Cape Town: Project Accountant posted by SET Consulting

Senior Project Accountant Cape Town

Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Project Accountant to join their growing Cape Town team. The role is responsible for ensuring the integrity of financial data, cost control, and compliance with international accounting standards across complex, multi-phase engineering projects. The Senior Accountant will work closely with Project Managers, Procurement, and Finance teams to ensure accurate financial and project accounting.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in line with IFRS/GAAP.

• Manage general ledger, reconciliations, and financial close processes.

• Ensure tax compliance (VAT, corporate tax, withholding tax) and liaise with auditors.

• Maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, internal controls, and company policies.

• Monitor WIP, revenue recognition, project profitability, and cost variances against budgets.

• Track project costs, accruals, billing, claims, and cost recovery in support of contract management.

• Partner with project managers to control expenditure and provide financial insights.

• Manage cash flow forecasting, working capital, bank reconciliations, and credit risk.

• Oversee vendor invoicing, payments, collections, and resolution of account discrepancies.

• Manage multi-currency transactions and foreign exchange exposure.

• Ensure accuracy of financial data within ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, or similar).

• Support process improvements, automation, system upgrades, and financial integrations.

Minimum Requirements

• CA(SA) with a relevant tertiary qualification.

• Minimum 3+ years project accounting experience, preferably in EPC, construction, or engineering.

• Strong knowledge of project accounting, WIP, cost management, and international accounting standards.

• Proficiency in ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, or equivalent) and advanced Excel.

• Experience with multi-currency environments and tax regulations.

• Proven leadership, management, and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organisational, and conflict-resolution abilities.

• High attention to detail, numerical accuracy, and ability to meet deadlines under pressure.

• Self-motivated, adaptable, team-oriented, and committed to continuous professional development.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; able to produce professional technical documentation.

• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• South African Citizen or Permanent Resident.

• Cape Town based, full-time office-based role.