Branch Accountant - FMCG - East Africa at Achyutam

Job Purpose

• The Branch Accountant will be responsible for overseeing and managing all financial, accounting, inventory, and internal control activities at the branch level. The ideal candidate will ensure accuracy in financial reporting, maintain tight inventory control, manage local treasury/cash flows, ensure local tax compliance, and safeguard company assets in a high-volume FMCG operational environment.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities 1. Financial Accounting & Reporting

• Maintain accurate, complete, and up-to-date general ledgers, sub-ledgers, and financial records for the branch.
• Prepare daily, weekly, and monthly branch financial management reports, including profit & loss statements and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Perform monthly closing activities, journal postings, and variance analyses (Budget vs. Actual).

Inventory Accounting & Stock Control

• Oversee branch warehouse inventory movement, transfers, finished goods accounting, and damage/breakage tracking.
• Conduct regular perpetual stock counts and direct monthly physical stock reconciliation against ERP records.
• Investigate and report inventory variances, short-landings, transit losses, or stock leakages immediately to management.

Accounts Receivable, Credit Control & Cash Management

• Monitor customer/distributor ledger balances, credit limits, and aging reports to ensure timely debt collection.
• Manage daily cash collection, bank deposits, daily cash/bank reconciliations, and petty cash disbursements.
• Oversee point-of-sale cash handovers and ensure strict compliance with cash-handling policies to eliminate revenue leakage.

Accounts Payable & Vendor Management

• Process branch operational expenses, utility bills, vendor invoices, and local supplier payments following proper authorization.
• Reconcile local supplier and vendor accounts regularly before executing payments.

Statutory Compliance & Tax Management

• Ensure strict adherence to regional tax laws (VAT, Withholding Tax, PAYE, and local municipal levies).
• Prepare and file routine statutory tax returns accurately within deadlines set by local tax authorities (e.g., KRA, TRA, URA).
• Assist external and internal auditors during branch financial, statutory, or stock audits.

​​​​​​​Internal Controls & Risk Management

• Enforce corporate financial policies, internal control standards, and operating procedures at the branch.
• Ensure proper documentation and archival of all financial vouchers, receipts, and invoices.

Candidate Profile & Key Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, or a related discipline.
• Professional Certification: CPA (K/T/U), ACCA, or equivalent professional accounting qualification is strongly preferred.
• Experience: 3 to 5+ years of relevant accounting experience, preferably within FMCG, retail, distribution, or manufacturing operations.
• ERP Proficiency: Solid hands-on experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Tally, or Quickbooks).

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong working knowledge of inventory valuation, cost accounting, and cash handling procedures.
• In-depth understanding of East African local tax legislation and statutory filing rules.
• Proficient in MS Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, financial modeling).
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and numerical skills.
• High ethical standards, integrity, and attention to detail.