Duties & Responsibilities
ENVIRONMENT:
An energetic provider of cutting-edge and economical business solutions, headquartered in KwaZulu-Natal, is on the lookout for a Scheme Accountant to join their team. This role will entail ensuring meticulous and precise recording of all scheme-related transactions within the appropriate reporting timeframe and designated accounts in the general ledger. A Bachelor of Commerce degree or an equivalent national diploma in Finance/Accounting is a prerequisite, coupled with a minimum of 2-3 years of prior relevant experience within a corporate environment.
DUTIES:
Data Integrity and Validation:
- Ensures that scheme data is accurate, complete and in the correct reporting period prior to embarking on financial reporting by carrying out detailed pre-month end and month-end close off checks.
- Uses exception reports, sales reports, CPS/CPM reports, reports generated by policy administrators, and other reports as applicable to confirm that data is accurate and complete timely to prevent or minimise issues at month end.
- Identifies anomalies and problems timely for resolution, and where necessary, escalates these to Policy Admin, Claims or IT for resolution before scheme close off.
- Validates and imports claim transactions from external claims administrators for reporting, where applicable.
- Collaborates with Policy Admin, Claims, Finance, and IT to ensure the accuracy and completeness of data prior to scheme close off.
- Ensure that all accounting processes have been smoothly integrated into the data required for reporting and analysis.
Premium Collection, Reporting, Analysis and Disbursements:
- Completes and analyses the premium collection file and scheme specific reporting before submission to Business Partners per agreed deadlines and SLAs.
- Ensures that single premium invoices sent to dealerships are accurate and reconcile to new business, where applicable.
- Ensures that commission and other expenses e.g., printing, re-insurance etc are calculated and reported correctly.
- Produces commission and other statements for business partners as per agreed timeframes.
- Ensures that disbursements for fees, commission and other expenses and risk reserve payments are accurate and timely and reconcile back to financial reporting.
- Resolves all queries relating to commission and other disbursements.
- Prepares and submits accounting journals to Finance per agreed deadlines.
- Provides quality management information, clearly explaining inconsistencies and variances.
- Ensures that all reports submitted to Business Partners are timely, accurately and in the agreed formats.
- Actively manages non-collection of premiums through the use of exception reports and by analysing the collections file; escalates anomalies and problems and where applicable cancels policies timely.
- Supports the premium allocation and bulking processes, where necessary, liaising with banks regarding unallocated deposits, and proactively identifying methods to efficiently rectify errors and discrepancies for financial reporting purposes.
Statutory, Ad hoc and Year End Reporting:
- Completes the quarterly data reconciliations and statements required for the SAM returns, where applicable.
- Completes the annual data reconciliations and return for submission to the FSCA, where applicable.
- Complete the data reconciliations and return for the CBR report as and when required by the FSCA for submission, where applicable.
- Produces ad hoc reports or provides information as per business partner requirements.
Customer Experience:
- Builds and maintains a healthy professional working relationship with the business partner and internal and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrates responsiveness in relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
- Resolves queries relating to the Scheme, raised by both internal and external stakeholders, timely and effectively, and where necessary escalates issues timely to ensure effective and prompt resolution in the interests of providing a responsive and professional relationship with their business partners.
- Proactively anticipates and resolves issues before they are highlighted by their business partners.
- Continually impress their partners and customers by striving to go the extra mile in everything you do.
- Checks that refunds processed by administrators are calculated correctly, timely and in line with policy wordings.
- Provides excellent customer service through on-going engagement, responsiveness and diligent resolution of problems/issues raised by their business partners.
- Ensures that the principles of TCF (Treating Customers Fairly) are embodied in processes and practices relating to administration of the Scheme.
- Complies with all applicable legislation and regulations.
Scheme improvements, initiatives and developments:
- Pro-actively identifies opportunities where you can add value to their business partners in unique and creative ways with the purpose of becoming trusted business partners.
- Understands ad-hoc reporting requirements of the business partner and seeks to deliver this more efficiently, where applicable.
- Continually explores the quality and format of reporting provided to their business partners and seeks to enhance this, where applicable.
- Seeks automation or digitisation options to increase efficiencies, scalability and/or overall experience.
- In the event of the introduction of new products or additional products to an existing scheme/s, ensures the smooth incorporation of these products into the existing database and current reporting processes.
- In the event of a new scheme take-on, assumes accountability for developing and structuring the month-end reporting process for the new scheme.
REQUIREMENTS:
- B Comm. or equivalent national diploma in Finance/Accounting is required.
- At least 2- 3 years previous related working experience in a corporate entity is required.
- Experience in working with advanced Excel is required.
- Previous work experience in the financial services environment would be a distinct advantage.
- Experience in dealing with underwriters/clients/business partners would be an advantage.
- A good understanding of the purpose and context of financial reporting.
- A good understanding of financial concepts, especially those applicable to the role.
- An understanding of accounting processes/practices and their impact on financial reporting.
- Advanced Excel skills, with proven ability to apply these skills.
ATTRIBUTES:
- The ability to work with large volumes of financial data accurately and efficiently.
- The ability to see the “big picture” to understand the impact of financial reports provided.
- A high level of attention to detail.
- The ability to analyse reports and explain variances clearly.
- Logical, methodical, rational, analytical and efficient.
- The ability to plan, prioritise, and co-ordinate to meet deadlines and achieve results.
- The ability to remain calm and manage and co-ordinate deadlines under pressure.
- The ability to work independently but also as part of a bigger team.
- Good problem solving and decision-making skills.
- Good communication skills (verbal and written) to liaise effectively with business partners and stakeholders.
- Good collaboration and relationship management skills.
- The ability to remain robust, confident, and assertive in discussions with business partners and stakeholders.
- The ability to consistently demonstrate commitment and hard work.
- A continuous improvement orientation would be a distinct advantage.
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