Careers at Robert Walters

• A dynamic asset management firm is seeking a Finance and Operations Manager to join their team in a multi-disciplinary role that offers broad exposure across finance, operations, risk and compliance. Candidates from both Cape Town and Johannesburg are encouraged to apply, as this position can be based at either of the company’s offices.
• This is an exciting opportunity for a recently qualified CA(SA) or someone with 1–3 years of post-articles experience to gain deep insight into the asset management industry while contributing to both day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives.

About the Role:

• Reporting directly to the COO, this position is intentionally designed to provide exposure across various areas of the business. The successful candidate will work closely with senior stakeholders and play a key role in driving operational excellence, strengthening controls and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• This role also involves participation in cross-functional projects such as implementing new systems, improving technology and processes, analysing business information and supporting longer-term strategic goals. There is significant scope for the role to evolve based on your strengths, interests and business needs.

Key Qualifications:

• Fully qualified CA(SA), ideally with strong academic credentials
• Recently qualified or 1–3 years post-articles experience in financial services or audit (managerial experience or exposure to complex audits preferred)
• Experience with modelling and valuations would be advantageous but not essential

Key Responsibilities:

• Gain broad exposure to the asset management industry and develop a deep understanding of investment business operations
• Support the COO in day-to-day management tasks and strategic initiatives
• Lead audit processes
• Contribute to risk and compliance functions within the organisation
• Drive cross-functional projects aimed at improving systems, processes and controls
• Analyse business information to identify opportunities for operational improvements

Personality & Skills:

• Dynamic and extraverted individual who thrives in collaborative environments
• Strong analytical skills with top-tier problem-solving abilities
• Proactive mindset with excellent communication skills

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Role Overview

• We are seeking a detail-oriented Commercial Lawyer with strong post-qualification experience in drafting and reviewing complex legal documents. The ideal candidate will have solid expertise in South African and English law, international and South African tax, and trusts, with exposure to contract negotiations and settlements. Experience or interest in Aviation law would be a distinct advantage.
• This role focuses on high-quality legal drafting, advisory work, and supporting our clients’ commercial, tax, and wealth structuring needs in a fast-paced, multi-jurisdictional environment.
• Whilst the business continues to grow, this role will also be required to perform some functions required of a Practice Manager. The role will oversee the day-to-day operations of the practice, ensuring the efficient delivery of accounting, tax, governance, compliance and administrative services. The role supports the Directors in managing the practice, maintaining high professional standards, driving operational efficiency and providing advisory support where required.

Commercial Lawyer Key Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, contracts, trust deeds, shareholder agreements, corporate documents, and tax-related structuring advice.
• Provide specialist input on South African and International Tax matters, including cross-border tax planning, compliance, and optimization strategies.
• Advise on and prepare documentation for trust structures, family enterprise succession, asset protection, and wealth preservation.
• Support contract negotiations, settlement agreements, and commercial dispute resolution processes.
• Conduct thorough legal research and due diligence with a strong focus on accuracy and risk identification.
• Collaborate with internal teams (corporate services, fiduciary, compliance, and tax) and external counsel across jurisdictions to deliver integrated solutions.
• Contribute to client advisory on aviation-related matters (registration, financing, operations, and logistics) where relevant.
• Assist with regulatory compliance, including Mauritius FSC requirements and cross-border economic substance rules.
• Prepare client communications, opinions, and thought-leadership materials.
• Mentor junior team members on drafting standards and best practices.

Requirements and Qualifications

Essential:

• Post-graduate qualified lawyer (LLB + relevant post-graduate qualification preferred) admitted in South Africa and/or England & Wales, with eligibility or willingness to obtain necessary Mauritius authorisations.
• 5–8+ years in commercial legal practice with a proven track record in drafting and reviewing complex documents (detail-oriented with exceptional precision).
• Strong expertise in South African law and English law.
• Solid experience in South African and International Tax and Trust law / fiduciary structures.
• Experience in contract negotiations and settlements.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise, and commercially pragmatic documents for international clients.
• Ability to work effectively from Mauritius (existing work permit or eligibility for occupational permit highly advantageous).

