Finance Manager - Durban

Pro Talent; Durban; Vor Ort; ZAR 950.000 - 1.300.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Pro Talent in Durban, South Africa, seeks a Finance Manager to own the finance function, lead the team, and ensure accurate reporting, robust controls, and timely information for executives.

The role covers budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, treasury, tax, and compliance, with cross-functional collaboration to drive improvements across ERP systems and processes.

Qualifikationen

• Proven track record in senior financial management and leadership.
• Strong IFRS compliance, statutory reporting, and corporate tax background.
• Experience managing working capital, cash flow forecasting, and multi-entity operations.
• Experience in inventory, distribution, wholesale, logistics, or operations is advantageous.
• Advanced ERP/accounting proficiency and Excel modelling.
• Proven team management and leadership experience.

Aufgaben

• Maintain integrity of the general ledger and trial balance across group entities.
• Prepare monthly management reporting packs and variance analyses.
• Lead annual budgeting and financial planning processes.
• Oversee accounts payable and accounts receivable cycles with strong controls.
• Ensure IFRS compliance and audit readiness.
• Design and enforce SOPs and internal controls.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to support commercial operations.

Kenntnisse

Senior finance leadership

IFRS compliance

Management accounting

Corporate tax

Cash-flow forecasting

Inventory & logistics

ERP software

Excel modelling

Team leadership

Ausbildung

Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Financial Management, or equivalent (BCom Accounting / Honours)

CA(SA) / CIMA designation preferred

Jobbeschreibung

Finance Manager

Department: Finance

Reports to: Managing Director

Purpose

The Finance Manager holds full ownership, accountability, and oversight of the organization's finance function. This position extends beyond standard transaction processing: it requires active leadership to ensure the complete accuracy, integrity, and timely delivery of financial information, robust internal controls, and proactive risk mitigation.

The Finance Manager leads and mentors the finance team, establishes structured review mechanisms, identifies operational and financial risks, and ensures that material issues are addressed and escalated to executive management before they impact the business.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Accounting & Month-End Close

• Maintain full responsibility for the integrity, completeness, and accuracy of the general ledger and trial balance across all group entities.
• Ensure all balance-sheet accounts are accurately reconciled on schedule.
• Review and approve bank reconciliations, journals, accruals, provisions, and month-end adjustments.
• Manage and execute the structured month-end financial close.
• Proactively investigate and resolve unusual ledger movements, discrepancies, and variances rather than merely reporting them.
• Maintain comprehensive supporting schedules (fixed asset register, loan amortisation, tax schedules, etc.).
• Ensure strict compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) where applicable.

Management Reporting & Commercial Analysis

• Prepare and distribute accurate, relevant monthly management reporting packs within agreed deadlines.
• Conduct in-depth variance analysis comparing actuals against budgets, prior periods, and strategic targets.
• Deliver insightful commercial commentary, trend evaluations, and actionable recommendations alongside the financial figures.
• Monitor expenditure, gross margin, profitability, and operational cost drivers (including fleet/logistics tracking).
• Present monthly management packs and strategic insights to EXCO and the Managing Director.
• Provide analytical support for commercial contracts, pricing frameworks, and strategic operational initiatives.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Working Capital Management

• Lead and coordinate the annual group budgeting and financial planning process.
• Maintain and roll forward dynamic cash-flow and operational forecasts.
• Project upcoming cash requirements, factoring in local and foreign supplier commitments, payroll, statutory liabilities, and debt service.
• Oversee the end-to-end accounts payable (creditors) cycle:
• Enforce strict three-way matching, verification, and payment authorisation workflows.
• Maintain independent controls and verify all changes to beneficiary banking details through formal verification protocols before processing.
• Ensure clear segregation of duties between payment preparation, verification, and final executive release.
• Oversee the accounts receivable (debtors) cycle:
• Monitor debtor aging, manage credit exposure, and take timely action on overdue accounts.
• Optimize working-capital cycles and customer collection efficiency.
• Oversee inventory and stock accounting:
• Manage stock reconciliations, physical inventory count verifications, and slow-moving/obsolete stock provisioning.

