Managment Accountant

Network Finance; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Network Finance is seeking a commercially focused finance professional based in Johannesburg South to provide operational finance and commercial analysis in a manufacturing setting. You will partner with production and leadership to improve margins, drive profitability, and influence capital decisions.

The role emphasizes costing, supplier insights, budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis with direct impact on production decisions and financial performance.

Qualifications

• Degree in Accounting or Finance (required).
• 3-5 years' experience in Management Accounting or Commercial Finance.
• Strong manufacturing or production industry experience.
• Exposure to costing, inventory, and operational finance.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Strong commercial acumen and analytical ability.
• Exposure to CAPEX analysis and project evaluation.
• Ability to engage with operational stakeholders and influence decisions.

Responsibilities

• Analyse production performance and profitability across the operation.
• Identify trends, inefficiencies, and opportunities that impact margins.
• Deliver financial insights that support commercial and operational decision-making.
• Work closely with leadership teams to improve business performance.
• Maintain and review product costing and costing methodologies.
• Monitor manufacturing costs, labour efficiencies, and production variances.
• Evaluate inventory movements and operational performance drivers.
• Ensure accurate cost allocation and reporting across the business.
• Lead budgeting and forecasting activities.
• Develop financial models to support operational planning.
• Monitor business performance against targets and budgets.
• Support strategic initiatives through financial analysis and recommendations.
• Assess capital expenditure opportunities and investment proposals.
• Prepare financial evaluations and return-on-investment analyses.
• Support major operational and expansion projects with robust financial input.
• Monitor the financial performance of approved projects.
• Engage directly with production, operations, and executive teams.
• Provide meaningful reporting that drives action rather than merely compliance.
• Challenge processes and identify opportunities to improve profitability.
• Act as a trusted finance partner to operational stakeholders.

Skills

Costing

Inventory

Budgeting

Forecasting

Variance analysis

Education

Degree in Accounting or Finance

Job description

Not every finance role sits close to the real drivers of business performance.

This one does.

Our client is looking for a commercially focused finance professional who wants to understand what happens beyond the general ledger. Someone who can walk into a production environment, challenge assumptions, understand costs at source, and provide the insight needed to improve margins and drive profitability.

Based in Johannesburg South, this opportunity places you at the centre of a manufacturing operation where your analysis directly influences production decisions, capital investments, operational efficiency, and financial performance.

If you're passionate about costing, operational finance, and partnering with the business rather than simply reporting on it, we'd like to hear from you.

What You'll Be Responsible For

Operational Finance & Commercial Analysis

• Analyse production performance and profitability across the operation.
• Identify trends, inefficiencies, and opportunities that impact margins.
• Deliver financial insights that support commercial and operational decision-making.
• Work closely with leadership teams to improve business performance.

Costing & Manufacturing Finance

• Maintain and review product costing and costing methodologies.
• Monitor manufacturing costs, labour efficiencies, and production variances.
• Evaluate inventory movements and operational performance drivers.
• Ensure accurate cost allocation and reporting across the business.

Business Planning & Decision Support

• Lead budgeting and forecasting activities.
• Develop financial models to support operational planning.
• Monitor business performance against targets and budgets.
• Support strategic initiatives through financial analysis and recommendations.

Capital Projects & Investment Evaluation

• Assess capital expenditure opportunities and investment proposals.
• Prepare financial evaluations and return-on-investment analyses.
• Support major operational and expansion projects with robust financial input.
• Monitor the financial performance of approved projects.

Business Partnering

• Engage directly with production, operations, and executive teams.
• Provide meaningful reporting that drives action rather than merely compliance.
• Challenge processes and identify opportunities to improve profitability.
• Act as a trusted finance partner to operational stakeholders.

What You'll Bring

• Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline.
• 3-5 years' experience within Management Accounting or Commercial Finance.
• Strong manufacturing or production industry experience.
• Proven exposure to costing, inventory, and operational finance.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Strong commercial acumen and analytical ability.
• Exposure to CAPEX analysis and project evaluation.
• The confidence to engage with operational stakeholders and influence decision-making.

Why This Role?

This is not a finance role hidden behind spreadsheets. It's an opportunity to become deeply involved in the operational side of a manufacturing business, influence profitability, and help management understand where value is created and where it is lost.

If you're looking for a role where your analysis drives decisions, your insight influences strategy, and your work directly impacts the bottom line, this could be your next move.