Desirable:

• Exposure to Aviation law (aircraft registration, financing, leasing, or logistics).
• Knowledge of offshore jurisdictions (BVI, Cayman, Mauritius) and family enterprise / private client work.
• Additional qualifications (e.g., LLM in Tax, Trust & Estate Practitioner (STEP), or similar).
• French language skills would be beneficial.

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• A leading food manufacturing organisation in Johannesburg is seeking a Cost Accountant Manufacturing to join their Finance department. This role offers you the opportunity to play a pivotal part in driving operational excellence and sustainable business growth by ensuring accurate product costing, effective manufacturing cost control, reliable inventory valuation, and insightful profitability analysis. You will be empowered to support both operational and strategic decision-making, working closely with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for margin improvement and operational efficiencies. The organisation values collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous development, providing a supportive environment where your analytical skills and attention to detail will be highly appreciated. Flexible working arrangements, generous pension contributions, and ongoing training opportunities are just some of the benefits that make this an attractive position for professionals looking to advance their career within the food manufacturing sector. * You will have the chance to work alongside experienced finance and production professionals who are committed to nurturing talent and fostering a collaborative culture. * The organisation prioritises employee wellbeing through flexible working options, comprehensive training programmes, and generous pension contributions. * Your expertise will directly influence key business decisions, supporting growth leadership initiatives and contributing to a dependable, inclusive workplace.

What you'll do:

As a Cost Accountant Manufacturing based in Johannesburg, you will be responsible for maintaining robust costing systems that underpin the organisation’s financial health. Your day-to-day activities will involve analysing production variances, monitoring raw material usage, conducting inventory valuations, and identifying opportunities for margin improvement. You will collaborate extensively with procurement, operations, sales, and commercial teams to ensure accurate product costing and efficient manufacturing cost control. By preparing detailed cost reports and management accounts related to manufacturing operations, you will provide valuable insights that drive business decisions. Your role also includes supporting budgeting processes, forecasting future trends, assisting with new product development pricing decisions, and ensuring compliance with internal controls as well as regulatory requirements. Success in this position requires a keen eye for detail combined with strong interpersonal skills to influence stakeholders across departments. You will be instrumental in driving continuous improvement initiatives that optimise production efficiency while reducing waste. Your ability to deliver timely reporting on KPIs such as inventory accuracy or gross margin improvement will contribute significantly to the organisation’s pursuit of operational excellence.

• Develop, maintain, and review standard costing models for all products within the manufacturing portfolio, ensuring accuracy and compliance with company policies.
• Calculate and analyse product costs including raw materials, labour, packaging, and overheads to provide detailed insights into cost structures.
• Monitor actual manufacturing costs against established standards and investigate significant variances to support operational improvements.
• Perform inventory valuations in accordance with accounting standards while ensuring the integrity of product bills of materials (BOMs) and recipes/formulations.
• Conduct regular stock reconciliations, support cycle counts, annual stock takes, and analyse inventory movements such as wastage, shrinkage, and obsolete stock.
• Track direct labour costs and manufacturing overheads while collaborating with production teams to enhance operational efficiencies and cost controls.
• Review manufacturing processes regularly and assist in implementing continuous improvement initiatives aimed at yield loss reduction and material consumption optimisation.
• Prepare monthly cost reports and management accounts relating to manufacturing operations; analyse gross profit margins by product category, customer segment, and production line.
• Investigate cost variances and profitability fluctuations; prepare weekly/monthly KPI reports for management; support budgeting, forecasting, and long-term financial planning processes.
• Collaborate with Procurement on raw material pricing; partner with Operations/Production teams on efficiency initiatives; work with Sales/Commercial teams on pricing reviews; provide financial support for capital expenditure evaluations.

What you bring:

To excel as a Cost Accountant Manufacturing in this organisation you will bring proven experience from similar roles within food manufacturing or FMCG sectors. Your technical expertise spans advanced Excel usage alongside deep familiarity with ERP systems relevant to manufacturing environments. You possess thorough knowledge of standard costing practices including variance analysis which enables you to deliver accurate product costing information. Your background includes supporting budgeting cycles as well as preparing detailed management accounts that inform strategic decisions. Interpersonal skills are crucial—your ability to connect with colleagues across procurement, operations, sales/commercial functions ensures effective collaboration on efficiency initiatives. Attention to detail is second nature; you consistently maintain accurate records while meeting tight reporting deadlines. A continuous improvement mindset drives your approach towards process optimisation whether it’s reducing waste or enhancing yield management. Commercial acumen empowers you not only to analyse profitability but also influence pricing strategies that benefit the wider business network.

