Director of Financial and Management Services

Black Pen Recruitment; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 300 000 - 400 000; Full time

Job summary

A financial advisory firm is seeking a Director of Financial Management Services based in Cape Town. The role involves leading the accounting team, managing financial reporting, and ensuring effective financial management practices. The ideal candidate will be a qualified accountant with extensive experience in financial controls within international businesses, possessing strong communication and analytical skills. This position requires a hands-on approach and involvement in global operations and policies.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 to 10 years post qualification experience.
• Proven experience as Financial Controller or Group Financial Controller in international businesses.
• Demonstrated experience in financial reporting and controls.

Responsibilities

• Lead the clients' accounting team and report to the Partner of FMS.
• Ensure effective credit control and accurate cash flow management.
• Develop internal reporting for risk-focused control functions.

Skills

Qualified Accountant (CA (SA), ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)

Excellent communication skills

High degree of numeracy and analytical thinking

Experience in multi-location accounting and consolidation

Experienced in implementing financial processes and accounting systems

Education

Qualified Accountant degree

Job description

About the job Director of Financial and Management Services (Financial Controller)

Our client is an investor and advisor to scale up businesses. They partner with clients to provide financial, operating models, and international growth strategies. Our client specialises in taking companies through Series A to Series D funding and beyond, focusing on creating and building teams, processes, systems, and functions to enable realisation of stakeholder value.

With its origins in London, UK, and later expansion into Stockholm, Sweden, our client strategically positions itself to serve a diverse clientele spanning multiple regions and industries. Leveraging their collective experience and proven track record, the founders envisioned the company as a dynamic catalyst for success, offering a comprehensive suite of financial expertise and operational support tailored to the needs of SMEs, early‑stage companies, and startups.

Role Overview and Purpose of the Job

Our client is looking to appoint a Director of Financial Management Services to partner with their clients to deliver first rate financial and management reporting and insight to execute their financial strategy. This role demands an intelligent, responsible, organised and numerate individual who has first class technical accounting knowledge and skills. In addition a working knowledge of corporate governance practices, with demonstrable professional experience of accounting systems and controls operation and development, financial accounting and management, consolidation and reporting.

Based in the Cape Town Office, this is a hands‑on role requiring a strong team‑playing attitude, plus a high degree of flexibility and initiative. The role will be expected to assist in the recruitment and retention of junior members of the FMS practice. The post‑holder will need to understand how the various group companies, activities and people fit together, their respective responsibilities and locations.

This role is based in Cape Town, servicing clients globally. Travel may be required from time to time to promote close communication and integration with teams and clients in other locations, and to ensure a firm understanding of the operations and to help the post‑holder actively contribute to the development and welfare of the business on a real‑time basis.

Job Location

Cape Town

Job Type

Full time l On‑site

Requirements

• Qualified Accountant (CA (SA), ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
• Minimum of 8 to 10 years post qualification experience. Preferably as Financial Controller or Group Financial Controller in operating and growing businesses with international exposure.
• Possess excellent communication skills and be able to liaise with Directors on a technical level.
• Demonstrate a high degree of numeracy and analytical thinking.
• Experienced in implementing/developing financial processes, accounting systems, appropriate controls and key management information, including regular financial reporting.
• Experienced in multi‑location accounting and consolidation.

Attributes and Technical Skills

• Professionally organised, with a strong eye for detail and a determination to efficiently resolve issues.
• Able to work under pressure.
• Possess effective time management skills, the ability to prioritise conflicting demands and to proactively liaise with stakeholders, for example to explain and agree revised expectations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Always maintain a high standard of work within an organised and considered approach with attention to detail.
• Motivational leader of staff, able to attract, develop and retain in order to meet business needs.
• Ability to self‑motivate and manage the Function to effectively deliver excellent service quality.
• Broad knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements, ensuring standards set are maintained at business practice levels.

Responsibilities

• Take lead role in our clients accounting team, reporting directly to the Partner of FMS
• Ensure effective credit control, cash flow management and accurate recording on the system.
• Identify and develop internal reporting to support risk focused control functions.
• Lead the continual development of regular and robust management reporting (to include for example capital expenditure, profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow forecasting, performance measurement).
• Support Finance Director to develop, document and implement global Finance policies and procedures.
• Build controls around the monitoring and enforcement of such.
• To routinely collate information from subsidiaries to ensure all such operations are fulfilling their individual responsibilities in line with group policies, that they are effectively controlling their risks and to enable effective monitoring of their performance.
• Treasury management, payment control, processing, and bank reconciliations for client groups.
• Lead the period end process and financial close processes within the accounting system.
• Keep the Partner of FMS closely appraised of all key, and developing matters (whether actual or contingent) of financial and fiscal concern, risk control and/or regulatory importance.
• Support the Partner of FMS with ad hoc projects, tax queries, financial modelling, project planning, insurance or treasury issues and any regulatory queries.
• Support the Partner of FMS with reporting for monthly board meetings (to include for example preparation of the management accounts, OKRs, ad hoc reports and recommendations).
• Accurate and timely completion of financial statements, regulatory and tax returns (including VAT).
• Complete the preparation of the group's annual consolidated financial statements and budgeting.
• Ensure all deliverables are in place for the group audit and act as the first point of call during audit fieldwork.
• Ensure any management letter points are dealt with effectively.
• Implementation of the Finance Departments internal audit function.
• To uphold Group values by promoting a culture of professionalism and teamwork.
• To have a good understanding of our client's overall vision and direction.