Debtors Manager for FMCG Retail Accounts (Johannesburg and KZN)

This is a hands-on leadership role for an experienced Debtors Manager who enjoys both the detail of reconciliations and the bigger picture of cash flow, credit risk, and team performance. You will report to the CFO and take ownership of the full accounts receivable function across two regions.

What the role involves:

• Leading and developing the debtors team, allocating portfolios, and setting clear collection and reconciliation goals.
• Overseeing monthly reconciliations of key customer accounts at invoice level, including national supermarket groups and quick-service restaurant chains.
• Managing credit applications, credit limits, and exposures in line with company policy.
• Driving collections, preparing cash forecasts, and resolving long-outstanding balances with root-cause analysis.
• Validating customer deductions and claims against trading agreements, price lists, and proof of delivery.
• Preparing a monthly Executive Debtors Dashboard with age analysis, DSO, CEI, and top customer exposures for the CFO.
• Maintaining strong internal controls, supporting external audits, and using Sage Evolution to improve processes.
• Partnering with sales, finance, dispatch, and production teams to resolve customer queries and disputes.

Important application note: This is a permanent, full-time position. The successful candidate must hold a valid driver’s licence and be willing to travel between branches, including occasional travel to KwaZulu-Natal. Flexibility to work additional hours during month-end and year-end close is also required.

• A BCom degree or National Diploma (NQF 6 or higher) in Accounting, Finance, or Credit Management.
• A recognised credit management qualification, membership of a relevant professional body, or part-completion of a professional accounting qualification is advantageous.
• At least 7 years of accounts receivable or credit control experience, including at least 3 years leading a debtors team.
• Essential experience in an FMCG, food manufacturing, or distribution environment supplying national supermarket groups and/or quick-service restaurant chains, including centralised payment, claims, rebate, and deduction processes.
• A track record of reconciling complex, high-volume key accounts at invoice level and resolving long-outstanding balances.
• Experience preparing quantitative management reports and KPI dashboards for senior management.
• Experience designing and improving controls and processes over journals, credit notes, and adjustments.
• Experience supporting external audits of receivables.
• Advanced Excel skills for data analysis, reconciliations, reporting, and variance investigation.
• Proficiency in Sage Evolution is strongly advantageous; experience with a comparable ERP system will be considered.
• Working knowledge of South African debt recovery practices, including prescription, acknowledgements of debt, letters of demand, and handover procedures.
• Working knowledge of IFRS 9 expected credit loss requirements.
• A valid driver’s licence and willingness to travel between branches, including occasional travel to KwaZulu-Natal.
• Flexibility to work additional hours during month-end, year-end close, and audit periods.

• Lead, organise, and develop the debtors team through clear roles, documented procedures, regular meetings, and performance conversations.
• Allocate customer portfolios, including national supermarket and key accounts, according to complexity, volume, and individual strengths.
• Oversee monthly reconciliation of all material customer accounts to statements and remittance advices, and of the debtors sub-ledger to the general ledger control account.
• Maintain invoice-level open-item traceability so receipts, credit notes, discounts, rebates, and adjustments are matched to specific invoices.
• Review and sign off team reconciliations, allocations, journals, and credit notes within agreed timelines.
• Prepare and review manual journals, payment reallocations, transfers, credit notes, discounts, and rebates in line with the Delegation of Authority.
• Implement and maintain the company credit policy, assess customer creditworthiness, and manage credit holds and exposures.
• Monitor age analysis daily, develop collection plans for overdue and higher-risk accounts, and prepare weekly and monthly cash collection forecasts.
• Validate and resolve customer deductions and claims, maintaining a deductions and disputes register for each key account.
• Prepare a monthly Executive Debtors Dashboard covering age analysis, debtor days, collection effectiveness, top customer exposures, disputes, and provisions.
• Design and maintain effective controls over the order-to-cash cycle, coordinate external audit requirements, and track audit recommendations to closure.
• Partner with sales, finance, distribution, dispatch, and production teams to resolve customer queries, shortages, returns, and pricing differences.
• Use Sage Evolution fully and identify opportunities to automate reconciliations and reporting while strengthening controls.