Commercial Finance Analyst

Talent Acquisition Consulting; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 450,000 - 600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development opportunities

Exposure to senior stakeholders

Collaborative culture

Job summary

A global FMCG brand is seeking a Commercial Finance Analyst in South Africa to support decision-making through insightful financial analysis. The role involves collaboration across Sales, Supply Chain, and Marketing, focusing on budgeting, forecasting, and profitability analysis. Candidates should hold a university degree in Finance or a related field and ideally have two years of experience in a commercial finance role. Strong analytical skills and Microsoft Excel proficiency are required. This position offers exposure to strategic decision-making and career growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in a commercial finance or analytical role.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Experience in commercial finance within FMCG or retail preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support month-end reporting, budgeting, and forecasting processes.
• Develop customer and brand contribution statements.
• Produce financial reports for key stakeholders.

Skills

Analytical skills

Microsoft Excel

Commercial awareness

Communication skills

Leadership potential

Education

University degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Science, or Economics

CIMA qualification (ideally studying towards)

Tools

SAP (S/4HANA preferred)

Microsoft Office

Job description

Our client is a globally recognised premium FMCG brand, operating in South Africa as part of an international group with a heritage spanning more than a century.

With a strong local footprint and a national retail presence, the business is known for its high-quality products, performance-driven culture, and commitment to excellence. The South African operation employs over 150 people and works closely with international stakeholders, offering exposure to world-class systems, processes, and commercial best practice.

Position Purpose

The Commercial Finance Analyst will play a key role in supporting commercial and operational decision-making by providing insightful financial analysis and reporting across the business.

The role works closely with Sales, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Operations, supporting forecasting, budgeting, month-end reporting, and profitability analysis to enable informed management decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and analyse monthly forecasts by brand, channel, and customer, in collaboration with Sales and Supply Chain teams

• Support month-end reporting, budgeting, forecasting processes, and ad-hoc commercial analysis

• Develop and maintain customer and brand contribution statements, providing actionable insights to management

• Produce daily, weekly, and monthly commercial and financial reports for key stakeholders

• Ensure pricing and promotional mechanics are accurately reflected in the ERP system

• Monitor promotional and operating expenditure against budget and latest estimates, highlighting risks and opportunities

• Analyse promotional ROI and performance of new product launches against targets

• Support product managers with costing for new product development

• Perform financial modelling and price simulation analysis

• Partner closely with cross-functional teams to understand financial requirements and support business objectives

Requirements

• Relevant University degree (Finance, Accounting, Business Science, Economics or similar)

• Ideally studying towards a CIMA qualification

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in a commercial finance or analytical role (FMCG or retail environment preferred)

• Strong analytical and numerical skills with exceptional attention to detail

• Advanced Microsoft Excel capability

• Experience with SAP (S/4HANA advantageous)

• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Skills & Competencies

• Commercially astute with a strong understanding of customers and market dynamics

• Excellent analytical, conceptual, and communication skills (written and verbal)

• Proven ability to deliver results in a fast-paced FMCG environment

• Performance-driven, resilient, and goal-oriented

• Strong leadership potential with the ability to influence cross-functional teams

• Innovative problem-solver with a proactive mindset

• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously

• Comfortable working with complex quantitative and qualitative data

• Flexible and adaptable, with the capacity to grow alongside the business

Why Apply?

• Join a high-performing, internationally backed FMCG business

• Exposure to commercial finance, strategic decision-making, and senior stakeholders

• Strong career development and learning opportunities

• Collaborative, performance-focused culture