Overview
Project Accountant Jobs in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa at Quest Staffing Solutions
Title: Project Accountant
Company: Quest Staffing Solutions
Location: Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Location: Irene, Pretoria
Employment Type: Ongoing Contract
Remuneration: R 40 000 monthly
Start Date: ASAP
Role Objective
Working closely with the Financial Manager and wider finance team, this role is responsible for the day‑to‑day running of the accounting function, project financial management, and operational accounting activities.
The Project Accountant plays a pivotal role in:
- Maintaining financial integrity of projects
- Managing the full accounting function
- Ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and validity of data
- Supporting financial systems, controls, reporting, and compliance
The role contributes actively to the development and implementation of accounting systems, policies, and procedures across the function.
Experience Requirements
- Minimum 5 years’ experience as a Project Accountant
- Proven experience handling accounts, financial systems, and operations in a large, complex, or decentralised organisation
- Experience with sundry debtors, WIP, utilisation reporting, and project-level financial management
- Experience calculating cost of manufacturing (finished goods)
- Minimum 2 years' experience with VAT, dividends tax, and provisional tax calculations and reconciliations
- Strong understanding of project accounting for both long‑term and short‑term projects
- Supervisory or team‑lead experience advantageous
Education & Skills
- Matric
- Degree in Finance / Accounting / Commerce (advantageous)
- 3–5 years’ experience in Project Accounting
- Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel (Intermediate–Advanced)
- Ability to manage and analyse large volumes of data
- Knowledge of:
- Accounting principles and basic IFRS
- MS Office
- Finance systems (e.g., MS Dynamics AX or similar ERP)
- Relevant legislation (Companies Act, VAT Act, Income Tax Act)
Key Roles and Responsibilities
1. Project Accounting & Financial Management
- Develop, maintain, and review project budgets in collaboration with Project Managers
- Track, analyse, and report on project costs, budgets, and profitability
- Ensure accurate allocation of all project‑related costs and expenses
- Monitor budget vs actuals; conduct variance analysis and recommend corrective actions
- Update and maintain Cost‑to‑Complete tools weekly or as required
- Review cost/revenue variations and explain changes
- Identify financial risks, scope creep, and potential variation orders
- Prepare monthly project overview summaries
- Work closely with Project Managers to ensure financial integrity of all project records
2. Monthly & Management Reporting
- Monthly flash reporting and preparation of management accounts
- Ensure accuracy and completeness of balance sheet reconciliations within agreed timelines
- Prepare month‑end files used for audit purposes
- Report on project performance against budget and forecast
- Analyse utilisation dashboards and investigate variances
- Update WIP schedules; monitor projects with high WIP
- Coordinate in‑month review data from Project Managers
- Assist in drafting financial projections and contributing to annual budget cycles
3. General Accounting Duties
- Oversee day‑to‑day accounting activities
- Determine revenue and expenditure; prepare monthly revenue forecasts
- Create weekly and monthly revenue reports for the Financial Manager
- Process and reconcile accounts receivable and payable
- Ensure alignment of project costs to revenue
- Maintain accurate financial records and general ledger integrity
- Create and distribute invoices based on contract terms and project reporting
- Manage and guide the bookkeeper
- Review accounting activities regularly to ensure adherence to financial controls
- Ensure compliance with internal accounting policies and procedures
- Identify, investigate, and resolve outstanding balances
4. Debtors Management
- Weekly follow‑up on outstanding debtors
- Ensure accurate invoicing with zero avoidable credit notes
- Maintain debtor statements and account reconciliations
- Conduct debtor age analysis and escalate risks
- Liaise with clients for timeous payments
5. VAT, Taxation & Compliance
- Prepare monthly VAT reconciliations
- Assist with provisional tax and dividend tax calculations
- Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and internal control frameworks
- Support internal and external audits and implement audit recommendations
6. Stock, Fixed Assets & Database Integrity
- Ensure accuracy and integrity of job records and project databases
- Weekly review of job and cost reports, highlighting risks and issues
- Ensure all jobs have valid Job Cost Estimates (JCEs)
- Support resolution of issues related to job captures, POs, scope changes, errors, signatures, and service entry stages
- Escalate overdue or critical matters to operations and management teams
7. Cost Control & Financial Analysis
- Analyse and validate all project costs; correct misallocations
- Develop robust project financial projections with Project Managers
- Perform variance analysis against budget/forecast and explain deviations
- Monitor financial performance of projects and suggest corrective measures
- Support long‑range and short‑range financial planning at project level
8. Systems, Controls & Process Improvement
- Maintain accuracy of financial data within ERP or project management systems
- Improve existing accounting processes, cost allocation, and reporting accuracy
- Support implementation of system upgrades or new financial tools
- Ensure adherence to internal controls and financial governance
9. Audit Support
- Prepare required documentation for internal and external audits
- Support auditors with queries and follow‑up requests
- Implement audit recommendations to strengthen controls
10. People Management & Leadership
- Coach, mentor, and train junior finance staff or team members
- Support performance management processes within the team
- Model company culture and values
- Participate in creating a high‑performance finance environment