Chief Financial Officer

SUMMARY:
Our client, a leading property management company specialising in student accommodation, is seeking a commercially astute and operationally strong Chief Financial Officer (CA(SA)) to join its Executive Leadership Team in Johannesburg North.

This executive opportunity is ideal for a seasoned Real Estate CFO, Property Management CFO, or Financial Director with deep experience in operational, asset-heavy, multi-site environments.
The CFO will drive financial strategy, operational finance performance, governance, risk management, treasury oversight, ESG reporting, and digital transformation, ensuring scalable growth and sustainable value creation across a national student accommodation portfolio.

Executive Mandate

• Finance & Treasury
• Human Resources
• Information Technology
• Legal, Risk & Compliance

POSITION INFO:

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial & Operational Leadership

• Partner with the CEO and Executive Team to execute business strategy across student accommodation development, commercial property operations, and multi-site portfolio management.
• Translate corporate strategy into measurable financial KPIs including occupancy rates, rental yield, rent collections, EBITDA performance, cost control, and margin optimisation.
• Provide executive-level financial modelling, scenario planning, and feasibility analysis.
• Drive operational finance performance across assets to maximise revenue optimisation and operational efficiency.

Financial Management & Governance

• Lead budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, treasury, and capital allocation.
• Oversee balance sheet management, investment property valuations, insurance, and hedging.
• Ensure compliance with IFRS, Companies Act, Tax legislation, and statutory reporting requirements.
• Strengthen internal controls, financial governance frameworks, and audit processes.
• Support development finance, construction funding, and capital raising initiatives.
• Lead sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) reporting aligned to regulatory standards.
• Optimise working capital and oversee liquidity management in a high-growth property portfolio.

Human Capital & Organisational Oversight

• Align workforce planning, headcount control, and people costs with financial strategy.
• Oversee performance management, leadership development, succession planning, and retention strategies.
• Ensure compliance with LRA, BCEA, EEA, Employment Equity legislation, and labour law frameworks.
• Promote transformation, diversity, and performance accountability.

Information Technology & Digital Transformation

• Oversee property management systems, ERP platforms, and digital reporting tools.
• Lead cybersecurity governance, data integrity, and business continuity planning.
• Champion automation, analytics, and technology-enabled decision-making.
• Align IT investment with operational scalability and efficiency.

Legal, Risk & Compliance

• Maintain and review the Group Risk Register.
• Ensure compliance with FICA, AML regulations, POPIA, Property Practitioners Act, Consumer Protection Act, BBBEE, Companies Act, and related statutory frameworks.
• Oversee legal risk across leases, development agreements, funding transactions, and corporate actions.
• Support Board governance, risk mitigation, and regulatory reporting.

Minimum Requirements (Non-Negotiable)

• CA(SA) or equivalent professional accounting qualification
• Employment Equity candidate (mandatory)
• 15+ years’ experience in senior financial leadership
• Proven CFO/FD-level experience in operational real estate, student accommodation, hospitality, or multi-site asset management
• Demonstrated expertise in portfolio finance, occupancy management, rent roll performance, cost control, utilities management, and operational asset optimisation
• Executive oversight of Finance plus at least two of HR, IT, or Legal functions

Technical Expertise Required

• Financial modelling & scenario analysis
• Property development finance
• Multi-site portfolio reporting
• Treasury & capital management
• IFRS & statutory compliance
• Governance & risk frameworks
• ESG & sustainability reporting
• Operational performance benchmarking
• Strategic business partnering

Location