Group Financial Accountant at Newbridge Graduate Institute

Job Purpose:

• The Group Financial Accountant at Newbridge Education Group (Pty) Ltd plays a key role across a complex, multi-entity structure in driving financial excellence through accurate reporting in a timely manner, strategic insights, and effective collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
• This position is responsible for providing insightful financial analysis, leading compliance and reporting activities, and working collaboratively across companies, campuses, and administrative departments.
• The role requires a strategic thinker with strong technical skills and the ability to communicate complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders in a higher education setting to ensure the organization meets its financial obligations and supports business growth initiatives.
• It also provides leadership and mentorship to junior team members, while driving continuous improvement in processes, controls, and reporting systems.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Reporting & Analysis

• Prepare and consolidate monthly, quarterly, and annual group financial reports in accordance with IFRS.
• Lead the consolidation and preparation of monthly management accounts, annual financial statements, and financial forecasts across the group (including subsidiaries and joint ventures).
• Deliver timely and accurate variance analysis, forecasts, and business performance commentary.
• Assist in preparing board reports, investor presentations, and audit schedules.
• Conduct variance analysis and financial modelling to inform decision-making across teaching, corporate, and capital projects.
• Provide detailed financial insight into funding streams such as tuition fees, bursaries, learnerships, etc.
• Support the leadership team in preparing reporting packs for Council, Audit Committee, and external stakeholders.
• Ensure accurate and timely intercompany reconciliations and elimination entries.
• Support financial reporting for internal committees, executive leadership, and external regulators.
• Act as the key liaison for external auditors, managing audit timelines, deliverables, and issue resolution.
• Support the CFO and senior leadership with financial insight, technical accounting advice, and board-level reporting.

Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure all financial practices adhere to statutory laws, regulations, and internal policies.
• Lead the preparation and submission of regulatory filings (e.g., tax, statutory accounts, compliance reports).
• Liaise with external auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory bodies as required.
• Monitor regulatory changes and assess their impact on the organization’s financial reporting and compliance framework.
• Work with internal and external auditors to ensure clean audit outcomes and address identified risks or control weaknesses.
• Prepare and/or review regulatory returns such as VAT submissions, corporation tax computations, and financial returns to regulators
• Maintain robust financial controls and ensure adherence to risk management practices across the group.
• Lead on complex accounting areas such as business combinations, impairment reviews, share-based payments, leases (IFRS 16), revenue recognition (IFRS 15), and financial instruments (IFRS 9).

Business Partnering

• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders across group companies and departments (e.g. NTI, Pacific Breeze, Campuses, Academics, Sales, HR etc.).
• Work closely with directorates, senior management and budget holders to provide accounting expertise and ensure appropriate financial treatment of transactions.
• Participate in project evaluations, financial modeling, and scenario analysis for new initiatives.
• Act as a finance business partner to group companies and departments, offering financial advice and decision support.
• Support budget holders with robust forecasting, cost modelling, and identification of efficiency opportunities.
• Contribute to strategic planning processes, including resource allocation, student number planning, and investment appraisals.
• Lead or support financial elements of cross-campus projects, such as digital transformation or sustainability initiatives.
• Provide technical support for new initiatives, ensuring correct accounting treatment from the outset.
• Provide accounting and compliance advisory to key stakeholders across Finance, Tax, Legal, Treasury, and Operations.
• Support M&A, restructuring, and investment activity through due diligence, purchase price allocations, and post-acquisition integration accounting.
• Partner with local finance teams to align accounting practices and improve reporting consistency across the group.
• Act as a sounding board to senior leadership for high-impact financial decisions and risk assessments.

Team Management & Development

• Lead, mentor, and support the Group Finance Team, fostering a high-performing and collaborative team culture.
• Support the Group CFO in capacity planning, workload prioritisation, and stakeholder management.
• Promote continuous improvement, encouraging adoption of new tools, systems, and best practices.
• Support succession planning and talent development within the finance function.
• Lead or contribute to finance transformation initiatives including automation, systems upgrades, and process standardisation.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, training, and ongoing development of team members.
• Review work of team members to ensure accuracy, quality, and compliance with internal policies.

Key Skills & Competencies:

• Strong technical accounting and financial reporting skills (IFRS).
• Deep understanding of regulatory and compliance frameworks.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to influence non-finance stakeholders.
• Leadership abilities with a collaborative and results-driven mindset.
• High proficiency in Excel, ERP systems (e.g., SAP, EMC), and financial modelling capabilities.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines in a complex organisation.
• Excellent understanding of financial controls, audit processes, and risk management.
• Leadership and people management skills, with a collaborative and solution-oriented mindset.
• Skilled in managing and developing high-performing finance teams.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field
• CA(SA) is preferred
• Professional accounting qualification (e.g., SAICA ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA).
• 5+ years of experience in a group finance
• Proven experience in regulatory compliance, team supervision, and business partnering.
• Strong track record in preparing statutory accounts and managing external audits.

Desirable Attributes:

• Knowledge of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting in higher education.
• Experience in higher education
• Knowledge of VAT and tax matters in a multi-entity setting.
• Experience contributing to finance system upgrades or process improvement projects.
• Familiarity with ESG and sustainability reporting frameworks.