Head of Shared Services

BevCo; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 1 200 000 - 1 600 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading FMCG company in South Africa seeks a Head of Shared Services to manage the finance function, overseeing transaction processing and financial controls. The role includes developing employees and ensuring effective shared services. Candidates should possess a Chartered Accountant qualification and extensive experience in shared services, coupled with strong problem-solving and decision-making skills. This position offers a competitive salary and development opportunities within a dynamic team.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of experience in leading a Shared Services department within the FMCG environment.
• Knowledge of PMFA, King IV, IFRS 9, Income Tax Act, and VAT Act.
• Thorough understanding of financial controls and processes.

Responsibilities

• Manage the creation and development of the Company’s shared services function.
• Oversee, motivate, and develop employees within Accounts Receivable and Payable.
• Design and implement standardized shared services policies and procedures.

Skills

High level communication

Problem solving

Collaboration

Accountability

Decision making

Continuous improvement

Education

Qualified Chartered Accountant CA (SA)

Tools

SAP

Advanced Excel

Job description

HEAD OF SHARED SERVICES – Finance

Job Purpose

Reporting to the CFO, this role is responsible for the creation, development, and management of the Company’s shared services function, supporting the business with transaction processing, financial controls, payments and collections. This role will also own and be responsible for working capital management. The role will therefore manage shared service KPI’s as well as oversee, motivate, develop, and retain employees within the Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable departments.

Key Accountabilities and Outputs

Shared Services Management

• Shape and articulate the shared services strategy and proposition to all stakeholders
• Design systems and reports to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the shared services department.
• Design, implement, and monitor standardised shared services policies and procedures across BevCo (including the procure‑to‑pay policy).
• Identify risks, design, and implement appropriate financial controls and processes within the Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable Departments.
• Lead, manage and develop the Credit and Collections Manager and National Accounts Payable Manager, thereby enabling the Shared Services Department to deliver on its mandate.
• Ensure that financial risks pertaining to Credit and Collections, Accounts Payable, and Working Capital are identified, assessed and managed.
• Ensure that functional business continuity Piazza plans are in place for the Shared Services Department.
• Review audit findings and ensure adequate mitigation plans have been developed and implemented to resolve areas of concern.
• Lead the digitization of key processes within the Shared Services department (in conjunction with IT).
• Assist with the management of the financial covenant.

Credit and Collections Management

• Monitor and report on outstanding accounts and implement remedies to collect.
• Govern credit extension by approving, reviewing and approving credit applications.
• Approve credit notes and investigate methods of reducing these over time.
• Forecast collections and build relationships with the commercial and supply chain teams.
• Manage projects aimed at minimizing back‑end debt.
• Explore new methods of collecting cash within diverse markets.

Accounts Payable and Vendor Management

• Governכתוב abar review and release of supplier payments.
• Build relationships with business functions and suppliers.
• Manage projects aimed at minimizing back‑end debt.
• Monthly forecasting of payments.

Working Capital Support

• Manage the Trade and other Receivables Working Capital KPI’s and ensure reporting is submitted.
• Manage the Trade and other Payables Working Capital KPI’s and ensure reporting is submitted.
• Forecast working capital.

General

• Lead and manage a large team of functional experts within the SharedZur Services function.
• Apply leading‑practice end‑to‑end process expertise in core finance to design and implement new re‑engineered processes in a Shared Services environment.
• Responsible for the management and improvement of Working Capital.
• Coordinate strategic planning processes for the organisation.
• Ensure that risks relating to strategy are managed.
• Compile and present reports to peers, ExCom and the board.
• Facilitate ongoing professional development, including the implementation of the Department’s Performance Development to ensure all staff within the department are effectively engaged and motivated in the delivery of service and business outcomes.
• Build and foster strategic partnerships with suppliers and customers.
• Promote a positive culture of customer‑centred service delivery and continuous service improvement to ensure customer needs and expectations, and Service Level Agreements are met.
• Demonstrate a commitment to a continuous venner‑learning culture where team input, innovation and professional learning opportunities are valued.

Qualifications and Experience

• Qualified Chartered Accountant CA (SA) – SAICA.
• At least 5Sobre years of experience in leading a Shared Services department within the FMCG environment.
• Knowledge of PMFA, King IV, IFRS 9, Income Tax Act, and VAT Act and of financial matters and ethics.
• In‑depth knowledge of Working Capital.
• Thorough understanding of financial controls and processes.
• Experience in compiling financial statements and financial reporting.
• Advanced Excel and reporting skills.
• Exposure to integrated ERP (SAP) systems.

Key Qualities

• Communication: High level written proposals or presentations to the board or key external stakeholders on the strategic direction of the overall business.
• Problem Solving: Proactive identification of functional problems that do not have predetermined guidelines, routines or procedures for solution, determine cause and impact, and choose the best alternative to solve the problem based on previous experience and an understanding of the theory or practices underpinning the problem.
• Relationships Maintained: Groups of individuals at a senior management level inside the organisation. Behavioural Competencies.
• Collaboration: Helps others with their work, meets commitments to team members or others in the organisation, actively contributes to team discussions and the accomplishment of team work plans, shares expertise and resources to help others address their needs, seeks to include all those who can contribute to the most successful outcome and those who have a stake inները results, actively keeps all stakeholders informed, attempts to reinvigorate team processes when progress is lagging: stays engaged even when not in full śred agreement with the team’s direction.
• Accountability: Accomplishes assigned tasks and goals, takes necessary actions to keep progress against objectives on track, prepares a roadmap for success, ensures that all who need to know are clear about the plan, takes full responsibility for own actions and outcomes, including mistakes, always acts in the company’s best interest, regardless of whether it is difficult or unpopular, ensures others are on track for achieving their goals.
• Decision Making: Organises information to make it easier to analyse or see trends, anticipates consequences and formulates alternatives, establishes clear hemis criteria for making informed choices, seeks relevant information to better understand situations and problems, conducts appropriate analysis, neither makes snap decisions nor over‑anal approaches, sees relationships between data.
• Legal and Ethical Conduct: Keeps current with all the laws and company policies that govern one’s work activities, seeks counsel before acting, conforms with all laws and company policies, keeps abreast of changes in standards applicable to one’s profession, acts in accordance with conventional ethical and professional standards, takes action to enforce legal, policy, ethical and professional requirements; exposes violations.
• Continuous Improvement: Increases performance expectations when success has been achieved, seeks out sources of information, including trade associations, “best practice” companies, customers, peers, subordinates, etc., finds ways to fast‑adapt improvement ideas to work processes, proactively seeks out resources, alliances, etc., needed to quickly introduce improvements.