Internal Investment Buyer

Job Title: Internal Investment Buyer
Company: WPP Media South Africa
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Reports To: Investment Manager

Role Overview
The Internal Investment Buyer plays a critical role in ensuring the financial accuracy, compliance, and integrity of media investments. This position is responsible for the meticulous reconciliation of media bookings and invoices, diligent budget management, and strict adherence to financial policies. The successful candidate will leverage a strong financial administration background to manage supplier relationships from a billing perspective, uphold confidentiality, and support the operational efficiency of the investment team, mitigating financial risks and safeguarding company intellectual property.

Key Responsibilities
Financial Reconciliation & Compliance:
•    Manage campaign budgets and billing cycles, ensuring meticulous accuracy and timely financial reconciliation.
•    Conduct thorough review and verification of all supplier invoices against contracts, booked schedules, and agreed-upon rates, promptly identifying and flagging any discrepancies.
•    Process accounts payable related to media investments, ensuring correct coding, appropriate approvals, and adherence to payment schedules.
•    Ensure strict compliance with internal financial policies, accounting standards, audit requirements, and governance protocols.
•    Maintain comprehensive and accurate records of all investment transactions, contracts, rate agreements, and financial communications for audit purposes.
Operational Support & Administration:
•    Provide day-to-day administrative support for media investment activities, primarily focusing on financial verification, reconciliation, and payment processing.
•    Assist in monitoring booked media placements to ensure financial alignment with contracted terms, collaborating with media owners to resolve billing queries.
•    Identify opportunities for process automation and standardization within financial workflows to enhance efficiency and reduce financial risk.
•    Vendor & Stakeholder Management (Financial Focus):
•    Build and maintain effective working relationships with media owners, primarily for efficient invoice submission, discrepancy resolution, and prompt payment processing.
•    Coordinate closely with internal finance teams to facilitate timely invoice reconciliation, campaign cost tracking, and budget adherence.
•    Collaborate with investment, planning, and client service teams, providing essential financial verification and administrative support to ensure seamless operational delivery.
Confidentiality & Risk Mitigation:
•    Strictly maintain confidentiality regarding all investment deals, agency trading arrangements, pricing structures, and sensitive financial information.
•    Actively contribute to safeguarding the company's intellectual property by ensuring secure and compliant handling of all financial and contractual data.

Qualifications & Skills
•    Relevant tertiary qualification in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related financial discipline.
•   3-5 years of proven experience in a financial administration role, accounts payable/receivable, billing reconciliation, or a similar position requiring high attention to financial detail. Experience in a media or advertising environment is advantageous but not essential.
•    Demonstrated strong numerical, analytical, and problem-solving skills with an exceptional eye for detail and accuracy.
•    Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (e.g., VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, financial formulas) and experience with accounting software (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Xero, or similar ERP systems).
•    Excellent communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively liaise with internal and external stakeholders on financial matters.
•    Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, work effectively under pressure, and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
•    High level of integrity, discretion, and a strong ethical compass when handling confidential financial information.