Assistant Finance controller, Finance

Apex Group; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Apex Group in Cape Town is seeking a Financial Controller to lead the controllership function across local operations. You will ensure the integrity of financial information, maintain robust controls, and drive scalable processes that support our technology platforms and shared services.

Reporting to the Jersey Head of Finance, you will coordinate month-end close, consolidate entities, liaise with external auditors, and partner with FP&A, Tax, and Legal teams to align forecasts with actuals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related discipline.
• Qualified Chartered Accountant.
• 3-5 years post-qualification experience in a Controllership or comparable role.
• Strong systems and technical skills, and ability to adapt to new and changing technology.
• Private Equity-backed portfolio company experience strongly preferred.
• Experience in having owned and led month-end consolidation process, and reporting to a third party or parent entity.
• Experience in working closely with distributed international finance teams and shared service centers.
• Desire to operate in fast-paced and change-oriented environments.
• Strong business partnering skills.
• Experience leading external audits, preferably with a Big Four auditor.
• Technical expertise in IFRS and internal controls over financial reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead local month-end close, consolidation, and financial reporting in line with IFRS and group policies.
• Coordinate external audits and manage audit requirements with the Jersey Head of Finance.
• Develop and maintain accounting policies, controls, and compliance across local entities.
• Drive finance transformation initiatives including ERP and process automation.
• Partner with FP&A, Tax, and Legal to align reported results with forecasts and plans.
• Build strong relationships with business finance leads and cross-border teams.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related discipline

Chartered Accountant

Job description

The Apex Group was established in Bermuda in 2003 and is now one of the world’s largest fund administration and middle office solutions providers. Our business is unique in its ability to reach globally, service locally and provide cross-jurisdictional services. With our clients at the heart of everything we do, our hard-working team has successfully delivered on an unprecedented growth and transformation journey, and we are now represented by over circa 13,000 employees across 112 offices worldwide.

Your career with us should reflect your energy and passion. That’s why, at Apex Group, we will do more than simply ‘empower’ you. We will work to supercharge your unique skills and experience. Take the lead and we’ll give you the support you need to be at the top of your game. And we offer you the freedom to be a positive disrupter and turn big ideas into bold, industry-changing realities. For our business, for clients, and for you

Purpose of the Role

The Financial Controller based in our shared service center responsible for leading the controllership function and ensuring the integrity of the financial information across our local operations within Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. You will report to the Jersey Head of Finance and work closely with the broader finance team. The primary purpose of this role is to ensure high-quality and timely financial information, a robust control environment, and scalable processes that enable leverage of investments in our technology platforms and our Shared Service capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Reporting & Close: Local month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes, ensuring accurate and timely reporting of all relevant entities to the parent entity
• Preparation of consolidated financial statements and management reports for the Board, private equity sponsor, and lenders
• Monthly balance sheet reviews, account reconciliations, and variance analyses
• Coordination of external audit processes
• Policies, Controls & Compliance: Develop, implement, and maintain accounting policies in line with IFRS and Group policies
• Design and monitor internal controls over financial reporting; remediate control gaps and drive a culture of control discipline
• Compliance with tax, statutory, and regulatory reporting requirements in partnership with Tax and Legal
• Lead technical accounting assessments for complex transactions
• Post merger integration of accounting systems, policies and procedures
• Finance transformation initiatives, including ERP, process automation, and standardization of local procedures with the wider group and shared services center
• Business Partnering & Strategic Support: Partner with FP&A, Treasury, Tax, and Business Finance Leads to ensure alignment of reported results with forecasts and plans
• Partnership and building strong relationships with our Business Finance Leads is critical to success in this role

Leadership & Culture

Being a valued Partner to the Business Enhance our Culture of High Performing Teams and Accountability Lead by example by embodying the ‘Get It Done’ mindset and be willing to ‘Do the Do’ yourself. Mentor and coach direct reports

Experience required

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related discipline
• Qualified Chartered Accountant
• 3-5 years post-qualification experience in a Controllership or comparable role
• Strong systems and technical skills, and ability to adapt to new and changing technology
• Private Equity-backed portfolio company experience strongly preferred
• Experience in having owned and led month-end consolidation process, and reporting to a third party or parent entity
• Experience in working closely with distributed international finance teams and shared service centers
• Desire to operate in fast-paced and change-oriented environments
• Strong business partnering skills
• Experience leading external audits, preferably with a Big Four auditor
• Technical expertise in IFRS and internal controls over financial reporting

About Apex Group

We are dedicated to driving positive change in financial services while fuelling the growth and ambitions of asset managers, allocators, financial institutions, and family offices. Established in Bermuda in 2003, the Group has continually disrupted the asset serving industry through our investment in innovation and talent. Today, we set the pace in asset servicing and stand out for our unique single-source solution and unified cross asset-class platform which supports the entire value chain, harnesses leading innovative technology, and benefits from cross-jurisdictional expertise delivered by a long-standing management team and over 13,000 highly integrated professionals. We’re a people-powered business, and our people are full of ambition. Together, we’re inspired to lead the new era of data and tech enabled service. Bringing new products and services to market. Sharpening our client focus. Disrupting the market to exceed expectations. Innovating across a range of specialisms. With our focus on making a difference to our people, our planet and our society, you’ll experience more here than you would at most other companies. Prepare to accelerate. We’re a people-powered business with a vision to inspire a new era of service-led FinTech. We’re expanding globally and offering more to our clients. This means you get more opportunities to grow with us. So prepare to accelerate. We’ll make sure the time and effort you put in takes you further, faster. Positive change starts with you. We’re a people-powered business with a vision to inspire a new era of service-led FinTech. We’re expanding globally and offering more to our clients. This means you get more opportunities to grow with us. So prepare to accelerate. We’ll make sure the time and effort you put in takes you further, faster. The journey is yours to own. When you stretch yourself, you grow. We want you to explore ways of working that will see you thrive as part of something bigger. We’ll help you with a solid structure, challenging projects, vibrant networks, supportive colleagues and approachable leaders. All the things you need to own your unique journey.

Find out more about us