South Africa: Senior Financial Analyst – Elandsfontein posted by Headhunters

Our client, a well-established organization operating within the automotive and distribution industry, is seeking to employ an experienced Senior Financial Analyst to join their Finance team based in Elandsfontein (East Rand).

Awesome career opportunity.

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience

• Must have a Bachelors Hons Degree in Accounting / Management Accounting or related fields (NQF 8)
• CIMA Registration is preferable
• 7 years experience in Accounting / Management Accounting of which 3-5 years should be at Management level
• Computer Literacy (MS Office Suite; SAP, ERP Systems, and job-specific software systems).
• Advanced skills in financial modelling & modelling tools
• Excellent Excel competency.
• In-depth knowledge of relevant financial processes and procedures

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Daily Accounting, Expense Control & Business Partnering

• Ensure all daily journal entries are correctly captured and allocated to the appropriate accounts and cost centres.
• Review and monitor operating expenses, ensuring alignment to budgets and correct classification.
• Validate and approve Purchase Requisitions (PRs) in line with policy and budgetary control.
• Partner with business unit managers to provide financial insights, highlight variances, and support decision-making.
• Resolve accounting queries promptly and maintain accurate audit trails.

Financial Planning & Forecasting

• Develop monthly, quarterly, and annual forecasts.
• Support strategic and operational planning cycles.
• Incorporate scenario and sensitivity analysis.
• Collaborate with business units to gather inputs and validate assumptions.

Revenue & Sales Performance Analysis

• Track daily/weekly/monthly sales vs. targets.
• Analyse revenue by region, product, customer segment.
• Prepare sales performance reports and dashboards for senior management.
• Identify sales trends and potential opportunities for growth or corrective action.
• Collaborate with the sales team to assess sales pipeline and conversion rates.

Pricing & Margin Management

• Track product pricing and assess its impact on overall margins.
• Analyse price elasticity and recommend pricing adjustments.
• Monitor gross margin trends by product and customer.
• Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to implement pricing changes and review their impact.

Logistics & Distribution Cost Analysis

• Analyse logistics costs, including transportation, warehousing, and freight.
• Assess cost-to-serve by customer segment and distribution channel.
• Collaborate with logistics and supply chain teams to identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Recommend strategies for optimizing transportation and distribution efficiency.

Customer & Product Profitability Analysis

• Analyse the profitability of individual customers, products, and regions.
• Identify underperforming customers or products and suggest corrective actions.
• Support pricing and discount strategies by providing insights into profitability.
• Monitor product life cycles and recommend adjustments to product portfolio.

Sales Commission Management & Control

• Calculate and validate commission payments for sales teams.
• Monitor commission budget vs. actual payouts and flag discrepancies.
• Support development and adjustment of commission schemes based on performance.
• Collaborate with HR and Sales to ensure commission structures are aligned with business objectives.

Management Reporting & Performance Analysis

• Prepare monthly management reports and dashboards.
• Analyse key metrics (revenue, expenses, margins, KPIs).
• Perform variance analysis vs. budget, forecast, and prior periods.
• Identify performance drivers and recommend improvements.

Financial Modelling & Business Case Support

• Build financial models (e.g., DCF, ROI, breakeven, NPV).
• Evaluate business cases for capital expenditures and new initiatives.
• Conduct scenario and sensitivity analysis.
• Present financial outcomes and risk assessments to senior management.

Budgeting & Cost Management

• Coordinate annual budgeting process.
• Track and report on budget adherence.
• Identify cost trends and areas for savings.
• Analyse fixed and variable costs.

Strategic & Operational Support

• Participate in strategy meetings with cross-functional teams.
• Provide financial input on pricing, sales performance, and expansion plans.
• Recommend initiatives to improve profitability.
• Bridge communication between finance and operational teams.

Data Analysis & Visualization

• Create and maintain real-time financial dashboards.
• Analyse large datasets to uncover trends and anomalies.
• Present financial data in a visual and intuitive format.
• Automate repetitive reporting tasks.

Process Improvement & Efficiency

• Streamline reporting and analysis workflows.
• Introduce or improve templates, tools, or systems.
• Reduce manual processes and increase automation.
• Document standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Compliance & Financial Controls

• Ensure reporting is in line with internal policies and accounting standards.
• Support internal and external audits.
• Maintain audit trails for models and reports.
• Ensure data confidentiality and integrity.

Stakeholder Management

• Identify all potential internal and external stakeholders
• Work collaboratively with internal & external stakeholders by establishing and maintaining effective working relationships and clear lines of communication
• Represent the company in meetings with internal & external stakeholders.
• Solve problems creatively whilst demonstrating a high level of integrity in line with company core values as well as UGRs
• Provide advice and guidance on internal & external stakeholder related matters.
• Manage relationships and accompanying expectations in accordance with policies and procedures and legal requirements.

People Management

• Ensure successful implementation of all HR policies within the function
• Recruit and hire the correct calibre of new employees timeously when there are vacancies in key positions
• Provide suitable training and management development, particularly for key staff, enabling them to optimise their potential
• Ensure ongoing training and development of employees in general
• Monitor and measure employee performance by conducting employee appraisals and set performance objectives for the team by cascading the organisations initiatives into individual, signed performance contracts
• Identify areas of development and draw up action plans to address poor performance
• Addresses employee relations matters fairly and promptly
• Manage and improve communication and relationships between employees within the function
• Act as the custodian of the company values and organisational culture within the function
• Ensure all current labour related legislation is adhered to
• Ensure that employees have clear and understood job profiles, targets and goals to perform their functions to the required standards
• Ensure that employees have the right resources, skills, tools, equipment, and information to successfully execute their responsibilities
• Proactively align future talent needs through effective succession planning and capacity building initiatives (i.e. development programmes, training, mentorship, coaching etc.), and advise employees on career opportunities and the requirements to achieve personal growth
• Align with the company BBBEE strategy and ensure all targets and deliverables are met

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not receive feedback within two weeks of applying, please consider your application unsuccessful.