Accountant / Finance Officer

Department: Finance & Accounts
Reports To: Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer

Job Purpose

The Accountant / Finance Officer will be responsible for managing the company's day-to-day accounting operations, maintaining accurate financial records, monitoring income and expenditure, reconciling accounts, tracking customer payments, supporting financial reporting, and ensuring appropriate financial controls are maintained.

The role will also support management with accurate and timely financial information for business planning, budgeting, cash-flow management, project monitoring, and decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

Accounting & Financial Records

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date accounting records for Brickstone Homes.
• Record daily income, expenses, payments, receipts, and other financial transactions.
• Maintain proper records of accounts payable and accounts receivable.
• Prepare and maintain financial schedules and supporting documentation.
• Ensure all financial transactions are properly authorised and documented.
• Maintain appropriate filing systems for financial documents.

Customer Payments & Property Sales Accounts

• Track customer payments for property purchases and payment plans.
• Maintain accurate customer account statements.
• Monitor outstanding balances and overdue payments.
• Reconcile customer payments with sales records and bank statements.
• Work with the Sales and Customer Relations teams to resolve payment discrepancies.
• Prepare payment confirmations, receipts, invoices, and other approved financial documents.
• Maintain separate and accurate records for different projects and developments.

Bank & Cash Management

• Conduct regular bank reconciliations.
• Monitor company bank accounts and cash balances.
• Maintain accurate records of cash and electronic transactions.
• Prepare cash-flow reports and forecasts for management.
• Monitor incoming and outgoing funds and highlight potential cash-flow issues.
• Ensure company funds are properly accounted for and used in accordance with approved procedures.

Accounts Payable & Expenses

• Process approved supplier, consultant, contractor, and operational payments.
• Maintain records of outstanding company obligations.
• Verify supporting documentation before processing payments.
• Monitor company expenses against approved budgets.
• Identify unusual, duplicate, or unsupported expenses and report them to management.
• Assist in implementing effective expense-control procedures.

Payroll Support

• Support the preparation of monthly payroll.
• Maintain accurate records of staff salaries, allowances, deductions, and approved benefits.
• Coordinate with HR/Admin regarding staff changes affecting payroll.
• Ensure payroll information is treated confidentially.

Financial Reporting

• Prepare monthly management accounts and financial reports.
• Provide regular reports on:
• Revenue.
• Expenses.
• Cash position.
• Customer receivables.
• Payables.
• Project income and expenditure.
• Budget versus actual performance.
• Provide accurate financial information to the MD/CEO and management.
• Assist management in analysing financial performance and identifying areas requiring attention.

Budgeting & Financial Controls

• Assist in preparing annual and project-specific budgets.
• Monitor actual expenditure against approved budgets.
• Support the development and implementation of financial policies and procedures.
• Ensure appropriate controls are in place for company income, expenses, payments, and approvals.
• Identify financial risks, discrepancies, and control weaknesses and report them promptly.

Tax & Statutory Compliance

• Maintain records required for applicable tax and statutory obligations.
• Assist with preparation of information required for tax filings and statutory returns.
• Coordinate with the company's tax consultants, auditors, and relevant professional advisers.
• Ensure financial records are properly maintained for audit and tax purposes.

Audit & Financial Documentation

• Prepare financial schedules and supporting documents required for internal and external audits.
• Respond to audit requests and provide supporting documentation when required.
• Maintain proper documentation to ensure transactions can be easily verified and traced.

Project & Real Estate Financial Monitoring

• Maintain financial records for each Brickstone Homes development/project.
• Track project-related income and expenditure.
• Monitor land acquisition, construction, infrastructure, marketing, consultancy, and other project costs.
• Assist management in assessing project profitability and financial performance.
• Reconcile project sales against customer payments and outstanding balances.

Team Collaboration

• Work closely with Sales, Business Development, Operations, HR/Admin, Legal, and Management.
• Provide Sales with updated customer payment and outstanding-balance information.
• Support management with financial information required for commercial decisions.
• Maintain confidentiality of company and client financial information.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be assessed based on:

• Accuracy of accounting records.
• Timeliness of financial reports.
• Accuracy and completeness of bank reconciliations.
• Accuracy of customer payment records.
• Timely tracking of outstanding customer balances.
• Proper documentation of company expenses.
• Accuracy of payroll support.
• Timely preparation of management accounts.
• Budget monitoring and variance reporting.
• Compliance with company financial procedures.
• Identification and reporting of financial discrepancies.
• Timely support for tax, audit, and statutory requirements.
• Overall quality of financial controls and record keeping.

Working Expectations

The Accountant / Finance Officer is expected to:

• Maintain a high level of integrity and confidentiality.
• Exercise accuracy and attention to detail.
• Protect company financial information and assets.
• Follow approved financial procedures and authorisation processes.
• Report financial discrepancies or irregularities promptly.
• Maintain professional relationships with clients, suppliers, consultants, banks, and colleagues.
• Provide management with accurate and timely financial information.
• Demonstrate accountability, professionalism, and sound financial judgement.

Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or HND in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Professional accounting qualification or progress toward qualification such as ICAN, ANAN, ACCA, or equivalent is an advantage.
• Relevant training in accounting software, financial management, taxation, or audit will be an added advantage.

Experience

• Minimum of 2–3 years' relevant experience in accounting or finance.
• Experience in real estate, construction, property development, banking, or a related industry is an advantage.
• Experience handling customer payment records, bank reconciliation, payroll, accounts payable/receivable, and financial reporting is preferred.
• Experience with project-based accounting will be an added advantage.

Technical Skills

The candidate should have:

• Strong knowledge of accounting principles and financial reporting.
• Good understanding of accounts payable and receivable.
• Strong bank reconciliation skills.
• Good knowledge of budgeting and cash-flow management.
• Understanding of taxation and statutory financial requirements in Nigeria.
• Ability to prepare management accounts and financial reports.
• Strong Excel skills.
• Experience with accounting software such as QuickBooks, Sage, Zoho Books, Odoo, or similar systems.
• Ability to maintain accurate digital and physical financial records.
• Ability to analyse financial information and identify discrepancies.

Key Competencies

• Strong attention to detail.
• Excellent numerical and analytical skills.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong problem-solving ability.
• High level of integrity and confidentiality.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Good understanding of internal financial controls.
• Ability to handle sensitive financial information professionally.

Personal Attributes

The ideal candidate should be:

• Honest and trustworthy.
• Highly organised and detail-oriented.
• Accountable and disciplined.
• Proactive and solution-oriented.
• Professional in appearance and conduct.
• Financially responsible and commercially aware.
• Comfortable working in a growing and fast-paced organisation.
• Willing to learn and adapt to new accounting systems and processes.

Preferred Candidate Profile

Brickstone Homes would particularly value a candidate who has:

• Experience in real estate or property development accounting .
• Strong Excel and accounting-software skills.
• Experience tracking property sales and customer payment plans.
• Experience preparing monthly management accounts.
• Good understanding of Nigerian tax and statutory requirements.
• The ability to establish proper financial systems and controls for a growing company.

Minimum Recruitment Standard

Candidates should demonstrate:

• Relevant accounting/finance education.
• Practical accounting experience.
• Strong Excel and financial-record management skills.
• Ability to reconcile bank and customer accounts accurately.
• Ability to prepare clear financial reports for management.
• High integrity and confidentiality.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines.
• Good communication and teamwork skills.
• Willingness to work within Brickstone Homes' financial policies and control procedures.