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Cost Accounting, Finance, Management Accounting or a related field is required for this role.
• Professional qualifications such as CIMA, SAICA, SAIPA or CGMA are preferred but not mandatory.
• 3-5 years’ experience in a Cost Accountant or Management Accountant role within food manufacturing or FMCG environments is highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of inventory management principles coupled with practical experience in high-volume manufacturing processes is essential.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills are necessary along with proficiency in ERP systems like SAP, Syspro, Sage X3 or Microsoft Dynamics.
• Demonstrated knowledge of standard costing methodologies including variance analysis is expected from successful candidates.
• Experience supporting budgeting/forecasting processes as well as delivering analytical reporting capabilities is important.
• Excellent communication skills combined with proven ability to build inter-personal relationships across departments are vital for success.
• High attention to detail paired with strong organisational/time-management skills enables you to meet reporting deadlines consistently under pressure.
• Continuous improvement mindset supported by commercial acumen allows you to identify cost-saving opportunities while nurturing collaborative partnerships.

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• A leading organisation in Cape Town is seeking a Cost Allocation Associate to join their Finance Recharges Team. This role offers you the opportunity to play a pivotal part in ensuring transparency, accuracy, and consistency in people cost reporting and recharges across the business.

As a Cost Allocation Associate, you will be entrusted with the responsibility of managing people-related costs across the organisation

• Manage all people-related costs, including salaries, benefits, and bonuses, ensuring accurate records and data integrity.
• Prepare, process, and reconcile monthly people cost recharges, ensuring accuracy and timely completion.
• Produce regular and ad-hoc people cost reports for stakeholders and auditors.
• Compile monthly reporting packs, delivering clear and accessible financial information.
• Partner with Business Operations leaders to analyse costs and provide insightful commentary.
• Work closely with Group Finance to ensure accurate, consistent, and reliable reporting.
• Maintain strong financial controls and confidentiality in line with best practices.
• Support audits through documentation, query resolution, and process improvement initiatives.
• Contribute to continuous improvement within the Finance Recharges Team.
• Communicate people cost information effectively to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.

What you bring:

• A relevant Finance degree or professional designation
• 2-3 years of experience of managing a cost or recharges portfolio
• Experience managing recharges and producing financial reports for multiple stakeholders
• Advanced Excel skills with the ability to work accurately with large datasets.
• Power BI experience is advantageous.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Clear communicator, able to explain financial information to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Highly organised with strong problem-solving and prioritisation skills.
• Professional, trustworthy, and dependable.
• Takes ownership of work and contributes to team success.

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• A leading Financial Services organisation in Cape Town is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to become the central pillar of their organisation, driving operational excellence and supporting growth across multiple funds and investment vehicles. This is a rare opportunity for you to step into a role with real gravity, where your entrepreneurial mindset and broad operational expertise will be valued and leveraged to shape the future of a distinctive, fast-growing firm.

What you'll do:

As Chief Operating Officer, you will be responsible for orchestrating the entire operational landscape of the organisation.

• Serve as the primary contact for fund administrators and CFOs, managing relationships and ensuring effective coordination.
• Lead investor onboarding, ensuring a smooth, compliant process from close through ongoing engagement.
• Oversee treasury, cash management, and fund liquidity, monitoring cash positions and funding requirements across funds and SPVs.
• Manage capital calls, ensuring accurate, timely execution and investor communication.
• Ensure fund governance, compliance, and reporting obligations are consistently met.
• Oversee investor and fund reporting, ensuring accurate, high-quality, and timely delivery.
• Coordinate fund operations, driving execution across stakeholders and proactively resolving issues.
• Partner with investment teams to maintain visibility on transactions and align capital planning with the investment pipeline.
• Forecast capital requirements and coordinate funding for future investments.
• Oversee portfolio reporting, ensuring accurate data capture, performance reporting, and actionable insights for partners and investors.

