Creditors Clerk

Great opportunity for a Creditors Clerk who can work in the city of Cape Town, Monday to Friday as this is an office based role.

The role works to a fixed month-end timetable, liaises daily with attorneys, secretaries and suppliers, and handles confidential client and matter information.

Responsibilities:

• Monitor the accounts mailbox daily, and save, log and capture all supplier invoices accurately on the accounting system, in the correct period and against the correct entity.
• Ensure all recurring monthly invoices (e.g. rental and parking, office equipment, telecoms, stationery and consumables) are received and captured before month end and follow up on any that are outstanding.
• Retrieve invoices directly from supplier online portals and accounts where they are not emailed to the firm.
• Ensure valid tax invoices are obtained so that VAT is correctly recorded and claimable.
• Capture staff requisitions and expense claims weekly, ensuring supporting documents and approvals are in place.
• Maintain the supplier master file, including obtaining the required documents (bank confirmation letter, VAT and company registration details) when onboarding new suppliers.
• Capture and allocate disbursement invoices to the correct client matter on the legal practice management system, including sheriffs, counsel (advocates), correspondent attorneys, couriers, the Deeds Office and online property search, FICA verification and legal research portals.
• Obtain the correct matter references from attorneys and secretaries, including for portal charges that are billed in more than one cycle per month.
• Ensure all disbursements for the month are captured before the monthly client invoicing run, so that recoverable costs are billed to clients and not absorbed by the firm.
• Resolve disbursement queries from attorneys and secretaries, including transferring disbursements between matters where they were incorrectly allocated.
• Understand the separation between the business account and the trust account and refer any payment that may involve trust funds to the Finance Manager, in line with the firms procedures and the Legal Practice Act and Legal Practice Council Rules.
• Prepare the weekly payment run, check invoices against supplier statements and files, confirm the amounts due, and submit the payment schedule for authorisation.
• Independently verify supplier banking details before the first payment and whenever a change is requested (e.g. telephonic verification using a known contact number) and never act on a change of banking details received by email alone.
• Allocate creditor payments against invoices once all invoices for the month have been captured.
• Prepare the monthly intercompany invoicing between the two entities once all costs for the month have been captured.
• Write up and reconcile the company credit card monthly, obtaining slips and invoices for all purchases, including online purchases.
• Manage and capture petty cash transactions and prepare weekly petty cash reconciliations.
• Perform monthly supplier statement reconciliations for both entities, and investigate and resolve outstanding items, queries and discrepancies.
• Prepare the monthly creditors age analysis for each entity for review by the Finance Manager.
• Respond to queries from suppliers, attorneys and staff regarding payments and disbursements.
• File invoices, requisitions, expense claims and payment records so that a complete audit trail is maintained.
• Support the finance team with month-end internal finance reports and with the preparation of schedules and supporting documents for the annual audit.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Matric (Grade 12) essential. A bookkeeping or accounting certificate (e.g. ICB) is advantageous.
• Min. of 1 year experience performing creditors / accounts payable duties in a finance department.
• Experience in a law firm, including capturing disbursements to client matters, is strongly preferred.
• Experience on a legal practice management or accounting system; a working understanding of trust and business accounting in a law firm is advantageous.
• Working knowledge of VAT as it applies to supplier invoices.
• Intermediate MS Excel (reconciliations, lookups, filters) and MS Outlook.
• High level of integrity and discretion, with the ability to handle confidential client and matter information in line with POPIA.
• Strong attention to detail and a firm approach to payment controls and fraud prevention.
• Deadline-driven, able to work to a fixed month-end timetable.
• Confident communicator, able to liaise with attorneys, secretaries and suppliers in a professional manner.
• Able to work independently, prioritise effectively and balance multiple tasks across two entities.
• Excellent organisational and filing skills.

Thank You.