CPA - Finance and Accounting Manager

Leads, builds, and manages the full finance and accounting function and serves as the company's single source of truth for revenue, costs, cash, receivables, and payables in a customs brokerage and logistics environment. Sets up or rebuilds complete, BIR-compliant books from incomplete records and owns timely closing, accurate billing, cash and disbursement controls, full tax and statutory compliance, and the annual budget, with weekly status and quarterly performance reviews by the Execom. Ensures every shipment billed is also booked, liquidated, and collected, and takes over and strengthens the finance foundation set up during the interim part-time engagement. The ideal candidate is a hands-on CPA leader capable of building the department's SOPs and a financial KPI dashboard for management decisions.

Reporting to: Vice President of Finance

Must-Have Qualifications:

• Bachelor's in Accountancy
• Must be a Certified Public Accountant
• 5+ years in a managerial role leading an accounting team
• Proven record setting up or rebuilding an accounting function from incomplete or missing records (Financial Statement Reports)
• Expert in PFRS, double-entry, GL/AR/AP/bank reconciliation, closing, and FS preparation
• Strong command of BIR, SEC, SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and LGU compliance (VAT, withholding, ITR, alphalist/DAT, OR/SI, e-invoicing)
• Has handled BIR LOAs and registered or converted books (1905, PTU, CAS)
• External audit coordination with clean AFS issuance
• Proven control of cash advances, AR, and AP
• Experience in budgeting, cash forecasting, costing, and profitability analysis
• Has built SOPs, approval matrices, reporting calendars, and internal controls

Strong Advantage

• Experience in customs brokerage, freight forwarding, trucking, shipping, or logistics
• Billing vs. disbursement matching (SOA, liquidations, unbilled advances)
• Handling of client advances for duties and taxes and brokerage cash-flow pressure
• Multi-entity and intercompany accounting
• Management dashboard or ERP implementation
• MBA or tax/finance certifications
• Big 4 or audit firm background

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Accounting System Setup & Books of Accounts

• Set up or rebuild the chart of accounts, books, GL, trial balance, and FS from incomplete or missing records
• Ensure proper double-entry bookkeeping with fully supported journal entries
• Register or convert books with the BIR (Form 1905, PTU for loose-leaf, CAS Acknowledgment Certificate)
• Select, implement, or improve the accounting system (e.g., QNE/N3, QuickBooks, Xero, SAP B1) with proper system and file controls
• Maintain record retention of accounting, tax, and BOC/broker documents per BIR and BOC rules
• Take over and validate the interim turnover: baseline, records inventory, reconciliations, SOPs, and 6–12 month F&A roadmap
• Resolve historical issues (unsupported, duplicate, or unreconciled items) through documented adjusting entries

Month-End Closing & Reporting

• Post all transactions daily; close by the 5th working day with complete cut-off, accruals, and reconciliations
• Submit the FS package (SFP, SCI, Cash Flows, supporting schedules) to Execom by the 10th
• Run a finance reporting calendar with fixed deadlines for closing, FS, and the monthly management presentation
• Present results, variances, and risks to Execom; flag any data still incomplete or unvalidated
• Report gross profit per client and per shipment
• Lead year-end closing and external audit for timely, clean AFS
• Support multi-entity and intercompany reporting, if applicable

Employee Cash Advance Control

• Ensure advances are liquidated within 3 working days and billed within the policy period
• Submit the weekly aging report every Monday
• Track unbilled advances and unliquidated cash advances per shipment and client
• Endorse overdue cases to HR for salary deduction
• Review the cash advance policy every year

AR Collection & AP Control

• Keep AR over 60 days below the Execom target; monitor AR aging and DSO
• Enforce credit terms; review them quarterly
• Escalate overdue accounts to management on time
• Review supplier, fuel, driver, and other payables against approval requirements before release
• Check every payment against the log; stamp PAID
• Submit the payment schedule every Thursday

Billing Accuracy

• Bill released shipments within 24 hours; zero unbilled completed shipments at month-end
• Match billing against actual disbursements per shipment and client (SOA, liquidations)
• Ensure every bill has complete support (shipment documents, delivery receipts, trip tickets, SOAs)
• Review every bill against the rate card and receipts
• Coordinate with Operations and licensed brokers so every shipment billed is also booked
• Check the rate card with Sales every quarter
• Submit the billing accuracy report by the 10th

Cash Management & Disbursements

• Prepare the daily cash position report by 10 AM
• Release urgent duties and port funding same day
• Submit the 4-week cash forecast every Friday; manage brokerage cash-flow pressure (duties advanced first, collected later)
• Apply the approval matrix; review it yearly
• Maintain treasury controls: bank signatories, disbursement approvals, and payments.

Tax & Government Compliance

• File and pay all BIR returns on time: VAT (2550M/2550Q), withholding (1601EQ, 1601C, 1604E/C), ITR (1702), alphalist/DAT
• Ensure OR/SI and invoicing compliance, including e-invoicing and CAS permits, if applicable
• Handle BIR LOAs and assessments: prepare documents, coordinate with examiners, resolve findings
• Remit and report SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and other payroll-related obligations
• Pay LGU taxes and costs for the January permit renewal
• Submit SEC filings (GIS, AFS) on schedule
• Prepare next year's compliance calendar for all entities in December; settle delayed filings with tax advisers

Budget & Management Reporting

• Consolidate the annual budget by the 1st week of December
• Report budget vs. actual monthly with variances
• Deliver the management dashboard by the 10th: cash position, AR/AP aging, margin by client/service, cash forecast
• Explain results clearly to owners and non-accountants
• Answer Execom data requests within 2 working days

Costing & Profitability

• Keep audit-ready gross margin data per shipment, client, and service, reconciled to the books
• Support costing and pricing decisions (fee vs. cost per shipment and per client)
• Set the method for cost per trip, per kilometer, and profitability per client/lane for trucking
• Monitor cost drivers: fuel, tires, repairs, maintenance, tolls, and driver allowances
• Flag unsupported, unusual, or excessive expenses and cost leakage

Systems, SOPs, Controls & Team

• Keep the accounting SOP manual current (billing, collections, AP, cash advances, petty cash, bank rec, closing, document control); audit quarterly
• Design and enforce internal controls: approvers and limits, cash handling, advances, OR/SI, petty cash
• Maintain a responsibility matrix for who prepares, reviews, and approves each transaction and report
• Set the reconciliation schedule (bank, cash, fuel cards, advances, AR, AP, intercompany) with owners
• Release department expense data by the 7th
• Set KPIs per position in January; audit plantilla Jun and Dec
• Hire, train, and evaluate staff; report control issues by urgency and risk; drive automation
• Lead the team; submit the EOD status update by 5 PM