Ops Manager Audit

SARS; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 550 000 - 700 000; Full time

Job summary

A government tax administration in South Africa is seeking a skilled Auditor/Financial Forensic Investigative Auditor. The ideal candidate will lead an audit team, ensuring compliance with legislation while conducting complex audits across multiple tax types. Successful applicants will have a Bachelor's degree in Audit or Taxation and substantial experience in the field. This position offers a competitive environment with opportunities for professional growth and development.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years' experience in an Audit/ Forensic Financial Investigative Audit environment.
• 1 year experience at supervisory level.
• Enjoys delivering exceptional service.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage an audit team to ensure effectiveness of audit operations.
• Ensure compliance to applicable legislation and policies.
• Guide and manage to resolve complex cases.

Skills

Business Acumen

Change Management

Problem Solving and Analysis

Effective Business Communication

Tax Knowledge

Education

Relevant Bachelor's Degree / Advanced Diploma in Audit, Taxation (NQF 7)

Senior Certificate (NQF 4)

Job description

Overview

Position Reports to: Manager: Audit

Division: Taxpayer Engagement and Operations

Location: Head Office

Advert Closing Date: 30 January 2026

About the Position

SARS is looking for a highly skilled, experienced, and results-driven Auditor/ Financial Forensic Investigative Auditor with sound judgement and strong business acumen who will contribute towards fulfilling our higher purpose and living our service orientation. S/he will be responsible for independently planning and conducting audits/forensic investigations of a complex nature, across multiple tax types, over multiple tax periods, and with multiple risks, understanding the risk implications across other tax types, in compliance with all legislative requirements.

Job Purpose

To lead and manage an audit team to ensure effectiveness of audit operations across multi tax types.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

Relevant Bachelor's Degree / Advanced Diploma in Audit, Taxation (NQF 7) AND 5-7 years' experience in an Audit/ Forensic Financial Investigative Audit environment, of which 1 year is at supervisory level

OR

Senior Certificate (NQF 4) AND 10 years related experience in an Audit/Tax/ Forensic Financial Investigative Audit environment, of which 1 year is at supervisory level

Job Outputs

Process

• Ensure compliance to applicable legislation and all standard operating procedures and policies applicable to business unit.
• Evaluate, collate and analyse information received from various sources to support internal stakeholders with timely and accurate intelligence.
• Guide and manage to resolve complex cases and make recommendations for further actions, when required.
• Accumulate information to report on work progress and use for decision making purposes and the identification of improvement opportunities.
• Apply discretion and judgement to diagnose symptoms, causes and effects and to make decisions to overcome problems and to provide solutions.
• Frequently report on progress of unit and or team against pre-defined objectives and standards, ensuring accurate representation of facts.
• Deploy resources appropriately and anticipate and resolve problems to ensure that tactical targets are achieved within agreed deadlines and standards.
• Ensure the development, alignment and implementation of end-to-end processes within area of accountability for continued process improvement.
• Implement change and provide guidelines to direct reports defining the impact of change, the change itself and new requirements as a result of the change.
• Implement resource plans in line with delivery and performance objectives, on budget and in partnership with specialised areas.
• Link and communicate unit's objectives back to mandate, schedule and prioritise activities and allocate work to meet identified work outputs.
• Manage a work function or unit by focusing on the delivery and achievement of set objectives within specified time frames, costs and standards.
• Plan and organise multiple work outputs by assigning priorities and continuously reviewing objectives and goals.
• Provide input into the development of the tactical strategy as well as develop and implement a supporting operational strategy.
• Apply the necessary discretion and judgment in making decisions and overcoming obstacles in order to attain set goals and objectives for area of accountability.
• Ensure procedures, policies and mandates are clearly understood and complied with.

Governance

• Implement and use governance and compliance procedures and processes effectively to identify and manage risks and expose previously unknown liabilities.
• Implement risk management, governance and compliance policies and processes to identify and manage risks and expose liabilities.
• Understand and implement governance control processes and role segregation requirements in area of accountability.

People

• Build strong relationships through providing direction and leadership to others and expressing positive expectations.
• Encourage and enable teamwork, by enabling collaboration with others and commitment to pursuing set goals.
• Implement appropriate people capacity plans in line with delivery and efficiency targets, on budget and in partnership with specialised areas.
• Monitor and actively manage team performance to meet specified objectives against required targets, deadlines and quality standards.
• Participate and contribute to a culture of work centric thinking, productivity, service delivery and quality management.
• Communicate strategic context that guides best practice, fosters an environment of continuous learning and leads to improved employee engagement levels.
• Drive own performance and provide specialist support and advice to achieve specified objectives against required targets, deadlines and quality standards.

Finance

• Draw up a budget aligned to operational delivery plans, monitor and report on variances.
• Ensure teams adherence to specified policies, standards and procedures to prevent and reduce wastage on financial resources and escalate associated risk.
• Ensure the recording and safe keeping of all functional assets in accordance with set policy and process.
• Implement, manage and report on cost improvement objectives and communicate or escalate any shortfalls.

Client

• Develop and implement processes which build client service delivery excellence and encourage others to provide exceptional service.
• Implement continuous improvements and shorter turnaround times in line with Service Level Agreements with stakeholders.
• Manage interdependencies to ensure input and output flow between all teams and divisions and external stakeholders.
• Provide technical support to staff in the execution of their tasks.

Behavioural competencies

• Accountability
• Adaptability
• Attention to Detail
• Fairness and Transparency
• Honesty and Integrity
• Problem Solving and Analysis
• Resilience
• Respect
• Trust
• Concern for Impact of own behaviour on others
• Nurtures Future Talent
• Develops teams and nurtures interdependency
• Inspires others to Positive Action
• Stewardship and Service Orientation
• Strong Results Orientation
• Values and Manages Diversity
• Ability to translate strategy into execution

Technical competencies

• Business Acumen
• Change Management
• Decisiveness
• Effective Business Communication
• Functional Policies and Procedures
• Managerial Budgeting
• Operational Audit
• Planning and Organising
• Planning, Management and Measurement
• Problem Analysis and Judgement
• Reporting
• SARS Systems Products
• Tax Compliance Auditing
• Tax Knowledge

Compliance Competency

• GOC Confidential

Employment Equity

The Employment Equity policy of SARS will be considered as part of the recruitment and selection process and Persons with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will be required to undertake an oath of secrecy, pre-employment screening, case study, pre-assessment, psychometric assessment and or vetting, and a declaration of private interest. The appointment is also subject to appropriate reference(s) and security clearance where applicable.