ESB Finance Analyst

Ford; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Ford in South Africa seeks a Senior Financial Analyst to ensure monthly financial accuracy, monitor working capital, and strengthen the control environment across Ford Protect and FCSD Africa regions. The role partners with PS&L, Operations, Purchasing and regional teams to deliver high-integrity reporting, drive PTP improvements, and provide actionable insights to reduce losses and optimize costs.

With 3–5 years of experience, you will work across multiple currencies, automate processes, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, Accounting, Internal Audit or related field.
• A professional qualification such as CIMA, CA, or ACCA is advantageous.
• 3–5 years of financial analysis or internal audit in a large corporate setting.
• Experience with data automation tools (Python, Power BI, Power Automate).

Responsibilities

• Walk-throughs of warehouse and operations to close local control gaps.
• Oversee complex inventory cycle counts and resolve discrepancies.
• Provide financial context for PS&L budget variances and support projects.
• Ensure compliance with duties, VAT, and parts movement docs.
• Develop monthly forecasts for revenue and expenses.
• Consolidate and present Business Operating Data (BOD) to leadership.
• Perform ROI and cost analyses for programs and initiatives.
• Manage end-to-end journal process across entities.

Skills

Month-end closing

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Automation awareness

Multi-currency accounting

Cross-functional collab

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance/Accounting

CIMA/CA/ACCA (advantageous)

Tools

Alteryx

Power BI

Power Automate

Python

Job description

The role ensures the accuracy of monthly financials, monitors working capital and operational efficiencies, and maintains a robust control environment to drive financial transparency and informed decision-making in Ford Protect and FCSD South Africa (SAF) including Ford Protect Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) and Northern Africa (NAF). This role is critical for ensuring that financial reserves are accurately and fairly valued, identifying potential plan losses, and preparing comprehensive reports for management and fund administration that adhere to stringent financial controls and standards. The role also serves as the primary financial interface between PS&L, FCSD Operations, Purchasing, Payables and Regional GBS teams. This is a high impact, 'hands-on' role responsible for ensuring that the physical reality of our supply chain is accurately reflected in our financial results. Moving beyond simple reporting to identify operational 'root causes,' strengthens internal controls, and optimizes the end-to-end Procure-to-Pay (PTP) process. Investigate and resolve PTP bottlenecks, specifically focusing on fixing root causes of supplier payment delays and training local operations on correct Goods Receipt (GR) procedures. Provide high-integrity financial reporting and analytical support for the FCSD business unit.

• Conduct 'walk-throughs' of warehouse and operations processes to identify and close local control gaps.
• Partner with Operations to oversee complex inventory cycle counts and resolve discrepancies.
• Provide financial context for PS&L budget variances and support local projects like warehouse footprint changes or provider transitions.
• Ensure compliance with duties, VAT, and parts movement documentation for the PS&L division.
• Develop monthly forecasts for Revenue, Technical, and Fixed Marketing/Selling expenses.
• Consolidate and present Business Operating Data (BOD) to leadership for the SSA and NAF regions.
• Calculate the Annual FCSD Transfer Price updates and conduct Loss Ratio analysis for the ESB SSA market.
• Perform ROI and benefit analysis for Variable Marketing (VM) programs to track investment effectiveness.
• Execute monthly and quarterly account reconciliations for ESB SSA and NAF markets, ensuring high-risk reserves are accurate.
• Manage the end-to-end journal process (preparation and posting) for FCSD, SSA, NAF, and SAF entities.
• Manage SAF-specific requirements including Guardrisk and Pinn Bordereaux, MXSI commission calculations, and PDI/AA/Seriti billings.
• Perform detailed account investigations and subledger preparations to ensure 'month-end' integrity.
• Analyze FCSD cost and margins, collaborating with Material Cost and Pricing teams to explain variances.
• Execute MCRP (Modular Control Review Program) testing; maintain and update Desk Procedures, DRIM, and Basic Control Files; provide support for Internal Audits & PWC audits and ensure KFS (CAT 1 & 2) compliance.
• Identify and implement automation opportunities to eliminate manual 'waste' across FCSD and PS&L.
• Function as the critical business continuity backup for the FCSD Analyst and ESB SAF finance roles.

Financial Integrity & Reporting Accuracy

PS&L Operational Impact

Robust Internal Control Environment

Business Support & Continuity

Innovation & Cost Transformation

• Proven experience in month-end financial closing, including journal preparation, subledger management, and complex account reconciliations across multiple currencies or markets.
• The ability to communicate financial concepts to non-finance stakeholders, specifically within the Parts Supply & Logistics (PS&L) and Ford Protect teams.
• Strong digital skills: Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Teams.
• The flexibility and cultural intelligence to manage financial operations across diverse markets, including SSA, NAF, and SAF.
• The ability to move between the office and the warehouse floor to solve 'ground-level' process issues.
• Calm under pressure with strong problem-solving, attention to detail, and clear communication. The ability to influence non-finance stakeholders in PS&L, Purchasing, and Operations.
• A 'waste elimination' mindset with the ability to use (or learn) automation tools (e.g., Alteryx, Power Automate, or Power BI) to streamline manual financial processes.
• Proficient English (spoken and written).

A bachelor's degree in finance, Accounting, Internal Audit, or a related field. A professional qualification such as CIMA, CA, or ACCA is highly advantageous.
A minimum of 3-5 years of financial analysis, management accounting, or internal audit within a large-scale corporate environment. preferably within the automotive industry.
Experience using, or strong desire to learn, data automation tools such as Python, Power BI, or Power Automate to drive efficiency.
Valid driver's license.