Grower Account Manager

Job Description

Department: Agronomy
Reports to: Head Of Leaf Production with dotted line to Chief Finance Officer
Nature of contract: Permanent
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES OF THE ROLE

• Document standard operating procedures for grower management.
• Ensure relevant industry regulatory compliance is in place for growers.
• Continuously review the adequacy of internal controls relating to grower management.
• Administer and have oversight of operations and transactions posted into the Loans Management Module (‘‘LMM’’) and ensure data integrity and timeous capturing of inputs.
• Ensure that all grower-related and green leaf purchase transactions are timely and accurately processed into LMM.
• Maintain accurate records for growers’ personal details and accounts in SAP
• Provide growers with monthly statements of their accounts and ensure that grower queries are attended to and resolved in a professional and timely manner.
• Ensure monthly reconciliation of LMM versus SAP, Escrow liability account and Hail insurance liability account.
• Perform daily reconciliation of bank accounts used for paying growers during tobacco buying season and monthly outside the tobacco buying season.
• Perform daily reconciliation of Green Leaf Creditors during tobacco buying season and monthly outside the tobacco buying season.
• Ensure payments to growers for Green Leaf purchases are processed within stipulated regulatory deadlines.
• Ensure that staff accounts used for Greenleaf purchasing are reconciled and cleared daily.
• Ensure payments to growers for green leaf purchases are processed within stipulated regulatory deadlines.
• Ensure that all bank details are captured in SAP before the onset of the tobacco buying season and that no payments are made using bank details not in SAP.
• Carry out monthly analysis of grower interest rates versus the cost of borrowings and share the report with the Head of Finance.
• Review and ensure that all the required seasonal loan deals are in place and signed off by the Head of Finance and Head of Leaf Production before the onset of the season
• Carry out analysis of grower KPIs relevant for executive decision-making including cost of production, grower profitability, grower default rates, mismatch risk on funding tenure extended to growers versus tenure of funding received by NT, season on season analytical reviews and share with management and Board in the relevant platforms.
• Create seasonal loan deals and ensure that the forms are signed by the Head of Finance, Risk Manager and Head of Agronomy.
• Ensure that inactive growers are marked accordingly so that no transactions post to are done to inactive accounts
• Roll over of balances at the end of the season and ensure that the forms are signed by all relevant heads of departments.
• Arrange for the submission of Stop Orders to the Ministry of Agriculture and TIMB and ensure that registration fees due to TIMB and MOA are settled by the stipulated deadlines.
• Ensure an up-to-date SAP database for all commercial and small-scale growers bank account details (USD and ZIG).
• Ensure all grower contracts are uploaded in LMM at the onset of the season
• Consolidate annual input requirements for both Commercial and Small-Scale growers
• Update prices for each season before inputs are disbursed and ensure the prices are signed by the relevant heads of departments.
• Ensure C1’s are posted within a week of disbursement of inputs and liaise with Agronomy on C1’s postings and ensure these are posted within 48 hours of receipt from Agronomy.
• Ensure C1’s policy and procedures are defined and signed off by the relevant departments and ensure adherence to these procedures
• Update grower interest rates in the loans module and make sure the interest is being computed correctly.
• Review on weekly basis commercial input disbursements and ensure there are no pending requisitions in SAP raised by the Agronomy department.
• Ensure adequate funding is available for monthly farmers’ cash to be paid by the third week of every month except in December where it must be paid by mid-December
• Monthly reconciliation of the grower’s general ledger balances and the loans module balances and resolve noted variances
• Review the daily bank reconciliations green leaf USD and ZIG bank and Ecocash accounts
• Consistently check the accuracy of the SAP B1 and associated applications when calculating Sales related computations (i.e., Stop Orders and Statutory Deductions).
• Quarterly submission of grower data required for the ARC pack including analysis of grower debt by deals.
• Ensure financial reporting deliverables are submitted per the stipulated timelines.
• Co-ordinate prices of inputs and fuel deliveries
• Monitor specified input stock levels as well as expiry dates of chemicals
• Distribute and administer specified grower inputs per approved cashflows
• Provide leadership, direction, and supervision of the grower management team

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND ATTRIBUTES

• Accounting Degree or its equivalent
• Professional qualifications such as ACCA, CIS, CIMA will be an added advantage.
• Must have sound knowledge of finance and accounting.
• Minimum five years’ experience in a similar role or related environment
• Must have experience with accounting packages such as Pastel and SAP.
• Demonstrate the aptitude or competence for assigned responsibilities
• Ability to work independently and under extreme pressure with a level of detail and accuracy
• Manage time and resources well and demonstrates good organizational abilities
• Computer literate in Microsoft Office applications, Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint

Interested persons should submit applications, copies of academic certificates and CVs not later than Wednesday, 28 August 2024 to [email protected]