Executive Head of Department: Finance Business Partner

A specialist ICT solutions provider is looking for an EHOD – Finance Business Partner, who will be responsible for ensuring that key business objectives of the company are met through providing operational financial support and partnering with business unit segment heads to ensure effective decision-making, informed by financial insights and business intelligence. To enhance value creation and deliver the highest quality Profit and Loss planning and management.

As Head of FBP, you will be responsible for the following functions: Business Unit Decision Support, Financial Accounting, Treasury, Revenue Assurance, Expenses Management, Statutory and Working Capital management.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES, NOT LIMITED TO:

Segments and Business Unit Decision Support

• Provide insightful, timely, and value-added input so that BU management teams see Decision Support as a key contributor
• Develop credibility with segment (Regions, Cost centres, Contracts, sales segments, and Service units) management to be able to challenge the business to achieve its objective generate value for the company, and assist in bringing consistency across all the business units in terms of decision support presentation
• Enable improved decision-making and identify and drive focused corrective actions.
• Challenge the business to drive sustainable value proactively through informed and insightful decision-making by analyzing actual results
• Evaluate product performance
• Support sales segment offerings in the company and support the EHOD FP&A in driving Technology Efficiency Programme initiatives.
• Post implementation reviews (capex, contract, and product) and develop the enablement processes to make corrections to products.

Statutory

• Develop an accounting strategy
  • Investigate and analyze the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the strategy of the Group to determine possible accounting implications on the company
  • Evaluate the impact on the accounting of new products/services offered and new contracts entered by the company.
  • Identify the finance operational activities that could impact the accounting of the Group; Determine the IFRS guidance and international benchmarks that impact the accounting policies
• Manage external audits
  • Prepare and agree on the annual auditing schedule with the relevant business units and external auditors
  • Agree on the objectives and deliverables of the audit with the external auditors by IFRS requirements
  • Contract the deliverables and target dates with the audit team members by the audit plan
  • Schedule the audit by the audit plan together with the relevant role players
  • Compile the appropriate documentation on the conclusion of the audit i.e. annual financial statements
  • Conduct the generic follow-up actions by the external audit findings and contract the specific follow-up actions. Monitor line to ensure that the audit findings are addressed
  • Manage external audits by policies and procedures and within the allocated time frame.
• Statutory compliance
  • Identify the applicable statutory requirements utilizing the relevant resources
  • Guidelines Legislation and Legislative interpretation Industry Specialist External Auditors Highlight the interpretation of the applicable IFRS guidelines to the relevant role players
  • Manage and review the implementation of the necessary changes or amendments to the IFRS guidelines
  • Monitor the compliance to IFRS to ensure statutory compliance is achieved; and ensure statutory compliance actions are completed within the allocated time frame.
  • Annual Financial Statements
  • Taxation Compliance
  • Submission of annual returns

Financial Accounting

• Management of the record to report process
• Development and management of accounting policies and operational procedures
• Project Accounting
• Contract Accounting
• Balance Sheet management
• Fixed Assets Management
• Inter Company Process Management
• Support FP&A with budget process
• Tax Management

Treasury

• Treasury management
• Banking relationship management
• Banking master data management
• Relationship with the Group Treasury team
• Cash management
• Foreign currency management
• Cash Flow management and forecasting
• Management of corporate credit cards
• Management of Petty cash process and governance
• Proactive management of free cash flow through decision support to business
• Management of banking master data and governance, aligned to company DOA
• Insurance management

Payroll Management

• Management of the Payroll team
• Ownership of payroll controls and procedures
• Oversight of payroll banking files
• Interface between HR and Payroll Management
• Management of ASR and STI processes
• Management of Tax directives

Financial Controls

• Review and approvals of purchase requisitions/orders in line with DOA
• Ensure business decisions are executed within the governance framework
• Incubate the establishment of a Strategic working capital management function
• Ensure management of Operating expenses within company governance framework and budget guidelines
• Enable revenue assurance by introducing innovative controls through automation and RPA
• Business ownership of ERP and complementary applications

Business Case Development Support

• Evaluate the impact of new initiatives (Products, delivery models, etc.) and implement measures to reduce risks and variances.
• Provide structured Business Cases and specify Capex and Opex needs
• Gather all inputs from commercial and Solutions departments & external references
• Provide relevant methodology
• Review business case
• Challenge divisions by proposing alternatives to drive value
• Present trade-offs and rank alternatives
• Support senior management in making the appropriate decision
• Identify ways to track actual results
• Ensure Governance Policies are followed.

SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & COMPETENCIES:

• Minimum CA(SA)
• Minimum 6 years experience in a senior finance management role
• Minimum 4 years’ finance experience in ICT
• Experience in managing a diverse team
• Experience in group reporting
• Experience in leading engagements with external auditors
• Advanced skills in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• Excellent communication skills including interpersonal, verbal & written
• Problem solving & analysis
• Analytical thinking
• Experience in strategic financial planning
• Experience in leading teams
• Analysis & Interpretation
• Business Planning
• Performance Monitoring
• Advanced ERP skills

Personal Competencies:

• External perspective and appreciation of the macro-economic environment
• Business leadership and transformation
• Adaptability
• Diversity Management
• Commercial Acumen
• Strong analytical skills
• Compelling communication and influencing skills
• Resilience
• Ability to build effective teams
• Ownership and drive for impact
• Planning and Organising
• Motivating and Developing Others
• Attention to Detail – must be able to analyze and translate data into logical patterns for use by business