Finance Trainee

At First Quantum, we free the talent of our people by taking a very different approach which is underpinned by a very different, very definite culture - the “First Quantum Way”.

Working with us is not like working anywhere else, which is why we recruit people who will take a bolder, smarter approach to spot opportunities, solve problems and deliver results.

Our culture is all about encouraging you to think independently and to challenge convention to deliver the best result. That’s how we continue to achieve extraordinary things in extraordinary locations.

Job description:

Purpose

The development into a well-rounded professional accountant through on-the-job learning and continuous mentorship over a three (3) year period by rotating between various finance functions. Must have graduated within the last two years. The successful candidate will be offered an opportunity to develop into a well-rounded professional accountant through on-the-job learning and continuous mentorship. The programme will run for three years, during which period the Trainee will rotate through the listed roles and complete their ZICA or equivalent studies

Key Responsibilities

In any of the roles within the Finance department the position holder will be required to:

• Identify opportunities for improving efficiency.
• Be open to share your views with colleagues and management.
• Support the team with providing the required support for external, internal and other audits.
• Address queries promptly and courteously.
• Uphold the Company and Professional codes of conduct.
• Communicate all issues identified to your supervisor, promptly.
• Seize learning/growth opportunities (especially professional accountancy studies if not qualified yet).
• Develop and maintain cordial working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Perform any other task as and when assigned by immediate Supervisor/Designate.

Trainee Rotations:

Sundry/Staff Sales and Receivables:

• Work closely with other departments/teams that provide inputs for metal and sundry sales invoicing (e.g. commercial, Processing, Engineering, HR etc.).
• Maintain a schedule of active sundry sales contracts to ensure actual sales are made in line with contractual terms (especially on duration, pricing, quantity and credit terms).
• Maintain a schedule of actual scrap deliveries, reconciled against end-user requests, to ensure all deliveries are invoiced for as well as track the cumulative quantity against total contractual quantity.
• Obtain staff and contractor back-charge schedules (e.g. for fuel, flights, school fees, insurance etc.), with appropriate backup documents, and post/invoice promptly to ensure timely recovery.
• Ensure sufficient support for all transactions and journals posted by you is retained and filed appropriately.
• Weekly review of aged sundry debtors report and chasing for payments or offsetting against amounts payable to the owing contractor as per agreed terms.
• Review staff debtors and submit schedule of outstanding balances for deduction through payroll every month (by the 15th); working closely with HR to ensure separated employees do not leave outstanding AR balances.
• Timely and accurate completion of sundry and staff AR balance reconciliations every month end; providing comments and action plan on balances older than 60 days.

Metal Sales and Receivables

• Work closely with other departments/teams that provide inputs for metal sales invoicing (e.g. commercial and Processing.).
• Daily tracking of concentrate and anode delivery schedules against monthly delivery plans.
• Reconcile concentrate and anode delivery reports against confirmed receipts and ensure variances are resolved before invoicing.
• Prepare invoices and ensure approved copies are booked in the system and delivered to the customer on time.
• Ensure sufficient support for all transactions and journals posted by you is retained and filed appropriately.
• Weekly review of aged debtors report and chasing for payments from customers to ensure payments are received as per contractual terms.
• Tracking provisionally invoiced metal sales and engaging the customers to ensure timely invoice finalisation as soon as final prices and assays are available and in keeping with contractual terms.
• Analyse actual sales against budget and forecast targets and provide commentary on the variance; for consolidation into the overall financial report for the month.
• Timely and accurate completion of all assigned reconciliations every month end.
• Timely and accurate preparation and submission of assigned statutory reports (e.g. exports via rail).

Accounts Payable:

• Build effective, strategic relationships with the business, vendors, and cross- functional teams.
• Collaborate with commercial teams (e.g. procurement, contracts, receiving) to ensure compliance with requirements and standard contract terms.
• Manage assigned supplier portfolio and engage with their key contacts on an ongoing basis to ensure invoices and account statements are received timely.
• Prompt capturing of supplier invoices, while taking care to ensure they are duly authorised and valid for VAT purposes if applicable.
• Perform supplier account reconciliations before every pay-run and at month end, and ensure all reconciling items are resolved promptly.
• Prepare/compile invoices and supporting documents for payment processing and, once paid, forwarding remittance advice to the suppliers for purposes of updating their statement.
• Weekly review of GRNI to follow up on and resolve any long outstanding entries pertaining to assigned supplier portfolio.
• Submit monthly cash requirements, for expected supplier payments, to the Financial Accountant for incorporating in the overall cash plan for the month.
• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close activities by ensuring all invoices received are captured by the cut-off date.
• Support the team with providing the required support for external, internal and other audits.

