Brief description

 The aim of this position is to enable the Prudential Authority (PA) to discharge its supervisory responsibilities impacted by accounting and auditing matters. The incumbent will be part of a team of specialists responsible for providing technical advice to frontline supervision divisions in the fields of accounting and auditing, with the goal of promoting safe and sound regulated financial institutions thereby contributing to the financial stability of the South African financial sector.

Detailed description

The successful candidate will be responsible for the following key performance areas:

• Keep abreast with accounting and auditing developments affecting the banking and insurance industries through review of pronouncements by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), International Auditing Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) as it pertains to the industry.
• Provide technical support to the PA departments on the interpretation and application of accounting and auditing standards affecting the regulated institutions.
• Review accounting policies and methodologies applied by banks, insurers and other regulated institutions for compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs).
• Liaise with external stakeholders such as the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) and the Banking Association of South Africa (BASA) on accounting and auditing matters affecting the banking and insurance industries.
• Represent the PA on industry forums, where applicable, and update the PA staff on local and international accounting and auditing developments.
• Monitor accounting and auditing-related industry data and associated trends.
• Engage with banks, insurance entities and other relevant parties on the implementation and impact of new accounting standards, for example, IFRS 9: Financial Instruments and IFRS 17: Insurance Contracts.
• Assess the impact of accounting and auditing pronouncements on the South African regulatory framework and assist with policy formulation.
• Provide support to members of the BCBS and IAIS subcommittees, such as the Accounting and Auditing Experts Group for input into policy formulation
• Assist with accounting and audit-related training within the PA, where applicable

Job requirements

To be considered for this position, candidates must be in possession of:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Auditing; and
• Five years’ relevant experience in the banking and/or insurance sector or financial risk management.

The following would be an added advantage

• A postgraduate qualification in Accounting/Auditing, CA(SA) or CFA.
• Understanding of the Basel framework for banks and/or the solvency assessment and management (SAM) framework for insurers.
• Practical experience in the banking and/or insurance regulatory environment; and
• Practical experience in the technical accounting and/or auditing of banks and/or insurance companies.

Additional requirements include

• Competence in basic office information technologies.
• A self-starter and be able to function independently and proactively.
• Proficiency in verbal and written communication; and
• Ability to work well under pressure