What you bring:

• To excel as Chief Operating Officer in this environment you will bring proven experience managing complex organisations or business units where you were solely responsible for operational outcomes.

Your background may include:

• Previous roles as COO or CFO at startups or scale-ups or as COO within an investment fund, where you built teams from scratch or grew them through thoughtful hiring decisions.
• You understand fundraising processes intimately from an operational standpoint: tracking progress; coordinating onboarding; ensuring investor satisfaction post-close.
• Your fluency in cash dynamics allows you to plan liquidity confidently across multiple funds/jurisdictions while maintaining visibility for all stakeholders.
• You thrive working independently across varied fields, anticipating needs before they arise, and synthesising perspectives from investors/entrepreneurs/internal teams into actionable priorities.
• Your financial literacy enables you to handle complex reporting/governance/compliance requirements without defaulting into pure finance roles.

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• A leading venture capital firm is seeking a Portfolio Analyst to join their Cape Town-based team, offering you the opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping investment and operating decisions across a diverse portfolio of high-growth, technology-enabled businesses. This position is ideal for someone who thrives on transforming complex, imperfect company information into actionable insights that drive value creation and strategic support.

What you'll do:

As a Portfolio Analyst, you will immerse yourself in the world of venture capital analytics by turning messy company information into clear investment recommendations.

• Analyse portfolio company financials, KPIs, board packs, budgets, and strategic plans to surface key quantitative and strategic implications for decision-making.
• Prepare concise decision briefs for portfolio reviews, partner conversations, valuation discussions, reserve planning, and capital allocation decisions that inform leadership.
• Build and maintain robust financial models supporting portfolio reviews, valuation discussions, follow-on investment analysis, reserve planning, and performance assessments.
• Contribute quantitative inputs to follow-on and valuation discussions by organising evidence, stress-testing assumptions, and clarifying trade-offs for optimal outcomes.
• Identify recurring themes across the portfolio such as growth bottlenecks, cash pressure points, margin quality issues, execution risks, and operating constraints.
• Support portfolio company growth conversations by providing research and insight into potential markets, new trends, business models, competitive dynamics, and benchmarks.
• Conduct company, market, and industry analysis relevant to portfolio company strategy, growth planning or follow-on investment decisions.
• Operate and manage AI-driven intelligence platforms including bots and automated workflows that support reporting systems and portfolio monitoring.
• Design and maintain automated workflows that reduce manual data work while increasing speed, accuracy, and reliability of portfolio insights.
• Convert recurring portfolio analysis tasks into repeatable systems such as templates, trackers, dashboards or AI-supported workflows.

What you bring:

• Degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Engineering, Computer Science, Finance, Business Science, or a related quantitative field.
• CFA, CA(SA), or a postgraduate finance qualification would be advantageous.
• 3-8 years' experience in investment management, corporate finance, private equity, venture capital, consulting, data analytics, or a similar analytical environment.
• Strong financial modelling skills, with the ability to build, analyse, and stress-test models from first principles.
• Experience conducting company, market, industry, or investment analysis, with exposure to AI tools, automation, and data platforms.
• Interest in early-stage businesses, technology-driven companies, or African venture markets is beneficial.
• Ability to work with complex or incomplete datasets and derive meaningful insights.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex findings clearly.
• Collaborative approach with the ability to work effectively across multiple stakeholders and workstreams.
• Passion for technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and impact-driven investing.

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• A leading JSE-listed Financial Services organisation is seeking a dedicated Tax and Compliance Officer to join their Group Finance team in Cape Town. This permanent, full-time position offers you the opportunity to play a pivotal role in safeguarding statutory compliance and tax accuracy across a rapidly expanding portfolio. You will be part of a professional environment that values collaboration, continuous learning, and performance, while enjoying market-related remuneration and long-term career growth prospects.
• The organisation is committed to fostering an inclusive culture, supporting your development through training opportunities, and ensuring your contributions are recognised within a high-performance team. If you thrive in environments where attention to detail, reliability, and teamwork are celebrated, this is your chance to make a meaningful impact.

