Chartered Accountant (CA(SA))

Location: Remote (South Africa)
Type: Full-Time
Reports to: Head of Finance / International CPA

Overview
We are seeking a highly competent and detail-driven Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) to lead client accounting functions across a portfolio of small business clients, primarily U.S.-based. This role involves oversight of full-cycle accounting, clean-up projects, quality control, and the preparation of books for tax and audit handoff. You will lead technical execution while supporting and reviewing the work of junior and intermediate staff.

Key Responsibilities

QuickBooks Management
You will manage and maintain client files in QuickBooks Online and Desktop. This includes setting up and maintaining the chart of accounts, classes, locations, and user roles, and ensuring that system configurations and internal controls are accurate and compliant.

Bookkeeping Oversight & Reconciliations
You will supervise all monthly and quarterly reconciliations including bank, credit card, and loan accounts. This also involves ensuring the completeness and accuracy of accounts receivable, accounts payable, and fixed asset ledgers, as well as reviewing and approving all reconciliations and correcting entries.

Accounts Receivable / Payable Cleanup
You will oversee the clean-up of customer and vendor ledgers, approve write-offs and the application of credits, correct aging reports, and identify risk items while proposing appropriate remediation strategies.

Close Process Management
You will manage the full close process on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. This includes executing structured close checklists, posting or reviewing complex entries such as accruals, depreciation, and intercompany transactions, delivering accurate trial balances, profit and loss statements, and balance sheets, and ensuring all documentation is fully reconciled and audit-ready.

Messy Books & Historical Cleanup
For messy books and historical issues, you will conduct root-cause analysis, develop and oversee clean-up plans, and validate that balances align with prior tax filings and financial history.

Review & Supervision of Staff Work
You will review reconciliations, journal entries, and working papers prepared by junior accountants. Where necessary, you will post adjustments, mentor junior staff on technical issues, and ensure documentation and schedules remain complete and up to date.

Quality Control & Mini-Audit Checks
You will be responsible for quality control procedures, performing analytical reviews to detect anomalies such as duplicate vendors or round-number entries. You will ensure that document trails are complete and compliant, including invoices, bank statements, and contracts, and that internal controls are upheld through spot checks and system reviews.

Tax Allocation & Reporting Support
In supporting tax allocation and reporting, you will post and reconcile payroll liabilities such as UIF, PAYE, and FICA, and allocate VAT and sales taxes (for both South African and U.S. jurisdictions like NY and NJ) across the appropriate balance sheet and P&L accounts. While you wont be responsible for filing, you will assist external accountants by ensuring all tax-related data is accurate and accessible.

1099 Compliance (U.S. Clients)
For U.S.-based clients, you will oversee the annual 1099 process. This includes collecting vendor data, verifying tax identification numbers (TINs), reviewing exception reports, and ensuring all submissions meet the January 31 filing deadline.

Client & CPA Coordination
You will serve as the primary contact for client accounting queries, prepare organized handoffs to CPAs for tax filing, and respond promptly to any follow-up requests with clarity and precision.

Team Leadership & Workflow Management
Finally, you will play a leadership role in the team. You will guide junior staff, manage timelines and workload distribution across accounts, and take initiative during peak periods such as the January through March busy season to ensure smooth delivery and high-quality work.

Minimum Requirements
You must hold an active CA(SA) designation and have between four to seven years of full-cycle accounting experience, ideally managing multiple client files. You should have a strong command of QuickBooks Online, with experience in QuickBooks Desktop considered an advantage. A solid understanding of GAAP, cash vs accrual principles, and international accounting workflows is expected. You should be confident reviewing technical work and leading small teams. Strong Excel skills, comfort with cloud-based documentation, and excellent communication are essential. Experience working with international clients, especially in the U.S., is highly beneficial.

Nice to Have
Experience supporting U.S. tax teams, including the preparation of 1099s or sales tax documentation, will be an asset. Prior work in an outsourced or multi-client environment is highly valued, as is familiarity with South African payroll systems and compliance procedures.