Capital Accounting:

• Obtain required approvals for AFEs and disposals.
• Provide guidance to the business on what costs qualify to be recognised as capex by following the guidance provided in the Company capex policy and IFRS.
• Perform monthly review of items flagged as insurance spares against the FQM capex policy and IFRS.
• Propose improvements to existing capital accounting procedures.
• Track submitted AFCEs daily to ensure they are approved and finalised timely.
• Review of open AFCEs and PCR projects (project activity and age, variance analysis.) weekly and following up with project owners and requesting for supplementary AFCEs were required.
• Obtained signed project closure forms and take up of completed projects promptly.
• Perform month end reconciliation of CWIP GL balance (tying open projects listing to the CWIP GL balance).
• Prepare monthly project reports (Capex for the month, CapInAP etc.) for submission to the Group reporting team.
• Run and review depreciation for accuracy and completeness (no depreciable asset must be missed) before posting.
• Review the asset register and ensure all items that should be disposed of are disposed of after obtaining required approvals.
• Reconcile the fixed asset register to the GL as part of month end procedures.
• Perform physical asset verification of mobile assets once every quarter on a round robin basis.
• Ensure proper and timely filing of electronic and physical documents relating to capital accounting. Every month.
• Update HFM capex tables and clear capex related validations.
• Participate in capex budgeting and forecasting.

Cost Accounting and Budgeting:

• Obtain an in-depth understanding of the Company’s operations to be able to identify key cost and production drivers.
• Provide ongoing guidance to end-users on cost coding and budget related matters.
• Prepare and post month end accruals for services received but not invoiced for, by working closely with departmental end-users.
• Maintain and enhance budgeting, forecasting and business review models to support changing operational requirements.
• Perform analytics on actual performance trends and explain variances against budget and forecast targets.
• Calculate and interpret key financial and nonfinancial ratios and performance indicators (e.g. cost/unit, usage/unit, output/hour, cost/employee etc.).
• Help prepare monthly financial review packages and month/quarter-end close process, including providing commentary on variances.
• Deliver high-quality monthly business review presentations to senior management.
• A strong interest in learning SQL and Business Intelligence tools to enhance your ability to create ad-hoc reports.

Financial Accounting and Reporting:

• Maintain the general ledger, ensuring compliance with group accounting procedures and IFRS.
• Monthly reporting of financial results to Group;
• Financial reporting and detailed review of the entire general ledger (i.e. trial balance).
• Prepare balance sheet reconciliations and ensure other team members perform reconciliation of the accounts they are responsible for.
• Preparation of budgets and quarterly rolling forecasts;
• Ensure transactions and balances with related parties are matching in HFM.
• Perform inventory valuation.
• Prepare and post accounting valuation entries (e.g. ARO, Stripping, Loan amortisation etc.).
• Review payments before submitting to Bank Signatories;
• Ensure proper filing of invoices and other supporting documents for transactions posted.
• Prepare financial statements in accordance with the Companies Act and IFRS.
• Prepare non-financial and statutory reports/returns (e.g. reports to Ministry of Mines, ZEITI, Bank of Zambia etc.);
• Key contact person for external and internal auditors, coordinating the process from start to finalisation.
• Coordinate monthly group reporting activities; ledger closure and variance analysis (reporting within agreed reporting timetable).
• Reviewing processes and controls (e.g. on AP, AR, accruals, fixed assets) and developing models to improve effectiveness and efficiency;
• Interpret the Company’s accounting policies and procedures and be responsible for ensuring other Finance team members follow them.

Qualifications

• Full grade twelve (G12) school certificate.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy, Finance, Business Administration, or related field from a reputable institution. (Will be required to have completed professional accountancy studies by the end of the Trainee programme) OR a qualified accountant holding a professional accountancy qualification (e.g. ZICA, CA Zambia, ACCA, CIMA etc.). (An academic degree, in any field, in addition to the professional qualification, will be a plus.)
• All academic qualifications and results must be verified by the Zambia Qualifications Authority (ZAQA)

Experience

• 1 - 2 years’ accounting experience is a plus but not mandatory

BEHAVIOURAL TRAITS

• A critical thinker who is able to identify problem causes and formulate effective, efficient solutions.
• One with an eye for detail and quality - able to identify exceptions in processes and data, and provide solutions quickly.
• A committed self-starter with strong work ethics and is able to complete tasks reliably with minimal supervision.
• A passionate, lifelong learner who seeks and seizes opportunities for continuous professional development.
• An effective communicator who conveys important information in a concise and engaging manner.
• A flexible team player who can fit easily in a dynamic, busy environment.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite Excel: ability to build reports, dashboards, pivot tables, VLOOKUP, etc.).

Visit our website and register for instant job alerts at First Quantum Careers

Follow us for the latest news at LinkedIn

If you are already a First Quantum employee, log into your Workday account > Career Hub > Browse Jobs to apply internally for this opportunity.