Key qualifications and experience required for the Tax and Compliance Officer:

• Minimum BCom Tax / Accounting / Company Law or similar
• At least 3- 5 years’ experience in a tax or compliance function
• JSE Listed company experience / Financial Services / Professional Services industry experience (Advantageous)
• Sound working knowledge of the Income Tax Act, VAT Act and Companies Act is required
• Practical experience using SARS eFiling platform as well as CIPC’s online systems (essential)
• Experience preparing dividend resolutions coupled with familiarity regarding JSE Listings Requirements including share issuance or cancellation processes (preferred)
• Exposure to debt covenant monitoring plus compliance certification involving facility agreements or DMTN programme documentation (advantageous)
• Sound understanding of tax risk plus compliance risk

Key duties for the Tax and Compliance Officer:

• Tax filings, JSE compliance, dividendsandgeneral compliance support
• Prepare and submit monthly or bi-monthly VAT201 returns for all group entities, ensuring accurate output and input VAT reconciliations are maintained at all times.
• File annual corporate income tax returns (ITR14) and manage related correspondence with SARS, including verifications and audits as required.
• Calculate and submit provisional tax returns (IRP6) for relevant entities within statutory deadlines, liaising with external tax advisers on estimates to ensure compliance.
• Maintain the group’s tax compliance calendar and perform monthly reconciliations for VAT, income tax, and dividends tax control accounts between the general ledger and SARS records.
• Monitor ongoing compliance with status requirements under section 25BB of the Income Tax Act by tracking asset and income-based tests and flagging any risks.
• Support adherence to JSE Listings Requirements applicable to Group Finance by preparing documentation for share issuances, cancellations, buy-backs, SENS disclosures, and
• Prepare periodic JSE DSSR covenant compliance certificates for listed notes and monitor compliance with financial covenants under bank lender facility agreements.
• Coordinate mortgage bond registration processes with conveyancing attorneys, administer municipal guarantees including issuance and renewal, and maintain insurance certificates required by lenders.
• Prepare draft dividend resolutions for board approval in line with solvency and liquidity requirements; coordinate administrative processes for dividend declaration including calculations, submissions to SARS, and shareholder notifications.
• Assist with CIPC annual returns filing for all group entities; maintain statutory records; support company registration amendments or deregistration filings; respond to SARS queries; monitor changes in legislation; liaise with external consultants.

Key skills

• Strong experience with SARS eFilingandCIPC e-services portal –NB
• Basic understanding of Companies Act –NB
• High level of accuracy combined with strong personal organisation skills
• Excellent written communication skills are vital for drafting board-facing documents or corresponding professionally with regulatory authorities such as SARS.
• Ability to work independently within a small finance team
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word;

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• Global Logistics business is seeking an experienced and technically skilled Interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to oversee financial operations for its South African subsidiary. This critical role will be for a minimum of 3 months, with the potential for extension or repositioning based on performance and alignment with corporate goals. The successful candidate will work closely with the Corporate CFO in Europe and manage a local finance team of 7 in South Africa.

Key Responsibilities:

• Financial Oversight: Manage year-end processes, audits, and ensure compliance with financial regulations.
• Team Leadership: Lead and support a local team comprising accounts payable/receivable, treasury, HR, and legal functions.
• Operational Finance: Provide profitability analysis by customer, route, and business line.
• ERP Implementation Support: Collaborate on the proposal for a new ERP system while managing existing systems (Xero in South Africa; SAP in Portugal).
• Internal Audits: Conduct internal audits to ensure financial accuracy and operational efficiency.
• Collaboration: Work directly with the Corporate CFO and coordinate with country managers across five companies under the group structure.

