Financial Controller

Woolworths Financial Services; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 60 000 - 90 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in financial services is seeking a Financial Accounting Product Team Leader to oversee compliance and financial governance. The role involves collaboration across departments, ensuring accurate financial reporting, and leading a team to drive improvements. Ideal candidates will have a strong accounting background and leadership experience in a medium to large organization.

Qualifications

• 5 years’ experience in management accounting and/or financial performance.
• 2 – 3 years management experience.
• Preferred: 3 to 5 years’ experience in financial services.

Responsibilities

• Lead the financial accounting product team and ensure compliance.
• Manage financial reporting and stakeholder deadlines.
• Identify revenue and cost saving opportunities.

Skills

Communication

Analytical skills

Accounting knowledge

Financial modelling

Education

3 year university degree in Accounting or Financial Accounting

CIMA or CA(SA) or equivalent

Tools

Oracle

Job description

Main Purpose:

To lead and oversee the financial accounting product team, ensuring compliance with financial accounting policies, standard and governance requirements. The role involves ensuring any existing or new WFS products and services are accounted for accurately, in compliance with regulatory bodies , the controls and processes around this is effective and efficient and it generates profit and value for WFS. This will be achieved by collaborating closely with other departments, external stakeholders and having industry insights.

Key Responsibilities

Product team Leadership

• Lead the financial accounting product team responsible for the financial accounting and financial governance of WFS products and services including ensuring this is correctly performed for any new products or services.
• Working with the other departments in the business as the key financial accounting representative on strategic projects to identify revenue and cost saving opportunities including providing insights into the financial accounting requirements.

Financial Compliance Processes

• Ensuring that from financial accounting perspective WFS products and services are compliant with Accounting Standards and other applicable regulatory bodies.

Ownership of the audit of the Product Area including:

- Planning of the audit and identifying and audit efficiencies

- Management of team to ensure deadlines are met

- Managing engagement with auditors

• Ownership of the compliance with Absa and WW policies and service level agreements applicable to Finance Product Area.

Financial reporting

• Ensuring month-end reporting is accurate and stakeholder deadlines are met.
• Providing insight into financial reporting results including reasons for key movements and performance drivers.
• Implement financial controls to ensure the reporting and accounting for any new products or services are accurate.

Stakeholder Management

• Partners with the Business Planning & Analytics team on budget forecasting for short term and medium term planning; Partners with project managers, department heads, and other stakeholders to integrate financial requirements into project requirements, implementation and execution plans. Partners with finance teams at Absa and WW to obtain insights to improve processes and identify revenue and cost optimisation opportunities.

Continuous Improvement

• Continuously seek improvements in processes and procedures by leading the team to identify areas of inefficiency and opportunities for automation
• Stay abreast of accounting trends, relevant legislation and events in the accounting industry.
• Staying abreast of changes in the financial services industry including payments and fintechs.

Staff and Talent Management

• Management of staff members according to HR Best Practice and Policies: recruitment, induction, task setting and delegation, performance management, development planning, managing staffing capacity, succession planning, rewards and recognition and employee relations issues.
• Attend to and resolve all staff related issues.
• Ascertain all people administrative matters are effectively handled.
• Conduct informal coaching with immediate staff and other stakeholders.
• Manage EE targets.

Requirements

Key Competencies:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION

• 3 year university degree in Accounting, Financial Accounting and/or Business
• CIMA or CA(SA) or equivalent

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• 5 years’ experience in a management accounting and/or financial performance and planning role
• 2 – 3 years management experience
• Preferred: 3 to 5 years’ experience within a medium to large organisation within the financial services industry

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent communication skills including strong ability to communicate (verbal and written) strategic and financial reporting to Exco and leadership teams.
• Strong analytical skills including variance analysis and interpreting the impact of current/forecast circumstances on future business performance.
• Strong accounting knowledge (IFRS etc.).
• Ability to design and review accurate financial modelling in Excel.
• Experience of complex GL and reporting systems e.g. Oracle.
• Knowledge of retail financial services business or similar large corporate environment.

Closing Date: 30 May 2025.