Properties Financial Co-ordinator

Business Area: Properties

Workplace Type: On-site

Location - Town / City: Cape Town

Job Description: Build your place, build your expertise! Truworths is seeking a Properties Financial Co-ordinator to play a pivotal role within our Properties Department. This role is critical to ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and smooth management of all property-related financial transactions across multiple group companies. In this dynamic position, you will take ownership of key processes such as rent book management, reconciliations, budgeting, and financial reporting, while working closely with both finance and property stakeholders. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, have a passion for accuracy, and enjoy working at the intersection of finance and property operations, this could be the ideal opportunity for you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Rent Book and Utilities Verification: • Verify accuracy of monthly rent books across all group companies and sign off payment on completion of all verification processes. • Review and verify accuracy of lease renewal schedules. • Check and record reasons for month-to-month variances in rental charges. • Review and verify weekly ad hoc payment batches for variable charges (electricity, water, effluent, refuse etc.) against invoices and meter reading slips. • Verify total spend per company to ensure each entity is paying correctly. • Match bank confirmations to reports generated by the company’s in-house property management system (TPS).
• Rates Verification: • Review and verify municipal accounts and ensure accuracy of landlord rates calculations; query and resolve discrepancies directly with landlords. • Authorise rates increases on TPS and retain electronic copies of all current and past calculations. • Proactively engage landlords to submit rates increase calculations timeously. • Coach and support team members to resolve complex rates calculations and queries.
• Landlord Reconciliations: • Oversee reconciliation of landlord statements and accounts, ensuring reconciliations are accurate and up to date. • Raise and escalate queries to management level on the landlord side and ensure prompt resolution of problem accounts. • Conduct regular sessions with team members to address and clear difficult landlord reconciliation matters. • Monitor and reduce outstanding reconciliations on an ongoing basis.
• Month-end Accounting: • Prepare monthly journals for all group companies, including turnover accruals, bank journals, cost centre splits and verification of back charges (rates, electricity, etc.). • Prepare and maintain all property-related GL accounts. • Ensure all month-end tasks are completed accurately and within required deadlines.
• Budgeting: Company Rentals and Variable Charges: • Prepare annual budgets for all rental and related costs across all group companies. • Gather, apply and verify all required data inputs for initial and final budget preparation. • Prepare manual budgets for non-TPS captured charges (e.g. Head Office, 75 on Plein, YDE). • Manage the budgeting for generator and diesel costs. • Analyse and report on out-of-line variances.
• Sub-Tenant Accounts • Review and verify accuracy of monthly invoices. • Review and verify accuracy of monthly statements. • Review and verify accuracy of annual Rates increases/decreases. • Review and verify accuracy of the annual CID levy increases/decreases. • Provide support in respect of all sub-tenant matters and queries.
• Water Usage Reporting: • Prepare quarterly reports in respect of all metered water charges (across all companies). • Calculate water consumption (kilolitres) in leased premises with meter reading details. • Verify the total extent (square meterage) of leased premises with meter readings details.
• Ad hoc Assistance: • Provide support in respect of monthly IFRS16 charges. • Prepare and maintain a monthly list of all new and closed stores. • Prepare and complete various property-related reports. • Attend to ad hoc projects (as they present themselves).

Qualifications and Experience:

• Relevant tertiary qualification in finance, accounting or a related field (BCom, BTech, National Diploma or equivalent).
• Minimum Grade 12 with a strong numerical background will be considered alongside equivalent work experience.
• Minimum 3 to 5 years' experience in an accounting or property finance environment.
• Proven exposure to utility verification, rates processes and municipal billings.
• Strong understanding of lease accounting flows, debtors/creditors, accruals, VAT principles and reconciliations.
• Experience in a multi-entity or group company environment will be advantageous.
• Strong computer skills (Microsoft Office / Excel skills), including proficiency with large volumes of financial data.
• Experience with property management or ERP systems (Oracle or similar).
• Ability to learn new systems quickly and adapt to evolving processes.
• Competency in preparing journals, reconciliations, budgets and GL accounts.

Competencies:

• Behavioural Competencies: Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy across high volumes of transactions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to work independently and make sound decisions.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills; ability to manage and meet multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• High degree of initiative; proactive, self-starting and able to anticipate requirements.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• High stress tolerance and ability to perform consistently under pressure.
• Resilience and adaptability in a dynamic, fast paced finance environment.
• High degree of integrity, trustworthiness and professional accountability.
• Collaborative team player who is willing to support and coach colleagues.