Accountant

Responsibilities:

Financial Records and Data Integrity:

• Full stewardship of QuickBooks Online: chart of accounts, VAT/WHT/PAYE configuration, and transaction accuracy.
• Weekly bank reconciliations across all corporate accounts; anomalies flagged to the MD immediately.
• Weekly reconciliation of QuickBooks against Shopify sales data and payment gateway settlements.
• Documented data backup protocol; no external party may alter or delete data without MD authorisation.

Banking and Compliance;

• Daily review of all bank transactions cross-referenced against authorised payment records; deviations reported immediately.
• Monthly bank mandate review; register of authorised signatories and approved payment channels maintained at all times.
• Prepare and file monthly VAT returns (independently verified), WHT, and PAYE within statutory deadlines. No deadline missed.
• Maintain a live compliance calendar and a complete tax filing archive. Own all FIRS/LIRS correspondence.

Payroll:

• Process monthly payroll (PAYE, pension, NHF, ITF, NSITF) accurately and on time, with documentary evidence retained.
• Reporting
• Monthly management accounts (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow) by the 10th working day, with variance commentary.
• Event-level and product-level cost analyses; 60-day rolling cash flow forecast; quarterly performance summaries.

Internal Controls and Cost Management:

• Documented controls framework covering payment authorisation, cash handling, procurement, and bank access.
• Fixed asset register, periodic surprise checks, dual authorisation above agreed thresholds, and a financial risk register.
• Track production costs against budgets; reconcile Apicbase inventory data; review vendor contracts for savings.

External Accountants and Advisers:

• Work hand in hand with external accountants: timely data flows, documented delineation of responsibilities, regular check-ins.
• Primary internal contact for external auditors; coordinate with external tax consultants on all compliance matters.
• Escalate any disagreements, delays, or quality concerns to the MD.
• Supervision
• Supervise and develop the Account Officer; delegate tasks while retaining accountability for output quality.

Requirements:

• Degree in Accounting or Finance. ACA (ICAN) or ACCA is also required.
• Minimum 3 years’ post-qualification experience; hospitality, food service, or consumer goods exposure preferred.
• Hands-on QuickBooks Online proficiency is mandatory.
• Strong knowledge of Nigerian tax law (VAT, WHT, PAYE, CIT) under FIRS and LIRS.
• Experience working with external accountants and auditors. SME internal controls are desirable.
• Exceptional attention to detail; zero tolerance for errors.
• High integrity consistent with ICAN’s Code of Professional Conduct.
• Proactive and ownership-oriented; identifies and resolves issues without prompting.
• Clear communicator who can present financials to a non-finance audience.
• Comfortable with scrutiny and able to answer hard questions with confidence and evidence