Chief Finance Officer - SME Fintech at Outsourced CFO

Job Description

• Our client, a scale-up SME, is seeking a CFO to report directly to the CEO and step into a critical leadership role.  You will oversee all financial aspects of the business, providing strategic guidance, ensuring stability and compliance, and delivering data-driven insights to support both immediate priorities and long-term growth.  You will also play a key role in risk management and contribute to the companyʼs ongoing transformation and innovation efforts.
• This is a full-time temporary position, based in Sandton with a minimum of 3-6 months' commitment with possibility of being considered for permanent placement.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership and Strategy

• Insight-Driven Leadership
• Utilize data-driven insights to make informed financial decisions and provide actionable recommendations to the CEO and the Board.
• Monitor key financial metrics, identify trends, and proactively address financial challenges and opportunities.

Strategic Financial Planning

• Develop and execute a comprehensive financial strategy aligned with the companyʼs mission and objectives
• Collaborate with the executive team to set financial goals and objectives, ensuring alignment with the company's vision.

Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Value

• Manage short-term financial requirements while strategically planning for long-term financial sustainability and growth.
• Implement financial strategies that balance immediate needs with long-term value creation.

Risk Management and Compliance

• Set the risk appetite for the business and establish risk management frameworks.
• Monitor and mitigate financial risks, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Transformation and Innovation

• Lead and mentor the finance team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Drive transformational change within the finance department and contribute to the company's overall digital transformation journey.

Payments and Financial Operations

• Financial Strategy for Payments
• Develop and implement financial strategies specific to the payments industry.
• Optimize transaction processing costs, manage interchange fees, and explore new revenue streams within the payment ecosystem.

Payment Processing Oversight

• Oversee the financial aspects of payment processing
• Ensure the security and compliance of payment transactions, monitor chargebacks and collaborate with payment processors

Compliance and Regulatory Management

• Stay updated on payment industry regulations and compliance requirements (e.g. PCI DSS)
• Ensure the company's adherence to these standards and manage regulatory fillings and audits related to financial operations

Treasury Management

• Manage the company's liquidity, optimize cash flow, and oversee treasury functions, including cash management, investments and working capital
• Maintain relationships with banks and financial institutions to secure favorable terms for banking services

Financial Reporting and Analysis

• Prepare accurate and timely financial reports, including income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and financial forecasts.
• Conduct in-depth financial analysis to identify trends, opportunities, and potential risks within the payment business.

Mergers & Acquisitions

• Evaluate potential M&A opportunities within the payments sector.
• Lead financial negotiations and post-acquisition financial management.

Payment Technology Investment

• Assess and recommend investments in payment technologies
• Evaluate the ROI of technology investments and their impact on the company's financial performance within the payments domain.

Cost Management

• Implement cost-control measures and strategies to optimize operational expenses within the payment processing ecosystem.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction and efficiency improvements in payment processing.

Investor Relations and Stakeholder Engagement
Capital Planning and Funding

• Develop capital allocation strategies, manage capital budgets, and explore funding options for expansion and growth initiatives in the payments sector.
• Investor Relations
• Engage with investors and financial analysts to communicate the company's financial performance, strategies, and growth prospects.
• Participate in earnings calls and investor presentations.

Board and Stakeholder Engagement

• Present financial reports and strategies to the board of directors.
• Collaborate with other executives to align financial goals with the company's overall mission, including payment-related initiatives.
• Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning
• Develop and maintain plans to ensure uninterrupted payment processing and financial operations in case of disruptions or disasters, recognizing the critical nature of payment services.​

Requirements

• Qualified CA(SA) or equivalent, with strong financial modelling skills and deep E2E finance operations expertise
• Commercially minded with an investorʼs lens, experienced in Fintech and payments across African markets
• Deep understanding of payment infrastructure, including PoS hardware, SaaS platforms, and value-added services
• Proven leader in high-growth or turnaround settings, with strong grasp of pricing models and outsourced services

Experience:

• Proven senior finance leader with 10+ years' leading end-to-end finance functions
• Strong track record in transformation, automation, data, AI, and building future-ready finance teams
• Deep experience in financial controls, restructuring, pricing strategy, and commercial negotiations
• Strategic business partner with board-level influence and strong collaboration with C-suite, sales, product, and commercial teams
• Demonstrated success scaling businesses across African markets; retail and payments experience is a plus

Skills and Characteristics:

• Transformational leader with strong gravitas, strategic vision, and executive team alignment
• Proven people leader with a hands-on approach and ability to build and mentor high-performing finance teams
• Strong ethical foundation, interpersonal skills, and cross-functional influence across diverse teams and regions
• Commercially astute with a deep understanding of pricing, negotiation, and market dynamics
• Future-focused mindset with passion for innovation, automation, and continuous improvement through data and tech