Accounts Payable Officer

About the Role

This position sits within the finance function and supports financial as well as regulatory reporting activities. A key focus of the role is supplier administration and the management of information used to monitor supplier payments.

Financial Reporting

• Use financial reporting standards to make sure invoices are captured correctly in the general ledger through the invoice-handling process.
• Assist with posting month-end journals for accruals and prepayments.
• Support reconciliations of finance suspense accounts and help the business where needed.
• Carry out analytical review of the income statement and balance sheet, with particular attention to expenditure.
• Handle routine tax compliance tasks, including VAT, corporate tax, withholding tax and PAYE where relevant.
• Perform monthly cost analysis to identify and understand major cost drivers.

Supplier Management

• Receive supplier invoices and check that they meet compliance requirements before scanning them into Kofax.
• Prepare concise management information on supplier payments to help set expectations for suppliers and internal departments and reduce queries.
• Keep to the payment timetable so contractual payments are made on the 15th and 25th of each month, and maintain the invoice-scanning schedule.
• Support weekly reconciliation of funding and payment suspense accounts so they clear to nil in the SAP trial balance.
• Review scanned direct invoices to confirm that minimum standards are met and all necessary information is included.
• Respond to payment queries from FSSA within 24 hours and from user departments within 48 hours, allowing time for investigation.
• Check that payment proposal items are valid and do not result in duplicate payments.
• Follow up on manual entries until they are cleared from the system using transaction code F-53.
• Share invoice or payment issues with users and departments early enough, and discuss how they may affect payment timelines.

Regulatory Reporting

• Act as backup support for preparing the weekly liquidity return.
• Help gather information requested by regulators, revenue authorities, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and similar bodies.

Stakeholder Management

• Support the finance team in working with regulators, tax authorities, and both internal and external auditors.
• Coordinate with the Business Performance and Analytics teams in-country.
• Manage expectations of suppliers and business units to reduce operational frustration.

Risk, Control and Compliance

• Understand the Group and RoA policies and standards relevant to the role.
• Identify and manage operational risks and incidents in line with the Group Risk and Control Framework.
• Communicate required controls and policy practices to relevant colleagues.
• Support proactive oversight of principal risk performance, including related control effectiveness.
• Maintain procedures that track compliance with policies and required controls.
• Follow the Group process for policy waivers, dispensations, and reporting policy breaches where needed.

Team Support and Development

• Assist the broader finance team across different tasks as needed.
• Work constructively with senior leadership and colleagues to support shared goals.
• Take ownership of personal development to improve effectiveness in the role.

Education

A Higher Diploma in Financial Sciences is required.

Additional Information

This opportunity is based in Zambia and is described as a full-time, on-site position. The role also reflects the organisation’s broader purpose of helping shape Africa’s future through growth and development.