Officer - Finance and Accounts

Shalina Healthcare is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in sub-Saharan Africa. For the last 35 years, we have made it our mission to provide quality medicines to those who need it the most. We manufacture and distribute branded prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical and consumer products across various therapeutic groups, including anti-malarial, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, and nutrition. We have a track record few can match and our brands are among the most trusted in Africa.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Officer - Finance & Accounts

Location: Ikeja, Lagos

Role Purpose

• The Account Officer owns the accounts receivable cycle for both cash and credit clients: raising accurate invoices, keeping client ledgers current and reconciled, and ensuring payments are collected on time.
• The role protects the company's cash flow and gives management a reliable view of what is owed, by whom, and for how long.

Key Responsibilities
Invoicing:

• Prepare invoices for credit clients (corporate, HMO, and other account customers) from verified service and test records.
• Raise invoices within the agreed billing cycle and match them against price lists, contracts, and authorisations.
• Issue receipts and records for cash clients and confirm each transaction is captured in the system.
• Raise credit notes and corrections only with documented approval.
• Resolve invoice queries and disputes with clients and internal departments.

Ledger Maintenance:

• Maintain accurate customer ledgers and post invoices, receipts, and adjustments daily.
• Reconcile customer accounts to the general ledger and bank statements at least monthly.
• Reconcile daily cash and POS/transfer collections across sites to system records.
• Keep complete, auditable supporting documents for every posting.
• Prepare month-end closing schedules and support external and internal audits.

Payment Follow-Up and Collections:

• Produce and review the receivables ageing report weekly.
• Follow up overdue credit accounts through calls, emails, statements, and reminders on a defined escalation schedule.
• Agree payment plans only within limits approved by management.
• Allocate received payments to the correct invoices promptly.
• Escalate accounts beyond credit terms to the Finance Manager, with a recommendation on credit holds.

Reporting and Compliance:

• Report on debtor days, ageing, collection rate, and disputed balances.
• Flag credit-limit breaches, unusual write-off requests, and recurring discrepancies.
• Apply company policies on credit control, cash handling, and documentation.
• Support VAT, WHT, and other tax record requirements as directed by Finance.

Key Performance Indicators

• Invoice accuracy rate and on-time invoicing
• Days sales outstanding (DSO) and percentage of receivables over terms
• Collection rate against monthly target
• Timeliness of ledger posting and monthly reconciliations
• Number of audit queries and unreconciled items.

Requirements
Education and Qualifications:

• B.Sc./HND in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• ICAN or ANAN qualification (or part-qualified, actively sitting exams) is an advantage.

Experience:

• 2–4 years' experience in accounts receivable, billing, or general accounting.
• Experience with credit control and collections is required.
• Prior experience in healthcare, diagnostics, distribution, or a multi-site business is an advantage.

Technical Skills:

• Strong working knowledge of accounting software (e.g., Sage, QuickBooks, Odoo, or similar) and ERP/billing systems.
• Advanced Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, reconciliations).
• Solid grasp of double-entry bookkeeping, reconciliations, and ageing analysis.
• Working knowledge of Nigerian VAT and WHT.

Competencies:

• High attention to detail and numerical accuracy.
• Integrity and discretion with financial and client information.
• Firm, professional communication when handling overdue accounts.
• Organised, deadline-driven, and able to manage multiple clients and sites.
• Comfortable with documentation, audit trails, and internal controls.

Working Conditions:

• Office-based, with occasional travel to other sites and client offices.
• Month-end and audit periods may require extended hours.