ZA Financial Manager - Lead 26732 at Experian

The Financial Controller Africa will be responsible for driving the team composition and controllership strategy, representing a real opportunity to blend technical expertise, partnering and process transformation whilst managing both the internal and external control environment including the market Statutory accounts and the Audit process.

You will also be responsible for leading a team consisting of 14 people across Accounting & Control and Billing, which is spread across six countries.

What You’ll Need To Bring To The Party

• Drive Controllership Excellence and Transformation within Africa
• Manage Market Audit and Statutory Process
• Ownership of Operating Cash Flow Forecasting
• Management of Experian Group relationship and associated reporting
• Leadership and Development of the Africa Accounting and Control Team
• Revenue Assurance

What You’ll Be Doing

• Maintain and develop best in class Financial Controls across all areas, including adherence to both group and local accounting policies, coordination of new standards and requirements as they are implemented.
• Build on the robust control environment ensuring quality and completeness of Africa Balance sheet whilst ensuring data quality and minimizing risk.
• Delivering of Actuals and Month End
• Developing a robust control framework whilst driving excellent data quality for decision making
• Balance Sheet health and risk management
• Cash flow Forecasting and management of Capex Budget
• Audit and Statutory obligations
• Management & identification of accounting risk and opportunity
• Oversee the Africa billing systems and transition to Aria
• Form part of wider EMEA Controllership cohort in pursuit of efficient, standardized approaches across the EMEA region including sharing of best practice and networking with other market FC’s
• Optimize processes through increased automation
• Management of external relationships with Accounting providers and Auditors
• Delivery of timely and accurate Statutory Accounts across the Africa region
• Management of regional Audit process
• Ensure control and quality is reflected in minimization of Audit management letter points
• Drive accurate timely and best in class Operating Cash Flow Forecasting as a market
• Help develop and implement tools and processes to speed up and maximize accuracy of current process, aligned with the Group and Regional processes
• Support CFO and CEO in identifying opportunities for Africa to maximize cash result alongside mitigation of risks
• Support Group Tax with requests and help drive process and tax efficiency
• Work closely with Treasury to identify market cash trends and any remittance required
• Develop direct and indirect reports to ensure pipeline of talent for A&C and Experian Finance
• Work closely with Group Finance Service centers leadership to identify task transfers, efficiency and control gains in pursuit of Controllership Excellence
• Work with the EMEA Financial Controller and Regional team to ensure completeness and accuracy of Accrued and Deferred positions including contract costs.
• Ensure all revenue contracts are correctly accounted for under IFRS15
• Provide insight and recommendation for Commercial Finance teams on revenue recognition approach.

What Is Required

• A minimum of 10 years Accounting experience
• Chartered Accountant qualification is essential
• Experience working with IFRS would be highly advantageous
• Experience working with any of the big 4 audit firms
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in leading teams
• Excellent communicator – both written and verbal
• Demonstrable team leadership both for direct and indirect teams (on and offshore)
• Strong interpersonal skills – ability to form and leverage relationships locally and remotely
• Excellent existing technical knowledge
• Ability to see the big picture and respond accordingly – when to drive for perfection and when to drive for speed
• Experience of statutory processes and Audit
• Demonstrable record of process improvement to drive efficiency and quality
• Oracle, Essbase and HFM knowledge will be an advantage
• Ability to scale and deliver on multiple concurrent projects
• Experience working in a global matrix organization