Financial Manager : Statutory Compliance and Risk Management

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research organization in Pretoria is seeking a Financial Manager for Statutory Compliance and Risk Management. This role requires at least 15 years of experience, including public sector expertise, to develop financial strategies and ensure compliance with governance standards. Strong skills in financial reporting and risk management are essential. The ideal candidate will effectively engage with stakeholders and lead compliance initiatives.

Qualifications

• At least 15 years of experience, with 5 years in Public Entities or State-owned Enterprises.
• Private and Public sector experience required.
• Experience with VAT legislation.
• Knowledge of financial legislation for state-owned entities.

Responsibilities

• Develop CSIR finance strategy and operational plans.
• Ensure compliance with financial governance and risk management.
• Prepare annual audited financial statements.
• Build relationships with external strategic stakeholders.
• Coordinate implementation of financial policies and guidelines.

Skills

Financial reporting

Risk management

Compliance knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Public sector expertise

Education

Bachelor of Commerce Honors or equivalent NQF 8 qualification

Tools

Financial ERP solution

Job description

Overview

Job title: Financial Manager : Statutory Compliance and Risk Management

Job Location: Gauteng, Pretoria Deadline: October 04, 2025

Key responsibilities

• Finance Strategy : Develop a targeted CSIR finance strategy andoperational plan to enable CSIR strategy.
• Finance Strategy : Lead and direct CSIR financial planning to achieve financial targets within the required timeframes, including setting financial KPIs, overseeing the annual internal and MTEF budget process, providing financial input into the CSIR Shareholders Compact, updating financial forecasts throughout the year.
• Finance Strategy : Provide expert advice on financial governance, risk and compliance to support strategic decision making.
• Finance Strategy : Lead andmanage CSIR financial governance risk and compliance initiatives.
• Finance Strategy : Represent the Finance portfolio at CSIR Exco and Opco meetings and present financial governance, risk and compliance matters.
• Finance Strategy : Ensure shared financial governance, risk and compliance knowledge across the CSIR by providing direction on the training requirements and training material for financial and non-financial staff on relevant policies, procedures, business applications and business processes.
• Finance Strategy : Review and improve business processes to improve the internal control environment and communicate changes to assist the organisation with continued compliance of policies, procedures and legislation.
• Finance Strategy : Expert advisor on National Treasury, PFMA, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and other applicable financial legislation

CSIR financial reporting and analysis

• CSIR financial reporting and analysis : Accurate and timely preparation of annual CSIR audited financial statements.
• CSIR financial reporting and analysis : Distribution of annual audited annual CSIR financial statements to relevant stakeholders, within required timeframes

Governance, risk and compliance

• Governance, risk and compliance : Regularly review PFMA / National Treasury instructions and amendments and changes to the reporting framework and other applicable financial legislation
• Governance, risk and compliance : Advise CSIR leadership and management of changes to legislative requirements that will have an operational impact on the business environment in the short and long term.
• Governance, risk and compliance : Keep abreast with changes to the relevant accounting framework and standards and reporting requirements by stakeholders, liaise with the external auditors or experts, advise management of the possible impact on systems, processes, CSIR policies and the annual financial statements disclosure as a result of these changes and assist with implementation process to ensure reporting is aligned and complies.
• Governance, risk and compliance : Co-ordinates the implementation of relevant CSIR financial policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure financial compliance and good governance.
• Governance, risk and compliance : Regularly review and recommend appropriate financial policy amendments to ensure relevance based on legislative changes or operational requirements to CSIR leadership.
• Governance, risk and compliance : Support the Group Manager : Finance to develop and maintain an effective and efficient financial internal control environment to ensure accurate and reliable financial information and high governance standards in line with legislation and CSIR policies.
• Governance, risk and compliance : Ensure that the financial reporting framework is adhered to.
• Governance, risk and compliance : Co-ordinate identification and communication of financial risks andmitigating controls for input into the CSIR organisational risk register.
• Governance, risk and compliance : Co-ordinate implementation of improved procedures, processes, and guideline to mitigate the financial risks and ensure good governance and financial compliance.
• Governance, risk and compliance : Ensure the induction and training of CSIR staff on governance, policies, business processes and financial systems.
• Governance, risk and compliance : Prepare and request resolutions to be approved by the Accounting Authority (CSIR Board) or CSIR Executive.

