Finance Controller, South Africa

UPL-Ltd; Durban; On-site; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A global crop solutions provider seeks a Southern Africa Financial Controller in Durban. The ideal candidate will oversee financial reporting, manage audits, and ensure compliance. Required qualifications include a BCom Accounting degree and at least 5 years of experience in the chemical industry. Strong analytical skills and ERP system experience are essential. This role offers a chance to contribute to sustainable agricultural practices.

Qualifications

• 5 years’ experience in chemical or similar industry.
• Experience in manufacturing environment preferred.
• Standard financial costing experience required.

Responsibilities

• Provide financial and operational analysis to FD and Exco.
• Ensure timely, accurate monthly financial reporting.
• Review and sign off balance sheet reconciliations.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Interpersonal skills

Lateral thinking skills

Education

BCom Accounting degree or similar

CA (SA) / CIMA qualified

Tools

ERP system experience

SAP

BI reporting

Job description

Job Title Southern Africa Financial Controller

Reporting To Finance Head

Function Finance

GJL GJL4

Location La Lucia Ridge

ABOUT UPL:

UPL is focused on emerging as a premier global provider of total crop solutions designed to secure the world’s long-term food supply. Winning farmer's hearts across the globe, while leading the way with innovative products and services that make agriculture sustainable, UPL is the fastest-growing company in the industry. Our successes in the field add up to powerful financials. UPL delivers results from protecting crops that translate into attractive investor value. Based on the recognition that humankind is one community, UPL’s overarching commitment is to improve areas of its presence, workplace, and customer engagement.

Our purpose is ‘OpenAg’. An agriculture network that feeds sustainable growth for all. No limits, no borders.

We are one team, for maximum impact. One team with shared goals. We have a laser-like focus on what our customers need and want, on anticipating their future needs, and on how we can create innovative solutions and experiences for them. We think outside the box and go beyond our comfort zone. We believe in agility, we mix the power of speed, with structure from process. And wherever we can, we always believe in having fun

Role Summary

To provide financial and operational analysis to FD and Exco, as well as to ensure optimised reporting to all stakeholders, payment to suppliers, collection of cash and internal controls surrounding these.

Role Responsibilities

Financial Management – Local/Exports

• Ensure the timely, accurate monthly delivery of results, management information and financial reporting packs.
• Review of regional, head office & company balance sheet reconciliations and sign off the numbers.
• Debtor management review and overview.
• Monitor and review the results of quarterly stock counts.
• Ensure all Stock adjustments are authorised and accurate.
• Ensure the correct recording and protection of all assets of the Company.
• Weekly review of the debtor department’s KPI’s, reports and corrective actions.
• Ensure that creditors are recorded correctly and paid timeously.
• Weekly review and implementation of accounts payable KPI’s and reports.
• Review the calculation of under recovery and recording of purchase price variances for the Company and incorporate into the accounts.
• Making recommendations w.r.t monthly results in respect of IFRS
• Ensure intercompany accounts reconcile and all differences are resolved in a timely manner.
• Ensure Associate entities are correctly accounted for in Group reports and the AFS.
• Ensure correct accounting treatment of FEC’s.
• Review and authorisation of all manual journal entries.
• Review and authorisation of all balance sheet reconciliations.
• Review and approval of Foreign exchange rates.
• Calculation of Inventory provision
• Review of open purchase orders
• Review of Intangible assets capitalized
• Review of Leases ensuring correct classification and accounting treatment
• Review of changes to chart of accounts
• Review of Fixed Assets to ensure correct classification and valuation

Operation Function

• Attend and advise monthly Forecast and demand review meeting, reviewing and calculating financial consequences of the operational issues.
• Participate in weekly Global controllers’ calls.
• Co-ordinate and participate in monthly Credit management meetings.
• Co-ordinate and participate in monthly Quarantine stock meetings.
• Co-ordinate and participate in quarterly Tax compliance meetings.
• Co-ordinate and participate in quarterly Legal compliance meetings.

[ Templates for meetings

Compile Quarantine stock template Review and analyse any financial templates that are used by the business.

