Financial Controls Manager – Finance Department - Johannesburg, South Africa at Bowmans (Law Firm)

Purpose:

• The Financial Controls Manager is responsible for ensuring robust financial processes and controls are documented, implemented, and adhered to across the Group. This role is pivotal in safeguarding the Group’s financial integrity, supporting strategic decision-making, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and internal requirements. The incumbent will drive continuous improvement, risk mitigation, and innovation in finance operations.

Reporting Line:

• The role will be reporting to the Group Financial Manager

Experience and Qualifications:

• BCom (Hons) Similar Financial Qualification
• 4 - 7 years working experience in a Finance environment
• Experience with and exposure to controls and process improvements
• Auditing experience
• CA (SA) or CIA advantageous
• Experience with finance automation and digital tools preferred

Key Accountabilities and Activities:

Projects, Processes and Finance Controls

• Attend to any projects as may be delegated by the Group Financial Manager (GFM) from time to time and ensure that they are completed within the agreed timelines.
• Ensure that policies and procedures are documented, reviewed, updated and filed accordingly.
• Review and analysis of processes and controls, identify weaknesses and provide recommendations on improvement.
• Document, monitor and track control deficiencies, perform root cause analysis and ensure remediation through to completion.
• Prepare the annual finance month end timetable for review by the GFM.
• Maintain and update the Finance Risk Register.
• Manage Finance Controls related projects.
• Analyse and identify automation opportunities and support with the implementation
• Provide support to Business Services on ad hoc requests.
• Identify, assess, document and monitor business processes (including financial systems) that affect the Group’s financial reporting, including the use of process narratives & flowcharts
• Develop Group policies for controls and control objectives for core financial reporting processes
• Develop and implement the controls testing process, including conducting reviews and testing of financial reporting controls compliance by process owners along with monitoring and overseeing the remediation of deficiencies identified
• Develop and deliver training and training materials for business process operators on a regular basis to build knowledge and understanding of risks and controls in the Group
• Stay current on best practices and latest thinking regarding processes, risk management and controls
• Provide ad hoc reports and status on above responsibilities

Preparation of monthly management accounts pack         

• Coordinate the consolidation of the monthly management accounts pack & finance related packs.
• Ensure all the inputs to the pack are received in time in order to meet the submission deadlines.
• Review the inputs and get any issues clarified and errors corrected.
• Continuously look for ways to improve the content and quality of the pack.

Reimbursement Requisition Approvals      

• Approve all South Africa reimbursement requisitions, ensure each claim has been duly authorised by the HoD or Line Manager and is valid.
• Ensure that each claim is allocated to the correct GL, department and or matter.
• Ensure all issues have been clarified and any errors corrected before approving.

Month end Reports and 3 way Recons      

• Run and analyse the month end system reports ensure they are accurate and reconcile between GL and the respective sub ledger.
• Investigate and address variances accordingly.
• Prepare and manage the month end tracker for all reconciliations.

 Annual Audit and Preparation of Annual Financial Statements (AFS)            

• Support in the coordination the annual statutory audit – address auditor queries and help ensure that the audit is completed within the appropriate time frame.

Adhoc Finance Reports requests

• Extract and Prepare ad hoc reporting requests (e.g. Statistics South Africa; SARB) as per the set deadlines.
• Attend to and address any queries as and when they arise.
• Coordinate the process of improving finance related templates.

Competencies

• Attention to Detail
• Interactive Communication
• Problem Solving
• Business Perspective
• Financial Policy Development, Interpretation and Application
• Legislation, Policies, Procedures and Standards
• IT Systems experience