Senior Accountant

The Senior Accountant will be responsible for overseeing comprehensive accounting operations across multiple flower farms, ensuring accurate financial reporting, regulatory compliance, and effective internal controls. The role requires specialised expertise in agricultural accounting, including crop cycle accounting, biological asset valuation, seasonal revenue recognition, and commodity pricing impacts, combined with strong leadership capabilities to supervise and develop the accounting team. The Senior Accountant serves as a key business partner to farm management, providing strategic financial insights and analysis to support operational efficiency and informed decision-making across agricultural sites.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement and oversee accounting procedures for agricultural operations, including crop cycle accounting, planting-to-harvest tracking, and seasonal revenue recognition.
• Account for biological assets (growing flowers, bearer plants, infrastructure) in accordance with IAS 41 Agriculture and relevant accounting standards.
  
• Track and report on agricultural production metrics, including planting schedules, harvest cycles, yield data, stem counts, and quality grades.
  
• Monitor commodity pricing impacts on revenue, including export prices, local market rates, currency fluctuations, and seasonal price variations.
  
• Manage inventory accounting for agricultural inputs (seeds, cuttings, fertilizers, chemicals, packaging materials) and outputs (harvested flowers) considering seasonality and perishability.
  
•  Analyze agricultural operating costs by crop type, including land preparation, propagation, cultivation, irrigation, pest and disease control, and harvesting expenses.
• Track costs per stem, per variety, and per farm to support pricing decisions and profitability analysis.
• Account for post-harvest operations including grading, packing, cold storage, and logistics costs to export markets.
• Monitor and report on yield variances, crop losses, disease outbreaks, and weather-related impacts on production and financial performance.
• Develop and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) for agricultural productivity, including stems per square meter, rejection rates, and pack-out percentages.
• Oversee accounting operations for agricultural entities within the group structure, ensuring consistency and compliance across all farms.
• Prepare financial statements and management reports for agricultural operations, providing comprehensive insights into performance by farm and crop variety.
• Coordinate and prepare for external annual audits and tax audits for agricultural entities, serving as the primary liaison with auditors.
• Analyze financial information for agricultural operations, identify trends and variances, and alert management to material discrepancies or opportunities.
• Prepare revenue projections and forecast expenditure for agricultural entities, considering planting cycles, seasonal patterns, market demand, and commodity price forecasts.
• Develop and present financial status reports, business performance analyses, and agricultural KPIs for management review.
• Analyze profitability by crop variety, greenhouse, and farm location to guide strategic planting decisions.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities, process improvements, and efficiency gains across flower farming operations.
• Participate in budgeting processes for agricultural operations, working with farm managers to develop realistic targets based on production capacity and market conditions.
• Lead month-end and year-end close processes for agricultural entities, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting despite seasonal fluctuations.
• Maintain and reconcile account balances, bank statements, balance sheets, and general ledger accounts for agricultural operations.
• Coordinate with banks and financial institutions for working capital facilities, export financing, and cash flow management for agricultural entities.
• Create, review, and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for agricultural accounting policies and business processes.
• Monitor and maintain comprehensive audit trails, internal controls, and documentation systems specific to agricultural operations and export activities.
• Oversee physical inventory counts of agricultural inputs, harvested products in cold storage, and packaging materials.
• Manage fixed asset registers for greenhouses, irrigation systems, propagation facilities, cold rooms, and farm equipment.
• Investigate and resolve audit findings, account discrepancies, and regulatory queries related to agricultural accounting.
• Ensure timely and accurate completion of statutory returns, tax submissions (corporate tax, VAT, withholding tax), and regulatory filings for agricultural entities.
• Maintain compliance with agricultural sector-specific regulations, export documentation requirements, and phytosanitary certification processes.
• Coordinate with freight forwarders and clearing agents to ensure proper documentation for export shipments and accurate duty drawback claims.
• Liaise with external tax consultants on tax planning, export incentives, agricultural tax reliefs, and compliance matters.
• Prepare and submit required reports to horticultural industry associations, export promotion councils, and government departments.
• Monitor compliance with fair trade certifications, sustainability standards, and social compliance requirements that impact financial reporting.
• Provide technical guidance and training on agricultural accounting procedures, biological asset accounting, and export documentation.
• Work closely with farm managers, agronomists, pack house managers, and logistics coordinators to understand business drivers and provide financial support.
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Professional Experience and Educational Background Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, or related field; Master's degree in Business Administration, Finance, or Accounting is highly advantageous
• CPA (K) qualification required; ACCA, CIMA, or other internationally recognized accounting qualification are highly desirable
• Minimum 5-7 years of progressive accounting experience in agricultural operations, with at least 3 years in a senior or supervisory accounting role
• Experience in agricultural accounting, agribusiness operations, or export-oriented businesses is highly advantageous
• Knowledge of biological asset accounting (IAS 41), crop cycle accounting, and seasonal revenue recognition
• Strong background in financial statement preparation, statutory audits, and regulatory compliance
• Experience working with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics) in multi-site or agricultural environments
• Track record of implementing internal controls, accounting procedures, and process improvements
• Experience managing and developing accounting teams
• Exposure to export documentation, foreign exchange management, and international trade compliance
• Experience liaising with external auditors, tax consultants, banks, and regulatory authorities

Key Competencies

• Understanding of crop cycle accounting, seasonal revenue recognition, and commodity pricing impacts
• Strong grasp of inventory management for perishable products and agricultural inputs
• Proficiency in accounting principles, standards (IFRS, IAS), and best practices
• Experience with group consolidation principles and inter-company eliminations
• Advanced skills in financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting with consideration for seasonality and weather risks
• Comprehensive understanding of tax legislation, VAT, export incentives, and agricultural tax reliefs
• Expertise in designing internal controls for multi-site agricultural operations
• Advanced proficiency in ERP systems and Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, advanced formulas)
• Understanding of agricultural production processes, market dynamics, and export supply chains