Finance Controller at RCL Foods

Job Description    
RCL FOODS is searching for a Finance Controller to join our Empty Trips team based in Ethekwini.  The Finance Controller will need to provide management accounting support and insight for the relevant customer / principal / depot

Minimum Requirements    

• CA (SA) or CIMA essential
• 3 to 5 years management accounting experience, including commercial costing and some exposure to processing or manufacturing environments
• FMCG/Manufacturing experience will be advantageous
• Computer literate with advanced experience in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word and Powerpoint)

Duties & Responsibilities    
Budgeting and Forecasting

• Prepare budget and forecasting timetables.
• Assist in the preparation of the annual budget and quarterly forecast pack for presentation to the Management Accountant
• Coordinating the budget inputs from various depts across the business, performing reasonableness checks, marrying operational stats to financial KPIs

Project Management:

• Responsible for identifying logistics areas for process improvement and cost savings to ensure expectations are met.
• Lead, manage and facilitate reporting improvement projects across the business.
• Monitor industry standards, trends including technological trends, or practices to identify developments in logistics planning/execution and reporting.
• Identify training, coaching, and mentoring opportunities where possible for the team to achieve performance targets

Management Reporting

• Oversee, analyze and interrogate results by shipper, haulier, and region:
• Managing the focused delivery of an accurate monthly scorecard.
• Understanding and managing the data accuracy and reconciliation in systems and models
• Streamlining existing processes and paper trails to reduce the risk of human error and improve the speed of information delivery.
• Overseeing the balancing of all reports, signing off on recons, and documented investigation of variances
• Publish weekly and monthly “snap-shot” reports as required by the business in an accurate and timely manner by:
• Developing a broad knowledge base of the organizational processes and policies.
• Staying fully informed of operational objectives, performance, and critical trends.
• Focusing on the compilation of a monthly commercial reporting pack that highlights focus points for the month, exposes core issues, generates action plans,s and assigns responsibilities.
• Engaging with MD through the presentation of the monthly commercial report and follow-up sessions where appropriate to provide the business with the tools to make informed strategic decisions, implement change and maximize profitability.
• Assist in the review and actioning of variance reports prepared using data extracted from system and models
• Analyze and explain KPI fluctuations and variances.
• Provide monthly commentary for submission to the MD.

Costing Model

• Understand the costing Models and cost drivers
• Understand the SAP cost centers and the upload into the costing model to assist in variance explanations
• Provide commercial insight into variances of cost drivers month on month.
• Prepare a presentation of major variances to MD
• Identify changes in the business that need to flow through the model and table to the MD
• Maintain data process flows and present changes at team meetings

Pricing

• Assist and coordinate with business specialists to maintain and manage pricing master data
• Prepare pricing proposals where applicable.

Variance Analysis

• Participate in investigations and audits to support initiatives designed to control costs and maximize profits.
• Provide commentary on the monthly reporting packs
• Analyze proposed changes to cost allocation (as a result of trials or changes in specifications) and assist with data collection of new business proposals.
• Calculate the actual impact of changes that have been made and new cost allocation and present it to Management Accountant.
• Analyze costs against budgets and forecasts.
• Analyze actual KPIs versus budget and work with the teams to address areas of non-conformance or concern proactively and timeously.
• Analyze all input costs within the cost center
• Financial Management

Capex:

• Evaluate and prepare CAPEX proposals and manage this versus the approved Capex budget

Reporting:

• Ensure that monthly operational and financial/tax reporting is accurate and completed promptly.
• Ensure that all transactions for the month-end close have been completed and all accruals, costs, and revenue has been accounted for.
• Prepare monthly board packs and slides.

Cash Flow Management:

• Assess Principal and Customer working capital status monthly and report to the business 
• Prepare cash flow management-related reporting and manage the day-to-day cash requirements in consultation with group Treasury function and highlight areas of concern and recommend possible remedial steps.

Process:

• Assist and coordinate with business specialists to maintain and manage master data accuracy and completeness
• Assist and coordinate with business specialists to maintain and manage AP and AR accuracy and completeness

Information and Data Management

• Ensure team members accurately and regularly capture data into the information system to enable access to reliable data and reporting for trend analysis and decision making.
• Share relevant data with management teams to enable reliable business decision-making.
• Take responsibility for data accuracy and completeness for the relevant model.

Customer Pricing and Contract Management 

• Draft and maintain contracts and service level agreements in consultation with the external Legal Team and manage the process in consultation with the appropriate internal stakeholders to the point of formal sign-off by the parties concerned.

Team Coordination

• Take ownership and accountability for tasks and activities and demonstrate effective self-management in terms of planning, prioritizing, and self-development.
• Follow through to ensure that quality and productivity standards of work are consistently and accurately maintained.
• Inform relevant parties in the event of tasks or deadlines not being met, the potential risks thereof, and provide appropriate resolution.
• Support and drive the business core values.
• Manage colleagues' and clients’ expectations and communicate appropriately.
• Demonstrate willingness to help others and “go the extra mile” to meet team targets and objectives.
• Champion training and development of self and others through utilizing available training opportunities or contributing to the development of new training solutions relating to product costing in collaboration with national training specialists.
• Participate in and drive regular performance appraisals and ensure that own targets and goals are clear and achievable

Closing Date: 18th, April 2022