Financial Administrator – Job Description
Reporting Line
The Financial Administrator reports directly to the Finance Team Lead.
Job Purpose
The Financial Administrator is responsible for providing financial and administrative support to the schools, ensuring that procurement and accounts payable processes are completed accurately, efficiently, and in compliance with company policies and internal control requirements. The role is responsible for planning and coordinating procurement activities aligned with school operational requirements while tracking procurement requests from initiation through to supplier payment.
Key Responsibilities
- Finance administration.
- Procurement and accounts payable.
- Accurate expense allocations.
- Vendor administration.
- Procurement tracking and reporting.
- Customer service and stakeholder support.
- Compliance with financial policies and internal controls.
Key Accountabilities
- Administrative and Organisational Responsibilities
- Ensure compliance with all financial processes, procedures, policies, and internal control requirements.
- Provide administrative support to Campus Bursars, School Principals, school staff, Brand Finance, and Group Shared Services (GSS).
- Assist with Brand Finance, GSS, and campus-related finance projects and ad hoc tasks as required.
- Plan and schedule procurement activities in line with school operational requirements and deadlines.
- Track and manage procurement requests from initial submission through to supplier payment.
- Maintain accurate procurement records and provide procurement status updates when required.
- Assist with month-end finance administration and reporting activities.
- Procurement and Accounts Payable
- Submit procurement requests on the centralised Procurement Portal within 24 hours of receipt from the requesting staff member.
- Allocate the correct General Ledger (GL) account, procurement category, and fixed asset category for all procurement requests.
- Ensure all procurement requests include complete supporting information, including detailed specifications, quotations, ISBN numbers, and supporting documentation where applicable.
- Submit Capital Expenditure (Capex) quotations to the Campus Bursar within 24 hours of receipt from Procurement.
- Upload approved Capex applications to the Procurement Portal.
- Prepare and submit new vendor applications and amendments to existing vendor details on SharePoint.
- Distribute approved Purchase Orders (POs) to staff members and suppliers and instruct suppliers to submit invoices directly to [email protected].
- Follow up on Purchase Orders that remain unapproved for more than 24 hours after submission.
- Request signed delivery notes or proof of service for Purchase Orders older than one week.
- Request Procurement to process the Goods Receipt Voucher (GRV) immediately upon receipt of goods or completion of services.
- Upload signed delivery notes, proof of delivery, job cards, or confirmation of services received to the Procurement Portal.
- Process approved supplier returns in conjunction with the Brand Accountant.
- Review and resolve GSS Accounts Payable SharePoint queries daily.
- Respond to procurement agent queries within 24 hours.
- Forward supplier and staff payment queries to GSS and monitor them until resolution.
- Prepare and provide the Campus Bursar with an accurate accrual listing for goods and services received but not yet invoiced.
- Plan procurement activities proactively to minimise urgent payment requests. Where urgent payments are unavoidable, ensure that a complete approval pack is submitted to Procurement for processing by Accounts Payable.
- Prepare and reconcile Procurement Card transactions accurately on a monthly basis.
- Manage Store Cards and in-store account purchases in accordance with company policy.
- Finance Administration
- Ensure the accurate allocation of expenses to the correct General Ledger accounts and cost centres.
- Support monthly financial reconciliations and reporting requirements.
- Maintain accurate financial records and filing systems.
- Ensure all finance documentation is complete, accurate, and readily available for audit purposes.
- Assist with daily budget tracking and expenditure monitoring.
- Customer Service and Stakeholder Support
- Provide professional and efficient support to staff, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
- Assist with in-person, telephone, and email finance-related queries.
- Support Principals in enforcing the Debtor Pre-Suspension, Suspension, and Termination (PST) process.
- Collaborate effectively with the GSS Accounts Receivable Team to resolve debtor-related matters.
- Build and maintain positive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Minimum Requirements
Education
- Grade 12 (Matric) is essential.
- A tertiary qualification in Finance, Accounting, Bookkeeping, or a related field will be advantageous.
Experience
- 3–5 years' experience in a finance administration, procurement, or accounts payable role.
- Working knowledge of procurement and accounts payable processes.
- Accounting knowledge is advantageous.
- Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
- Previous customer liaison and stakeholder engagement experience.
Knowledge, Skills and Competencies
- Strong organisational and planning skills.
- Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
- Sound understanding of financial and accounting principles.
- Knowledge of procurement processes, policies, and internal controls.
- Ability to prioritise multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong customer service orientation.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
- High level of integrity, confidentiality, and professionalism.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
- Ability to work effectively under pressure while maintaining accuracy.