group HR, Group Risk and Group Technical.

Reporting Structure:

• Reports to: Financial Accountant

Key Areas of Impact:

Financial Accounting and Month-End Reporting

• Prepare monthly general ledger reconciliations and ensure all reconciling items are investigated and resolved promptly.
• Prepare recurring journals and month-end accounting entries.
• Prepare payroll related accounting journals and supporting reconciliations.
• Prepare foreign currency revaluation journals and reconciliations.
• Prepare month-end disclosure schedules and supporting documentation.
• Assist with month-end and year-end financial close activities.
• Ensure financial records are complete, accurate and comply with company policies and accounting standards.

Payroll Finance

• Process payroll invoices accurately and within agreed deadlines.
• Verify payroll related invoices for completeness and correctness prior to payment.
• Ensure compliance with payroll accounting procedures and internal controls.
• Prepare payroll clearing account reconciliations and resolve reconciling items.
• Support payroll accounting queries from internal stakeholders

Employee Benefits Administration

• Administer the employee share scheme, including maintaining the employee share register and processing employee movements.
• Prepare leave pay and annual bonus provision calculations and accounting entries.
• Maintain staff debtor accounts, including bursaries, employee loans and other recoverable balances.
• Monitor staff debtor recoverability and follow up on outstanding balances.

Stakeholder Partnering

• Review monthly cost centre expenditure and ensure expenditure is allocated correctly.
• Provide variance analysis against budget and forecast.
• Assist business managers with finance related queries.
• Support budgeting and forecasting processes.

Budgeting and Forecasting

• Prepare budget and forecast templates.
• Capture approved budgets and forecasts into SAP.
• Assist with budget consolidations and variance analysis and support monthly forecasting activities.

Staff Expenses

• Process employee expense claims and reimbursements.
• Ensure claims comply with company policy and resolve any employee reimbursement queries.

Internal Controls and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain compliance with internal financial controls and company policies.
• Identify opportunities to improve accounting processes and reporting efficiencies.
• Assist with internal and external audit requests.
• Recommend improvements to finance systems and reporting processes

What It Takes to Succeed:

Experience that set you up for success:

• Minimum 2-3 years’ experience in an accounting working environment

Qualifications & Certifications that will contribute to your success:

• Grade 12 / Matric
• Bachelor’s Degree or Diploma in Accounting or Finance

Additional Requirements that will enhance your impact for success:

• Experience using SAP ERP
• Strong Microsoft and Excel skills
• General ledger accounting, budgeting and forecasting knowledge
• Knowledge of Financial reporting
• Balance sheet recons and variance analysis