Banking, Treasury & Financial Risk

• Maintain operational oversight of daily banking activities, cash management, and liquidity.
• Manage foreign exchange (FX) exposure, international supplier payments, and relevant hedging strategies.
• Maintain day-to-day banking relationships, facility documentation, and loan compliance.
• Calculate, monitor, and roll forward monthly covenant compliance models for EXCO and debt partners.
• Oversee the corporate short-term insurance portfolio, annual asset declarations, risk coverage, and claims administration.
• Support the execution of corporate structural changes or major asset disposals.

Statutory Compliance, Tax & Governance

• Oversee the accurate and timely preparation and submission of all payroll and statutory returns (VAT, PAYE, EMP201, EMP501, Income Tax, Provisional Tax, COIDA, CIPC).
• Maintain a rigorous group statutory compliance calendar.
• Act as the primary point of contact for tax authorities, directing the management and resolution of audits, formal disputes, or objections.
• Ensure ongoing statutory secretarial maintenance.

Audit Readiness & Annual Financial Statements (AFS)

• Keep the finance function in a continuous state of audit readiness rather than relying on retrospective year-end clean-ups.
• Prepare audit files, schedules, reconciliations, and supporting documentation ahead of external audits.
• Act as the lead liaison for external auditors, coordinating requests and ensuring findings are systematically resolved.
• Assist with drafting and reviewing the Annual Financial Statements in compliance with applicable standards.

Internal Controls, Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Design, document, and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs), delegation of authority frameworks, and financial control policies.
• Maintain rigorous segregation of duties across all financial workflows and payment systems.
• Immediately investigate and elevate suspected fraud, irregularities, or control breaches to the Managing Director.
• Identify process bottlenecks, automate data extraction and reporting, and eliminate unnecessary manual steps.
• Ensure institutional knowledge is documented into sustainable systems rather than depending on single individuals.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and manage the finance team, establishing clear performance expectations, KPI ownership, and review processes.
• Foster a culture of accountability, precision, and continuous learning; ensure adequate cross-training and succession planning.
• Partner cross-functionally with Procurement, Sales, Logistics, Operations, and HR to ensure financial governance actively supports commercial operations.
• Exercise professional skepticism: constructively challenge non-finance departments where commercial or financial risk is detected.

Educational Qualifications & Professional Credentials

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Financial Management, or equivalent (BCom Accounting / Honours).
• Professional designation preferred: CA(SA), CIMA, or equivalent recognized professional accounting body.

Required Experience & Technical Expertise

• Proven track record in a senior financial management, finance manager, or senior financial accounting capacity.
• Solid background in statutory reporting, IFRS compliance, management accounting, and corporate tax.
• Demonstrated experience managing working capital, cash-flow forecasting, and complex multi-entity or commercial operations.
• Prior experience in inventory-holding, distribution, wholesale, logistics, or operational environments is highly advantageous.
• Advanced proficiency in modern ERP/accounting platforms and Microsoft Excel (advanced modeling and reporting).
• Proven team management and leadership experience.

Key Behavioural Competencies

• Integrity & Professional Scepticism: High ethical standards, with the courage and discipline to question unexplained variances or process deviations.
• Accountability & Ownership: A proactive mindset that takes complete ownership of outcomes rather than task-oriented execution.
• Analytical Rigor: Exceptional attention to detail combined with the ability to translate financial data into actionable commercial insights.
• Control & Verification Discipline: Strict adherence to risk controls, segregation of duties, and systematic verification before approval.Communication & Stakeholder Management: Confident, transparent communication with executive leadership and operational teams.

Key Performance Indicators (What Success Looks Like)

• Data Integrity: Reliable, auditable, and accurate financial reporting delivered consistently on schedule.
• Timely Close: Management accounts, variance analyses, and cash-flow reports distributed within agreed monthly close deadlines.
• Zero Avoidable Penalties: 100% compliance with tax, statutory, and regulatory deadlines.
• Working Capital Health: Optimized debtor days, tightly managed creditor terms, and minimal write-offs or stock discrepancies.
• Proactive Risk Escalation: Transparent, early visibility of cash pressures, operational bottlenecks, or control risks provided to executive leadership.
• Audit Efficiency: Clean, smooth external audit cycles with minimal year-end adjustments and no repeating audit findings.
• Sustainable Operations: A self-sufficient, highly capable finance team operating on standardized SOPs and clear delegation of authority.