Commercial Finance Director

SUMMARY:
Commercial Finance Director - Midrand

POSITION INFO:

Commercial Finance Director

Location: Sub-Saharan Africa (extensive travel required across the region)

Job Level: Senior Executive

Job Purpose

The Commercial Finance Director will lead the commercial finance function across Sub-Saharan Africa, driving financial strategy, risk management, credit governance, and working capital optimization. This role will partner closely with banks, partners, vendors, and internal finance teams while providing financial leadership that supports sustainable business growth across the region.

A key component of the role includes frequent travel across Sub-Saharan Africa to meet with:

• Channel partners

• Local and regional banking institutions

• Strategic customers

• Finance institutions and credit insurers

Key Responsibilities

Commercial & Strategic Finance

• Develop and implement commercial finance strategies to support business growth and profitability.

• Support strategic initiatives such as new territory expansion, partnerships, and investment opportunities.

• Provide insights and financial leadership to General Manager and regional leadership teams.

Working Capital & Cashflow Management

• Own the end-to-end health of working capital across the region.

• Optimize cash conversion cycles through effective management of AR and AP

• Build strong relationships with banks to secure trade finance facilities (overdrafts, invoice discounting, guarantees).

Credit Management

• Oversee credit policies across all markets (SA/SADC/IOI/EAF/WAF).

• Evaluate customer creditworthiness and approve credit limits.

• Manage credit insurance, risk exposure, and bad debt prevention.

• Engage with legal teams on contract terms, disputes, and credit risk escalations.

Accounts Receivable (AR) Leadership

• Oversee AR team to ensure timely collection and dispute resolution.

• Monitor debtor days, overdue analysis, and partner compliance with payment terms.

• Lead escalations with customers, banks, and internal stakeholders to unblock payments.

• Identify and implement process improvements in billing, invoicing accuracy, and collections.

Accounts Payable (AP) Oversight

• Lead AP governance ensuring timely and accurate payments to suppliers and partners.

• Manage payment cycles to optimize cash flow.

• Review vendor terms, early settlement opportunities, and PO/invoice accuracy.

Financial Reporting & Compliance

• Support annual budgeting, forecasting, and audit activities.

Stakeholder & Partner Engagement

• Build strategic relationships with:

• Banks and financial institutions
• Vendors and partners
• Insurance and credit guarantee agencies
• Local finance teams and shared services

• Represent the finance function in regional partner meetings, business reviews, and operational discussions.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to influence executive decision-making.

• Advanced financial modelling, analysis, and forecasting capability.

• Excellent understanding of credit management, trade finance, and working capital structures.

• Strong leadership capability managing AR, AP, and credit teams.

• Comfortable travelling extensively across Africa.

• Ability to work under pressure in fast moving environments.

• Excellent negotiation skills—especially with customers and banks.

• High integrity, accountability, and strategic thinking.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field (CA/CPA/CIMA strongly preferred).

• 8–12 years in senior commercial finance roles.

• Experience engaging with banks, insurers, and financial institutions.

• Proven experience leading AR/AP/Credit teams in multi country environments.

• Prior experience in distribution, technology, telecoms, or multinational operations advantageous.

Travel Requirements

• 40–60% travel across Sub-Saharan Africa depending on business needs.

• Engagements include financial negotiations, credit reviews, partner meetings, and strategic business planning.

Salary - +- R1.8 mill pa CTC

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