The Group Financial Manager at Michael Page

About Our Client
Our client is a leading Legal Services firm
Job Description
The Group Financial Manager will be responsible for the following:

• Strategic Business Partnering with all the offices in the Group, and Executives, applicable committees and contribute to value creation
• Digital transformation and data driven decision making
• Develop and implement Finance Policies in conjunction with the Group Chief financial officer
• Develop and drive the standardisation, automation and optimisation of Group Finance activities
• Communicate best practice, processes, controls and procedures with offices in the Group to ensure that best practice internal controls to ensure that the relevant information is available for adoption.
• Support with models for the opening and closing of offices in the group
• Support with the design and implementation of the controls for new offices to align to the Group
• Ensure adherence and compliance with Transfer Pricing laws for the Group
• Own the monthly and annual group close process
• Consolidate results across all jurisdictions (multi-currency, multi-entity)
• Ensure consistent application of IFRS (or firm-adopted accounting standards)

Review and sign off on:

• Management Board Management accounts and reporting
• Smaller offices Management accounts and reporting
• Practice Group reporting packs
• Oversee statutory financial statements in all jurisdictions
• Oversee Rest of Africa office's staff in conjunction with Rest of Africa Financial Manager and respective Managers on site.
• Management Accounts.
• Ad hoc support for Africa i.e. building financial models etc.
• Overall responsibility for GL - ensures appropriate, best practice controls are in place to ensure that amounts are valid, accurate and complete.
• Ensure procedures are in place and maintained to ensure that information is captured by staff timeously.
• Liaise with Finance IT staff (3E Innovations Team) to ensure full functioning of systems.
• Ensure that Balance Sheet Reconcilations are performed monthly for all offices in the Group
• Design and Implement the Group budgeting process
• Review the assumptions implied and reasonableness thereof
• Review the consolidated Group budget
• Co-ordinate the group budgeting process
• Present the Group budget to the Group Chief Financial Officer
• Present the Group Budget to the Management Board under the supervision of the Group Chief Financial Officer
• Manage the execution of the annual audit process and ensure that appropriate/detailed work plans are in place to complete the audit on time.
• Ensure discussion and agreement of practical and appropriate management actions and ensuring actions are implemented in response to audit recommendations
• Overseeing the preparation of the financial statement for all companies that fall within in accordance with IFRS.
• Other ad-hoc year end duties as required
• Oversee the management of the partner remuneration
• Review and Sign-off on the monthly partner remuneration
• Review the proposal of the distributions in line with the funds available
• Ensure adequate controls designed and implemented for the partner remuneration process
• Ensure appropriate controls are in place to safeguard client funds.
• Report, under supervision, to the various law societies.
• Perform quarterly reviews on trust accounts ensuring that we are not in breach of any legislation or rule.
• Ensure appropriate relationships are formed with our bankers.
• Ensure that all approval lists are maintained and updated.
• Review on a regular basis if best banking practices are followed from a control's perspective.
• Ensure that all allocated funds are recorded, and appropriate lists are maintained.
• Provide support to Africa offices to develop relationships with the banks.

The Successful Applicant
A successful Group Financial Manager should have:

• A professional qualification in accounting or finance.
• Proven experience in managing financial operations, ideally within the energy and natural resources industry.
• Strong knowledge of financial reporting standards and regulatory requirements.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead a team and work collaboratively with stakeholders.
• Proficiency in financial software and systems.
• Initiate and manage regular internal reviews to ensure that documentation is in line with revenue requirements.
• Review and sign-off provisional and final tax payments, dividend tax computations, VAT returns.
• Facilitate the resolution of all SARS/ relevant Africa country Revenue of Services related queries timeously.
• Provides input to the BG Finance strategy.
• Work with Group Chief Financial Officer to establish annual operating plan and priorities to meet the strategic objectives and budgetary parameters
• Deliver on strategic inbound and outbound projects e.g. Working capital optimisation, collections and digitization