FINANCE BUSINESS PARTNER

Smollan; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Smollan is seeking a finance leader to oversee financial activities across multiple businesses. You will develop, optimise and control budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and risk management processes, while partnering with operational leaders to drive profitability and efficiency.

The role requires a strong accounting background, leadership experience, and strategic financial acumen to guide portfolio performance in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level accounting degree or higher is required.
• Professional accounting qualification (CA(SA) or CIMA) is preferred.
• 5-7 years in accounting, incl. 3 years in management accounting.
• At least 3 years managing a finance team.
• Experience in business partnering with operational/commercial leaders.
• Experience with cash flow management, flash reporting and forecasting at scale.

Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for managing financial activities across a portfolio of businesses.
• Compile annual and project budgets, negotiating approvals with stakeholders.
• Prepare monthly forecasts and track accuracy, embedding ROI insights.
• Analyse headcount, structure and costs to improve resource efficiency.
• Act as liaison between finance and operations to resolve issues and queries.
• Provide scenario/sensitivity analyses and insights to executives.
• Lead risk management, including monthly risk updates and debtors management.

Skills

Financial acumen

Commercial acumen

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Organisational awareness

Forecasting

Education

BCom Accounting (NQF 7)

CA(SA) or CIMA qualification

Job description

Job Summary

To take overall responsibility for managing financial activities of a portfolio of businesses that operate on different financial structures, by developing, optimising and controlling all financial processes for the portfolio.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables

Budgets

• Compile budgets both annual and project based depending on business and client needs.
• Negotiate budgets with relevant stakeholders and get approval and sign off
• Implement, monitor and manage budget, providing regular financial reports to relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure sustainability and growth of profitability at a business unit and group level

Budgeting and forecasting

• Prepare and submit forecasting on a monthly basis
• Track forecasting whilst driving accountability across the business
• Ensure forecasting is accurate
• Support cluster heads with preparation of forecasts
• Embed ROI insight into forecasting process to identify performance trends and competitiveness
• Variance on forecasting for flash and finals send monthly
• Variance report on monthly forecasting submitted monthly
• Forecasting templates supplied to BU’s for more accurate forecasting

Information Management and Reporting

• Support overall cluster to ensure that key managers are aware of the financial situation of the business and how their actions either support or undermine the financial position of the structure
• Analyse headcount, structure and numbers in an effort to guide leaders to become more efficient in the use of their resources
• Assist with updating and perfecting the costing models in use constantly feedback and good practise models applied

Liaison between Finance and Operations

• Act as contact between the finance department and the business, dealing with any issues and queries that may arise
• Assist with debtors and collections for dedicated clients

Financial Analysis

• Perform scenario and sensitivity analysis for a variety of business units/financial structures/models
• Provide insight to client executives/clients regarding trends and indicators

Risk management

• Update monthly risk report and highlight financial risk regarding dissolution and notice periods
• Update risks regarding outstanding debtors for possible bad debts

People Management

• Set and ensure goals and objectives are in line with company objectives and that agreed goals, objectives and target dates are achieved
• Manage and provide direction on how tasks need to be administered and tracked
• BCom Accounting (NQF Level 7), CA(SA) or CIMA qualification.
• 5-7 years’ experience in accounting, including at least 3 years in management accounting.
• At least 3 years’ experience managing a finance team.
• Proven experience in business partnering with operational or commercial leaders.
• Experience in cash flow management, flash reporting and forecasting at scale.
• Experience contributing to Requests for Proposals (RFPs), pricing and costing models.
• Experience managing a large, people-intensive cost base, ideally within field services, retail or BPO.
• Audit background (Advantageous)
• Financial acumen
• Commercial acumen
• Strategic thinking
• Analytical skills
• Computer literacy
• Organisational awareness
• Interpersonal skills