Project Management

• Carry out adhoc projects for FD including minority valuations etc, participate in negotiations with minority acquisitions including business case

Carry out ad hoc financial accounting projects eg. SAP ERP system

Strategic

• Contribute strategic financial expertise and information that ensures FD is able to take sound and informed decisions
• All local and asset insurance negotiations and cover for Arysta SA
• Planning and negotiation of cash loans in SA and overdrafts with banks and Japan subject to global authorisation table.

Planning of external audit, hard-close and annual audit with auditors

Enterprise Risk management

• Involvement in planning of three yearly internal audit and designing and improving on weaknesses of controls from a financial perspective.

Co-ordinate and with the Internal audit function and ensure compliance with internal audit requirements.

Treasury Control

• Ensuring that cash is managed in accordance with business requirements and cash forecast.
• Bank liaison and negations in rates and facilities
• Create Guidelines for statutory payments.
• Review and analyse, working capital improvement identification opportunities.
• Review and implement hedging options to mitigate foreign currency exposure(FEC’s)
• Ensure compliance with Treasury.

Statutory and Audit

• Ensure that statutory statements are completed and compiled and audited.

• Monitor and manage the different audits, interim, annual audit and internal, ensuring sign off financials by auditors 6 months after year end.

• Ensure timeous submission of all statutory returns required by the Companies Act.

Tax

• Review of all tax calculations for UPL Group companies.

• Ensure accurate and timeous completion of all SARS templates/returns.

• Ensure adequate tax planning and optimisation procedures are followed. (Transfer pricing policy/R&D allowances)

Insurance

• Manage all Insurance claims together with the Legal department.

• Ensure all claims are dealt with timeously and efficiently.

• Review Insurance policies to ensure adequate asset/risk coverage.

• Liaise with UPL Corp Insurance teams.

Manage People

• Ensure the Finance Department is fully staffed with appropriately experienced employees.
• Train and develop employees based on identified training needs in accordance with the Workplace Skills Plan.
• Ensure Performance Appraisals are conducted as per Company Policy.
• Ensure general discipline in the department and ensure corrective action is taken on all misconduct incidents.
• Adhere to all HR policies, procedures and requirements to ensure sound people practices.

Management of external stakeholder requirements

Responsibility Weightage and % of Time Spent Matrix

Responsibility

Weightage

% of Time Spent

Financial Management – Local/Exports

15%

Operation Function

15%

Templates for Meetings

5%

Project Management

10%

Strategic

10%

Enterprise Risk Management

10%

Treasury Control

10%

Audits

10%

People Management

15%

Financial Accountability

CAPEX, loans, write offs, insurance claims, budget adjustments, petty cash, disposal of company assets.

Internal Stakeholders

Commercial department

Supply Chain Division?

Logistics

Financial departments of affiliates e.g. France, Japan, North America, Brazil

IT department

External Interactions

Suppliers

Foreign and Local Creditors

Banking Institutions

External and Internal Auditors

Commercial Distributors

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required

Technical Requirements:

BCom Acounting degree or similar , CA (SA) / or CIMA qualified

5 years’ experience in chemical or similar industry

Analyst Experience in manufacturing environment

Standard financial costing experience

Staff management experience preferable

ERP system experience

SAP and BI reporting

Analytical Skills

Interpersonal skills

Lateral thinking skills

Behavioural Requirements

• Decision Making
• Accountability
• Communication
• Patient
• Level headed
• Target driven
• Flexible
• Stress tolerant

UPLCompetencies

• Adaptability & Resilience

Recognizes and is open to changing circumstances and alters behavior and scales up as necessary; increases personal awareness and appreciation of individual and cultural differences to create an open, inclusive, and accepting workplace

• Entrepreneurial Mindset

Has a creative mindset and ability to think holistically, takes calculated risks and maximizes opportunities

• Results Orientations

Acts, pursues goals with persistence and achieves results; communicates goals and vision to the team to drive enthusiasm and ambition

• Execution Excellence

Enhances the speed of execution and builds efficiency in processes, systems, and people; has sharp focus on quality-orientation

• Strategic Orientation

Demonstrates knowledge of the social, economic, and environmental factors and how they impact the business. Identifies key issues that could impact the business and develops strategy through an analytical lens / design thinking

• Building Teams and Talent

Empowers colleagues through knowledge sharing and delegation, quickly establishing rapport; provides recognition for achievements and accomplishments

• Customer Centricity

Understands the customer needs and pain points, fulfills the needs and expectations by focusing on creating value for customers.