Commercial Finance Director

Bright City Talent; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 500 000 - 600 000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent finance firm is seeking a seasoned commercial finance leader based in South Africa. This role involves strategic business partnering with leadership, financial stewardship, and compliance governance. Candidates should have extensive finance experience, exceptional leadership capabilities, and a professional finance qualification. This position supports business objectives in dynamic settings and focuses on talent development within a diverse team.

Qualifications

• 12-15 years of progressive finance experience.
• 8-10 years of leadership experience.
• Proven track record in complex operating environments.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with leadership to achieve plans through resource allocation.
• Oversee financial negotiations and planning.
• Drive S&OP for accurate forecasts and performance management.
• Lead investment decisions for commercials and ensure ROI.
• Ensure compliance and governance standards are met.
• Lead and develop a diverse finance team.
• Drive growth initiatives in pricing and revenue management.

Skills

Business partnering

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Resilience

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Finance or Business

Professional qualification (CA/ACMA/CIMA)

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Business Partnering: Collaborate with the Performance Director and Head of Sales to achieve annual plans through dynamic resource allocation and in-year performance optimization (growth and cost of growth).
• Financial Stewardship: Oversee terms negotiations, customer joint business planning, sales overheads, and pricing. Manage balance sheet items related to Trade Terms Spend (TTS), including accruals and claims.
• Forecasting & Performance Management: Drive rigorous S&OP to ensure accurate forecasts, lead monthly governance for actuals and forecasts, and identify and implement corrective actions for performance gaps.
• Investment & ROI: Make informed investment choices across Commercial Department (CD) spend types and customers, leading the CD Return on Investment (ROI) agenda and ensuring its execution.
• Compliance & Governance: Ensure adherence to compliance and governance standards within the CD, including Order-to-Cash (OTC) processes.
• Team Leadership: Build and lead a diverse and inclusive team of three direct reports at management level, fostering talent development and succession planning.
• Driving Growth Initiatives: Lead efforts in Nett Revenue Management (NRM), pricing strategy, and actively contribute to the growth agenda, including alternate Route-to-Market (RtM) strategies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Business, or a related field; professional qualification (CA/ACMA/CIMA or equivalent) is essential.
• 12-15 years of progressive finance experience, with a strong emphasis on business partnering and commercial finance.
• 8-10 years of leadership experience, demonstrating the ability to inspire, develop, and lead diverse teams.
• Proven track record of driving business performance in a complex operating environment.
• Exceptional communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• Resilience, objectivity, and integrity, with the ability to navigate uncertainty and challenge effectively.

This role will suit a seasoned commercial finance leader who is experienced working in complex environments, leading people to excellence and working with multiple internal stakeholders to achieve business objectives.

This role can be based in KZN or Gauteng.