Financial Controller at Wilderness March, 2024

Purpose Statement

• Manage the Financial & Accounting Function so as to provide relevant, accurate and meaningful financial information on a consistent and timeous basis – both historic and future based.

Key Accountabilities

Reconciliation and control of various General Ledger (GL) accounts, as well as the following:

•  Process journals as and when required
•  Prior to month-end, review GL accounts and check that all entries posted to the accounts are correct
•  Reconcile where appropriate to third party statements/information
•  Prepare schedules for month-end file to be reviewed by the Financial Manager
•  After month-end close, check that GL schedules agree to the trial balance and amend schedules where necessary.

Review and control of all bank accounts: ZAR, USD, EUR and GBP

•  Check cash book items posted from bank statement such as
  • Bank charges
  • Interest
  • Debit orders etc.
•  Review reconciliations and if required perform reconciliations of bank accounts to bank statements
•  Investigate and clear reconciling items where appropriate
•  Prepare schedules for month-end file
•  Release payments on the banking system in line with Wilderness procedures

Maintain and develop fixed assets process and review GL accounts

•  Review and maintain policies for recording and valuing (including scrapping) of fixed assets
•  Calculate and post monthly depreciation relating to fixed assets
•  Prepare schedule of deferred tax on fixed assets for month-end file
•  Review fixed assets registers and reconciliation to GL accounts
•  Prepare/review schedules for month-end file
•  Prepare schedule on P&L on sale/scrapping of fixed assets for month end file

Reconcile, control and submission of VAT, Income Tax and other tax computations and returns

•  Run monthly VAT reports
•  Reconcile to control accounts
•  Clear reconciling items
•  Check for reasonableness bringing any abnormalities to manager’s attention
•  Complete VAT returns
•  Submit payment
•  Follow up any VAT refunds due
•  Handle any VAT queries from SARS
•  Perform income / other tax computations on a monthly basis
•  Complete income / other tax returns at required intervals during the year
•  Reconcile the effective tax rate

Prepare and Set up Templates for Management Accounts

•  Set up income statements and balance to Tourplan
•  Set up balance sheets and balance to Tourplan
•  Set up Foreign Balance sheet and reconcile Foreign Currencies to month end exchange rates and Balance to Reporting Currency Balance Sheets
•  Pass foreign balance sheet restate entries
• Reconcile Sales & COS to TFS Reports, Product Analysis and maintenance of GP%
•  Run the TFS Sales & COS Reports
•  Reconcile TFS Reports to GL
•  Accrue for TFS & GL Post Categories
•  Download Month End Product Analysis in Various Categories
•  Calculate MTD and YTD GP Percentage
•  Compare to the Actual GP Percentage
•  Investigate & Explain Variances

Monthly Management Accounts Variance Reporting

•  Run monthly management accounts once all processing is done
•  Check accounts for accuracy and investigate any discrepancies or anomalies
•  Review income statement actual CY vs. PY and advise management on reasons for discrepancies
•  Take corrective action before submitting for review
•  Submit monthly management accounts to Group Finance in line with Group deadlines and requirements
•  Complete necessary reports stemming from management account information as needed by Directors / Group Finance

Audit

•  Preparation of audit packs
•  Preparation of complete audit files containing all necessary reconciliations
•  Handle all aspects of the audit including coordination, query resolution and working with auditors to ensure audit deadlines are met
•  Preparation of Annual Financial Statements for various companies in terms of International Financial Reporting Standards

Pre month-end checks

•  Pull TFS variance report
•  Inspect Sales, COS and GP% variance
•  Pull TFS other status report
•  Resolve variances in conjunction with the Reservations team
•  Compile VAT check report and investigate and resolve variances with the Reservations Team
•  Check internal debtors are receipted and VAT treated correctly
•  Inspect Voucher reports for over / under payments, VAT discrepancies
•  Inspect Age of vouchers and take corrective action
•  Inspect and resolve open vouchers that should be closed and closed vouchers that should be open
•  Ensure sub ledgers are in balance with General ledger
•  Ensure all clearing accounts are nil
•  Ensure future accounts are clearing to nil in the latest year
•  Pull through internal vouchers in terms of the Company policy.

Month-end Close

•  Once a month, upon approval from the Financial Manager, hard close the financial system in Tourplan and run the forex calculations

Distributions to Heads of Departments

•  Once the results for the month has been reported to Group Finance – prepare and distribute individual department results to the BU Managers
•  Liaise and resolve any queries that might arise from this process.

Cash Flow Forecasts & Rolling Forecasts

•  Be involved and assist with the forecasting process (cash flow forecast and quarterly rolling forecasts)
•  Liaise with BU Managers to obtain departmental cost forecasts, assess for reasonableness an follow up where necessary
•  Upload final forecasts into Tagetik
•  Understand the composition of the forecasts in order to make meaningful comments and conclusion on variances between forecast and actuals.

Ad hoc assignments/projects

•  Contribute or implement any ad hoc assignment or project as required by the business from time to time
•  Perform ad-hoc assignments as directed by the management of the Finance Department.

Administrative duties

•  Version control of electronic files, ensuring paper trail is accurate
•  Adhere to standard processes and procedures.

Perform any other reasonable duties requested by management

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

REQUIRED MIN.EDUCATION / TRAINING

•  CA (SA) – newly qualified
•  Computer Literate with a good working knowledge of MS Excel

ADDITIONAL EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

•  Working knowledge of Income Tax, VAT and Company law
•  Knowledge of TourPlan, Great Plains and Tagetik would be beneficial
•  International company experience or exposure
•  Exposure to foreign currencies
•  Sound working knowledge of IFRS

REQUIRED MINIMUM WORK EXPERIENCE

•  At least 3 years working experience in articles at an audit firm
•  Has worked in a supervisory position and can work independently

PERSONAL ABILITIES

• Leadership qualities
• Team player with the ability to interface with a variety of departments and people
• Organised, methodical, accurate and analytical
• Deadline and result orientated
• Excellent communication skills
• Good time management and the ability to multi-task
• Hard worker with the ability to deal with change
• Perform well under pressure
• Ability to pay attention to detail without losing sight of the big picture
• Interested in nature & conservation
• Working Relationships
• Internal Reservations, RARA, Group Finance and all other departments
• External Agents, suppliers, banks, external auditors and SARS