Financial Manager

Primary Function

The Financial Manager is a proactive and commercially minded finance professional who combines strong technical accounting knowledge with strategic business insight. The role is responsible for leading the day-to-day financial management of the business, ensuring accurate financial reporting, effective financial controls, regulatory compliance, budgeting, forecasting, and business performance analysis.

As a strategic business partner, the Financial Manager provides financial insight to support operational and commercial decision-making while maintaining sound governance, risk management, and financial sustainability. The incumbent drives financial performance, strengthens internal controls, and contributes to the organisation's long-term growth objectives through effective leadership and continuous improvement.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

1. Financial Management

• Manage the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting processes.


• Prepare and review monthly management accounts.


• Oversee month-end and year-end close procedures.


• Review journals, accruals, prepayments, and general ledger transactions.


• Ensure the integrity of financial records and balance sheet reconciliations.


• Monitor cash flow and working capital requirements.


• Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting to management.

2. Budgeting and Forecasting

• Lead the annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting processes.


• Prepare rolling forecasts and financial projections.


• Monitor departmental expenditure against approved budgets.


• Analyse financial variances and recommend corrective actions.


• Support long-term financial planning and business strategy.

3. Financial Analysis and Business Partnering

• Provide financial analysis to support strategic and operational decision-making.


• Develop financial models, business cases, and investment analyses.


• Monitor revenue, profitability, margins, and cost performance.


• Analyse operational costs and cost recovery models.


• Present financial reports, insights, and recommendations to executive management.


• Provide financial support for commercial initiatives and business development opportunities.

4. Compliance and Governance

• Ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards, South African tax legislation, VAT requirements, and company policies.


• Oversee VAT calculations, reconciliations, and statutory submissions.


• Coordinate annual external audits and resolve audit findings.


• Maintain and strengthen internal financial controls.


• Support enterprise risk management and governance initiatives.


• Ensure compliance with internal policies and regulatory requirements.

5. Operational Finance

• Oversee customer billing and revenue reconciliations.


• Review supplier payments and ensure appropriate financial controls.


• Manage fixed asset registers and depreciation schedules.


• Monitor capital expenditure and capital investment projects.


• Support procurement activities and evaluate contracts from a financial perspective.

6. Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve financial systems, controls, and reporting.


• Implement automation and process improvement initiatives.


• Enhance reporting accuracy, efficiency, and data quality.


• Promote best practices across finance processes.

7. Leadership and People Management

• Provide leadership, guidance, and technical support to finance team members.


• Allocate, monitor, and review finance workloads.


• Coach, mentor, and develop junior finance staff.


• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, accuracy, and continuous improvement.


• Support performance management and employee development initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Honours Degree in Accounting or Finance.


• Professional qualification such as CIMA, SAIPA, SAICA, or an equivalent recognised accounting designation.

Experience

• Minimum of 5–8 years' experience in finance or accounting.


• At least 3 years' experience in a Financial Manager or Senior Accounting role.


• Demonstrated experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, management accounting, and financial analysis.


• Experience within the technology, telecommunications, infrastructure, engineering, or data centre industries will be advantageous.

Technical Skills

• Advanced Microsoft Excel.


• Financial modelling and analysis.


• Budgeting and forecasting.


• Management accounting and financial reporting.


• ERP and accounting systems.


• Microsoft Office Suite.


• Strong knowledge of South African tax legislation and VAT requirements.


• Sound understanding of accounting principles and financial controls.