Strategic stakeholder management and reporting

• Strategic stakeholder management and reporting : Build trusted relationships with internal and external strategic stakeholders, such as National Treasury, DST, SARS, investment banks, auditors, technical experts, through active engagement and continuous communication to ensure a common understanding of requirements, deadlines and timely resolution of any issues that could impact negatively on compliance to statutory or other requirements and to represent the CSIR at stakeholder forums / planning committees, etc. relevant to financial governance, risk and compliance matters.
• Strategic stakeholder management and reporting : Key contact person for strategic stakeholders for any requests or matters of concern.
• Strategic stakeholder management and reporting : Assist and advise internal and external to ensure an understanding of the business environment, legal framework, business processes and solutions and the impact of changes to legislation on the organisation’s finance function.
• Strategic stakeholder management and reporting : Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) : timely submission of annual and quarterly performance, PFMA and other ad hoc reporting required.
• Strategic stakeholder management and reporting : National Treasury (NT) : timely submission of annual ENE / MTEF budget reports, provide financial input into shareholders compact, and other ad hoc reporting required.
• Strategic stakeholder management and reporting : South African Revenue Services (SARS) : timely submission of applicable statutory returns.
• Strategic stakeholder management and reporting : Subsidiaries, Joint ventures, and Associates of the CSIR : oversight on legislative requirements with regards to CSIR Group structure and oversight of the preparation of annual statements for all subsidiaries.

Financial Management and Administration

• Financial Management and Administration : Financial management.
• Financial Management and Administration : Request and obtain inputs from the unit Financial Managers to prepare and submit the monthly VAT returns for the CSIR to SARS in accordance with the statutory deadline.
• Financial Management and Administration : Obtain inputs and documentation and prepare and submit information for SARS VAT reviews and liaise with SARS on any queries. Identify and inform management of any risks identified during this process and provide recommendations on actions to mitigate the risk.
• Financial Management and Administration : Manage the department budget to ensure planned activities are incurred within budget.
• Financial Management and Administration : Finance service support
• Financial Management and Administration : Support divisional finance managers and management teams to expedite and resolve financial queries from internal and external stakeholders effectively and in a customer-oriented manner.
• Financial Management and Administration : Responsible to deliver all financial Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), within the Statutory Compliance and Rosk Management portfolio.
• Financial Management and Administration : Develop and implement relevant KRAs and KPIs within the Finance department to drive delivery of agreed service levels and the achieve the finance strategy.

Oversight of CSIR / Auditor General Audits

• Oversight of CSIR / Auditor General Audits : Plan and manage an efficient annual audit process with the Auditor General (AG) / Internal Auditors
• Oversight of CSIR / Auditor General Audits : Prepare and assist, by providing system and process descriptions and other information requirements, on internal audit requests / reports and annual / specific external audits to comply with the stated objectives of the audit and financial requirements and to assist the auditors in meeting the set deadlines. Where areas of weaknesses are reported, review, provide management comment and implement corrective action as agreed.
• Oversight of CSIR / Auditor General Audits : Lead the implementation of corrective action from internal and external audit findings to improve control environment.
• Oversight of CSIR / Auditor General Audits : Embed the CSIR vision, mission and values within the Finance team

Culture, leadership and people management

• Culture, leadership and people management : Guide and assist HRM’s on cross-cutting matters impacting their area of responsibility (risk and compliance, etc.).
• Culture, leadership and people management : Create a culture of customer service and continuous improvement.

Qualifications, skills and experience

• A bachelor of Commerce Honors degree or equivalent NQF 8 qualification withleast fifteen years’ experience of which five years’ must be in Public Entities or State-owned Enterprises. This includes :
• A combination of Private and Public sector experience;
• Financial reporting in accordance with legislative requirements in a state-owned enterprise will be beneficial;
• Working experience with VAT legislation
• Working experience on a financial ERP solution
• Dealing with various internal and external stakeholders such as auditors, bankers, etc.
• Sound understanding of financial legislation applicable to state owned entities;
• Working knowledge of financial business systems, trends and integration point.
• Accounting / Financial Services jobs