Key Requirements:

• Proven experience as a CFO or Senior Finance Manager in an operational finance role.
• Strong technical expertise in financial management, audits, and ERP systems.
• Industry experience in logistics, road freight, air/sea freight, or related sectors is highly desirable.
• Ability to analyze profitability by customer and business line.
• Excellent leadership skills with experience managing diverse teams across multiple functions

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• A leading global organisation in the flavour and fragrance industry is seeking a Senior Flavourist to join their team in Alberton. This role offers you the opportunity to shape the future of food innovation, fragrances, and wellbeing solutions by leveraging your expertise in flavour creation and development. You will be part of a diverse network of over 17,000 professionals worldwide, where your passion and commitment to excellence will make a positive impact on billions of lives.
• As a Senior Flavourist based in Alberton, you will play a pivotal role in driving successful flavour development projects from conception through execution. Your day-to-day responsibilities will involve preparing samples tailored to specific customer briefs or internal testing requirements; formulating innovative new flavours or modifying existing ones; evaluating raw materials; managing complex projects; resolving production challenges; mentoring junior staff; collaborating across departments; advising stakeholders; contributing to research planning; and ensuring strict adherence to safety protocols. Success in this position requires not only technical proficiency but also enthusiasm for sharing knowledge with colleagues and supporting their growth. You will thrive by embracing collaboration with cross-functional teams while maintaining high standards in laboratory practice. Your ability to connect scientific insights with practical applications will help deliver outstanding results that delight customers around the globe.
• Prepare flavour samples as requested for customer briefs, application needs, technology performance assessment, quality control standards, physical testing, and more.
• Formulate new flavour creations or modify existing flavours to meet customer requirements, internal testing needs, or new technology development across multiple flavour types.
• Participate in the evaluation of materials developed internally or sourced externally to assess their potential for flavour creation.
• Execute daily tasks efficiently while fully managing assigned projects to provide flavours that meet all defined project needs including good manufacturing practices, sample scale-up, production requirements, and regulatory compliance.
• Serve as a technical expert to resolve flavour production issues and customer complaints with complete ownership of created flavours.
• Coach, train, motivate, and mentor flavour assistants to foster skill development and teamwork within the laboratory environment.
• Engage with all areas of the company such as analytical chemistry, sensory science, consumer understanding, regulatory affairs, flavour delivery systems, and manufacturing processes.
• Act as an advisor to internal teams and external partners or customers regarding ingredient selection and flavour performance for various applications.
• Contribute actively to research discussions by making experimental observations and connecting insights across related technologies.
• Maintain a safe, clean, and organised laboratory environment in accordance with environmental health and safety policies while holding others accountable for these standards.

Your proven experience as a Senior Flavourist will be demonstrated through your academic background in food science or chemistry coupled with several years spent honing your craft post-training. You bring advanced tasting abilities that allow you to fine-tune formulations precisely according to project demands. Your deep familiarity with raw materials enables you to create flavours that consistently perform well under rigorous testing conditions. You possess strong interpersonal skills which facilitate effective communication with both customers and colleagues when discussing technical requirements or troubleshooting issues. Your understanding of regulatory frameworks ensures compliance throughout the development process. Additionally, your capacity for mentoring junior staff reflects your commitment to nurturing talent within the team. Analytical proficiency using modern laboratory techniques further supports your ability to deliver high-quality results. By combining technical expertise with empathy and collaborative spirit, you contribute positively not only within the lab but also across broader organisational initiatives.

• Polytechnic or Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Chemistry or Biology is required for this role.
• Minimum 3-6 years of experience as a Flavourist after completion of an industry-recognised Flavourist Trainee Programme is essential.
• Expert level tasting skills combined with intermediate ability to adjust flavour formulations according to modification needs are necessary.
• Intermediate knowledge of raw materials and flavour ingredients alongside expert ability to formulate selected flavour types for customer briefs or research purposes is expected.
• Intermediate understanding of common solvent and carrier systems used in flavour creation is important.
• Ability to interface effectively with customers regarding their flavour creation needs for selected types while providing direction on performance issues is highly valued.
• Intermediate knowledge of local and regional regulatory requirements relevant to flavours is required.
• Competence in preparing and presenting complex technical presentations related to flavour creation is advantageous.
• Intermediate familiarity with application equipment, ingredients, manufacturing procedures as well as formulating suitable delivery systems for various bases is beneficial.
• Intermediate knowledge of analytical methodologies such as GC (Gas Chromatography), HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography), Mass Spectrometry is preferred along with expert understanding of manufacturing equipment and processes.