Chartered Accountant (CA(SA))

SUMMARY:
Job Purpose
The Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) is responsible for managing the company's financial reporting, budgeting, costing, compliance, and strategic financial planning. Within an FMCG and manufacturing environment, the role places a strong emphasis on inventory management, production costing, profitability analysis, working capital management, and supporting operational decision-making to improve business performance.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Financial Management

• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in accordance with IFRS.
• Produce accurate management accounts and financial reports.
• Monitor company cash flow and liquidity.
• Manage balance sheet reconciliations.
• Ensure accurate general ledger maintenance.
• Analyse financial performance and recommend improvements.

• Prepare annual budgets and rolling forecasts.
• Analyse manufacturing costs, labour efficiencies, and overhead recoveries.
• Calculate product costing and gross profit margins.
• Monitor production variances and investigate cost deviations.
• Develop profitability reports by product, customer, and production line.
• Support pricing strategies through financial modelling.

• Monitor raw material, work-in-progress (WIP), and finished goods inventory.
• Review inventory valuations and stock provisions.
• Ensure accurate bill of materials (BOM) costing.
• Analyse production efficiencies and waste.
• Partner with production managers to improve manufacturing performance.
• Review capital expenditure projects and return on investment.

• Prepare statutory financial statements.
• Ensure compliance with IFRS, Companies Act, VAT, PAYE, Income Tax, and other South African legislation.
• Coordinate external and internal audits.
• Manage tax submissions and regulatory reporting.
• Maintain strong internal financial controls.

• Work closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Sales, and Production departments.
• Provide financial insights to support operational decisions.
• Evaluate new product launches and capital investment proposals.
• Assist management with strategic planning.
• Prepare board reports and executive presentations.

• Monitor cash flow forecasts.
• Manage debtor, creditor, and inventory days.
• Optimise working capital.
• Monitor foreign exchange exposure where applicable.
• Assist with banking relationships and financing requirements.

• Strengthen internal control systems.
• Identify financial risks.
• Ensure compliance with corporate governance standards.
• Review business processes for efficiencies.
• Assist with enterprise risk management initiatives.

• Supervise and mentor finance staff.
• Conduct performance reviews.
• Develop finance team capabilities.
• Drive continuous process improvement.
• Promote a culture of accountability and accuracy.

POSITION INFO:
Minimum Qualifications Qualified CA(SA) registered with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.  Must have certificate. Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or equivalent. Completion of SAICA articles. Postgraduate qualification (advantageous). MBA or CIMA (advantageous for senior finance roles). Experience Required 3–8 years post-articles experience (depending on seniority). Previous experience within an FMCG or manufacturing environment. Strong understanding of: Manufacturing accounting Cost accounting Inventory management Budgeting and forecasting Financial reporting Business partnering Experience with ERP systems such as SAP, Sage X3, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or Syspro. Advanced Microsoft Excel skills. Experience managing finance teams is advantageous. Key Skills & Competencies Strong analytical and financial modelling skills. Commercial and business acumen. Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities. High attention to detail and accuracy. Leadership and people management skills. Strong communication and presentation skills. Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines. Excellent organisational and planning skills. Advanced Excel and financial systems proficiency. Knowledge of IFRS and South African tax legislation. Strong stakeholder management skills. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Timely month-end and year-end financial reporting. Budget and forecast accuracy. Gross profit and margin improvement. Inventory accuracy and stock control. Reduction in manufacturing cost variances. Cash flow optimisation. Working capital improvements. Audit outcomes with minimal findings. Compliance with statutory reporting deadlines. Financial support for operational and strategic decision-making.