Group Financial Controller

Craven Cottage CC; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Craven Cottage CC in Cape Town seeks an experienced Finance Lead to oversee daily to monthly reporting across its hospitality properties. You will manage month-end close, intercompany activity, and balance-sheet reconciliations while ensuring robust controls and accurate management accounts for owners and lenders.

You will drive cash flow forecasting, budgeting, and cost control across operations, with a focus on profitability improvements and data-driven insight using advanced Excel and ERP

Qualifications

• Substantial financial-management experience with full responsibility for month-end close and management accounting.
• Proven experience leading finance teams across multiple entities, business units or properties.
• Multi-property hospitality experience is highly preferred.
• Strong experience in cash-flow forecasting, consolidation, intercompany accounting and balance-sheet control.
• Advanced Excel skills and strong working knowledge of accounting/ERP and hospitality property-management systems.

Responsibilities

• Own daily, weekly and monthly financial reporting across properties and entities.
• Lead month-end close, ensuring accurate journals, accruals, payroll postings, provisions and fixed-asset records.
• Oversee intercompany allocations, consolidations and balance-sheet reconciliations.
• Produce property and group management accounts supported by reconciled records and clear variance commentary.
• Prepare concise financial analysis for senior management, owners, boards and lenders.
• Maintain cash visibility and a rolling 13-week cash-flow forecast.
• Monitor working capital, liquidity, debt facilities, borrowing schedules and lender covenants.
• Oversee banking controls and reconciliations.
• Identify funding pressures and financial risks early and recommend corrective action.
• Drive cost and working-capital discipline across stock, cost of sales, payroll, overheads, debtors and creditors.
• Monitor capital expenditure, projects, maintenance and logistics-related costs.
• Investigate variances and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Analyse occupancy, average daily rate, RevPAR, revenue trends and other hospitality performance indicators.
• Partner with operational and commercial teams to improve profitability, procurement, stock management and marketing returns.
• Lead budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Coordinate audit preparation and finalisation.
• Oversee VAT, PAYE and other statutory submissions.
• Maintain effective financial controls, supporting documentation and compliance procedures.
• Manage, coach and develop the finance team across head office and properties.
• Set clear standards for reporting quality, deadlines and accountability.
• Improve data integrity, financial systems, reporting efficiency and automation.
• Use advanced Excel and appropriate AI-enabled analysis to support financial insight.
• Escalate material concerns affecting financial integrity, liquidity, assets, compliance, lender relationships or reputation through direct, confidential access to ownership.

Skills

Leadership

Advanced Excel

Financial Analysis

Cash Flow Forecasting

Intercompany Accounting

Budgeting & Reporting

VAT & Tax Knowledge

ERP Systems

Multi-property Hospitality

Communication

Education

Accounting or Financial Management Degree/Diploma

Tools

ERP Software

Hospitality PMS

Job description

Duties

Financial Reporting & Month-End

• Own daily, weekly and monthly financial reporting across properties and entities.
• Lead month-end close, ensuring accurate journals, accruals, payroll postings, provisions and fixed-asset records.
• Oversee intercompany allocations, consolidations and balance-sheet reconciliations.
• Produce property and group management accounts supported by reconciled records and clear variance commentary.
• Prepare concise financial analysis for senior management, owners, boards and lenders.

Cash Flow & Treasury

• Maintain cash visibility and a rolling 13-week cash-flow forecast.
• Monitor working capital, liquidity, debt facilities, borrowing schedules and lender covenants.
• Oversee banking controls and reconciliations.
• Identify funding pressures and financial risks early and recommend corrective action.

Cost Control & Commercial Analysis

• Drive cost and working-capital discipline across stock, cost of sales, payroll, overheads, debtors and creditors.
• Monitor capital expenditure, projects, maintenance and logistics-related costs.
• Investigate variances and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Analyse occupancy, average daily rate, RevPAR, revenue trends and other hospitality performance indicators.
• Partner with operational and commercial teams to improve profitability, procurement, stock management and marketing returns.

Budgeting, Audit & Compliance

• Lead budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Coordinate audit preparation and finalisation.
• Oversee VAT, PAYE and other statutory submissions.
• Maintain effective financial controls, supporting documentation and compliance procedures.

Team Leadership & Systems

• Manage, coach and develop the finance team across head office and properties.
• Set clear standards for reporting quality, deadlines and accountability.
• Improve data integrity, financial systems, reporting efficiency and automation.
• Use advanced Excel and appropriate AI-enabled analysis to support financial insight.
• Escalate material concerns affecting financial integrity, liquidity, assets, compliance, lender relationships or reputation through direct, confidential access to ownership.

Requirements

• A relevant Accounting or Financial Management Degree or Diploma.
• A recognised professional accounting designation would be advantageous.
• Substantial financial-management experience with full responsibility for month-end close and management accounting.
• Proven experience leading finance teams across multiple entities, business units or properties.
• Multi-property hospitality experience is highly preferred.
• Strong experience in cash-flow forecasting, consolidation, intercompany accounting and balance-sheet control.
• Sound knowledge of budgeting, stock and cost-of-sales analysis, audit and statutory compliance.
• Advanced Excel skills and strong working knowledge of accounting/ERP and hospitality property-management systems.
• Practical knowledge of relevant legislation and reporting frameworks, including VAT, income tax, Companies Act requirements, BCEA, EE, OHSA, COIDA, IFRS and GAAP.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to explain hospitality performance and market trends.
• Exceptional integrity, attention to detail and the confidence to raise concerns early.
• Strong leadership, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure, meet deadlines and translate financial results into practical action.