Senior Accountant - South Africa
Cape Town, Epping, South Africa

About AgroFresh

Imagine a world with less food waste and stronger, more sustainable produce businesses. Where consumers everywhere have even more abundant and delicious produce options. This is our singular focus at AgroFresh and what inspires our colleagues every day.

AgroFresh is an AgTech innovator and global leader with a mission to prevent food loss/waste and conserve the planet’s resources by providing a range of science-based solutions, digital technologies, and high-touch customer services. In a world fraught with climate change and shrinking natural resources, we partner with growers, packers, and retailers bringing solutions across the food supply chain to enhance the quality and extend the shelf life of fresh produce. The AgroFresh organization has 40 years of post-harvest experience across a broad range of crops, including pome fruit (apples/pears), citrus, avocados, and mangoes – and we continue to expand into new countries and crops and pre-harvest.

What the Role Delivers

This position is responsible to plan, direct and coordinate the cost management and financial accounting functions for our South Africa operations, including participation in budgets and forecasts, interpreting financial results, preparing statutory accounts, monitoring cash flow, capital expenditure special investigations and ad-hoc reports, operating efficiency studies., You will manage a small local accounting team and support the Regional Finance Director.

Key Responsibilities
In order of relative importance

• Responsible for the cost accounting functions, ensuring accurate costing of products, and ensuring compliance with accounting standards.
• Analyze manufacturing costs and identify opportunities for cost reduction and process improvement.
• Monitor inventory valuation and perform regular audits to ensure accuracy in costing.
• Monitor inventory levels and production operations; track and report production metrics and performance.
• Stock control management + monthly stock takes.
• Assist with creation and maintenance of bills of materials for the site and product cost calculations.
• Overseeing the daily activities of the accounting team, including cost and inventory accounting, revenue recognition, billing, A/R, A/P, G/L, and coordinate closely with the regional and global finance team to ensure that activities are completed timely and accurately.
• SAP ERP system set-ups: Business Partner master data setup /maintenance+ material master data setup/maintenance.
• Collaborates with the operations team to explain results, make improvements, manage projects, identify inefficiencies and help to drive to reduce them, understand operations and lead the development of analysis.
• Ensure adherence of accounting policies and procedures and compliance with IFRS, US GAAP and other statutory reporting requirements
• Perform month-end and year-end close processes including journal processing and monthly balance sheet reconciliations
• Completion of local budget and forecast; together with working in close coordination with the corporate Accounting and FP&A to prepare/support forecasts, financial plans and budgets, and understanding of budget to actuals needed for the regional businesses.
• Evaluate, develop, and improve department controls, systems, and procedures that increase accuracy and efficiency.
• Assist with Corporate Treasury and management of regional Cash Flow Management.
• Engages in professional development opportunities to identify opportunities for continuous improvement in the financial operations of the business and encourages and enables direct reports and other staff to do the same.
• Review and approval of account reconciliations. Ensures that the reported results comply with US GAAP.
• Tax Compliance - Review the tax information required quarterly in the 'Tax Package'; Responsible for tax planning and ensure timely annual corporate tax return filings; Coordinate and review the information required by tax authorities in case of a tax audit; Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal government requirements.
• Ensure adherence of the operating effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting and disclosures, including required compliance
• Coach and develop staff for professional development and ensure that the accounting function maintains technical competence.

Who to Work With

Primary internal and external stakeholders

• EMEA Accounting Manager
• Regional Finance Director
• Global Corporate Controller
• Corporate Headquarters Finance Teams
• External Auditors

How We Work
AgroFresh core competencies – those in italics apply for people leaders

• Accountability for Results
• Mindset for Growth
• Customer Centricity
• One AgroFresh
• Owns the Talent

What the Job Requires

• A Bachelor’s degree in Accounting
• Proven success managing in a cost accounting environment
• Exemplary leadership and team-building skills
• Preference for licensed CPA or chartered accountant – CA (SA)
• Eight or more years of relevant work experience
• Fluent in English

What to Have Done and Know How to Do

These skills and experiences are highly desirable; however, they do not preclude exceptions based on an individual’s performance history and demonstrated potential.

• Manufacturing experience in a specialty ingredients, specialty chemicals or similar business.
• Strong knowledge and experience working with SAP, and other accounting systems such as BPC, Power BI, etc. is a plus
• Experience working in a factory environment and knowing how to “walk the floor”
• Familiar with international business & accounting practices and processes including local statutory reporting and US GAAP
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially in Excel
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, including proficiency in English
• Prior experience leading, developing and coaching a team preferred

Why Work Here

• We work every day to improve the quantity and quality of fresh produce and reduce food waste – that is important to every person on the planet!
• We have a rich history and are known for our quality products.
• We have an enterprising spirit and are looking for like-minded problem-solvers to help us accomplish our goals.
• We focus on the Critical Few priorities that are important for us and our customers and then hold ourselves accountable to deliver.
• We are growing and transforming – both our business and the industry.
• We are committed to developing our colleagues and helping you advance in your career.
• We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages.