Dis-Chem Life Financial Reporting Specialist

SUMMARY:
Ready to Redefine the Future of Insurance?

POSITION INFO:

Purpose of the Role:

At Dis-Chem Life, we are redefining how insurance and health intersect—creating a future where financial security and well-being are seamlessly connected. And we know that numbers alone don’t drive impact—insight does.

As our Financial Reporting Specialist, you will be at the heart of this evolution. You''ll ensure the integrity of our financial data, guide compliance, and deliver strategic insights that empower impactful decision-making. More than upholding world-class standards, you’ll help shape the financial transparency and sustainability of a fast-evolving organisation.

We’re looking for a finance professional fluent in data—someone who can navigate the data warehouse, collaborate across disciplines, and bridge technical rigour with commercial relevance. This role blends precision with purpose, supporting the growth and resilience of our insurance operations within a dynamic, consumer-centric environment.

You’ll work closely with data scientists, engineers, actuaries, and leadership to develop intuitive dashboards and insight-rich reports that go beyond compliance—reporting that informs, empowers, and accelerates meaningful change.

In a business where agility, trust, and growth are non-negotiable, your numbers won’t just reconcile—they’ll tell the story of where we’re going.

Role Summary

This role is responsible for the end-to-end financial reporting function across Dis-Chem Life and its associated insurance cell, ensuring full compliance with IFRS and tax legislation. The Financial Reporting Specialist serves as a subject matter expert in insurance cell reporting and plays a key role in advancing the organisation’s reporting tools, policies, and processes.

To succeed, you must be comfortable managing complex reporting cycles, analysing and validating financial data, and transforming metrics into actionable insights. You’ll work with Power BI to design executive-level dashboards, extract data from the warehouse, and deliver reporting that supports both operational performance and strategic foresight.

This role demands a technically strong, data-literate finance professional with excellent attention to detail and the ability to collaborate across technical and business domains. Success means driving clarity, ensuring compliance, and contributing directly to the financial narrative of a modern, growing insurer.

Benefits:

• A front-row seat to insurance innovation
• Opportunities for personal growth and professional development, including access to cutting-edge technologies
• A collaborative and inclusive environment that values your contribution and provides space for personal growth.
• The opportunity to influence high-stake financial decisions and regulatory outcomes that directly shape the future of life insurance in South Africa.
• Competitive salary
• Visionary Leadership

Strategic Financial Reporting

• Lead the timely preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in accordance with IFRS and regulatory timelines.
• Spearhead reporting for our insurance cell.
• Drive the financial input into the commercial strategy by providing decision-ready reporting and insights.
• Provide proactive financial insights to commercial and leadership teams through dynamic dashboards.

Regulatory and Audit Excellence

• Manage all regulatory submissions including SARS (VAT, Tax, PAYE)
• Ensure audit readiness and manage external audit engagements.
• Stay ahead of evolving IFRS, embedding changes into processes and reporting tools.

Commercial and Cross-Functional Enablement

• Partner with the commercial team to deliver financial insight on new product launches, insurance innovations, and growth initiatives.
• Provide financial data and commentary to risk and actuarial teams for solvency, reserving, and capital adequacy modelling.
• Translate complex financial results into clear, actionable business intelligence for executive stakeholders.

Data-Driven Reporting, Systems and Process Innovation

• Own and enhance the end-to-end financial reporting lifecycle by improving internal controls, reporting accuracy, and automation.
• Maintain general ledger accuracy and perform regular reconciliations to ensure integrity across financial data.
• Perform variance analysis and provide clear commentary on actuals versus budget to support proactive decision-making.
• Support the preparation of budgets and forecasts, delivering meaningful variance analysis and financial insights.
• Extract, analyse, and model financial data directly from the data warehouse—confidently navigating data architecture to independently source key metrics.
• Design and deliver intuitive, business-facing dashboards using Power BI to track KPIs, working capital, PnL, budget performance, and project outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with Data Scientists, Engineers, and cross-functional teams to validate data accuracy and resolve discrepancies.
• Champion improvements in financial systems, reporting structures, and self-service analytics to increase accessibility, scalability, and decision-making confidence across the business.
• Partner with commercial and technology teams to embed digital-first, scalable processes and enhance the strategic impact of finance.

Technical Skills:

• Advanced IFRS proficiency, especially in the insurance domain.
• Direct experience in insurance cell reporting is highly desirable.
• Expertise in general ledger management, variance analysis, and consolidated reporting
• Financial systems experience (Xero or Syft)
• Advanced Excel and financial modelling abilities.
• Highly proficient in business intelligence (BI) tools, including Power BI and Apache Superset.
• Experience in building advanced financial dashboards.
• Hands-on ability to navigate and query a data warehouse—understands the structure, logic, and metrics.
• SQL experience highly advantageous for custom queries, troubleshooting, and independent data pulls.
• Comfortable working alongside Data Scientists and Engineers to define reporting requirements and visualisations.

Soft Skills:

• Analytical thinker who can bridge data science and financial reporting
• Uncompromising attention to accuracy and financial integrity
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to link numbers to strategy
• Communicative and confident in presenting to senior stakeholders
• A self-starter who thrives under pressure and embraces change
• Collaborative, diplomatic, and influential across cross-functional teams
• Solutions-oriented mindset with a continuous improvement lens
• Commercially minded with a strategic curiosity for how data, systems, and technology can unlock financial insight and business performance

Experience:

• 3–5 years'' experience in financial reporting, financial analysis, or business intelligence within financial services environment.
• Track record of managing external audits, regulatory submissions, and complex consolidations.
• Proven experience designing and deploying dashboards in Power BI.
• Experience working with data teams, contributing to data pipeline validation and visualisation logic.
• Strong exposure to financial reporting in a regulated insurance or financial services environment.
• Prior experience working in a growth-oriented or commercially driven environment is a plus.

Qualifications:

• CA(SA) qualification (required)
• BCom in Accounting, Finance (required)
• Honours or Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting (advantageous)